Pharoahs and the Afterlife: The Art of Ancient Egypt  
       
  The Land Of The Nile :: The Predynastic And Early Dynastic :: The Old Kingdom :: The Middle Kingdom :: The New Kingdom :: The Late Period   Images courtesy of
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  THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

The Middle Kingdom emerged in 2040 BCE, following a century of unrest after the collapse of the power of the Old Kingdom pharaohs around 2150 BCE.

Sculpture

A brooding Pharoah:

One of Mentuhotep II's successors was Senusret III. While his preserved statues have idealized bodies, the sculptures brought stunning and unprecedented realism to the rendition of Senusret III's features.

3-18: Fragmentary head of Senusret III, Dynasty XII, ca. 1860 BCE. Red quartzite, approx. 6 1/2 high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
  1. Senusret III
  2. Senusret III
  3. related
Architecture

Mountain Tombs:

Senusret III's tomb, at Dashur is a mud-brick pyramid, but the most characteristic burials of the Middle Kingdom are rock-cut tombs.

3-19: Rock-cut tombs BH 3-5, Beni Hasan, Egypt, Dynasty XII, ca. 1950-1900 BCE.
  1. Beni Hasan
  2. Beni Hasan
  3. Beni Hasan
  4. Beni Hasan
3-20: Interior hall of the rock-cut tomb of Amenemhet (BH 2), Beni Hasan, Egypt, Dynasty XII, ca. 1950-1900 BCE.
  1. Beni Hasan
  2. Beni Hasan
  3. Beni Hasan
  4. Beni Hasan
    
       
  The Land Of The Nile :: The Predynastic And Early Dynastic :: The Old Kingdom :: The Middle Kingdom :: The New Kingdom :: The Late Period