Second Intermediate period

The Second Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt, spanning roughly from 1650 to 1550 BCE, was a time of division and foreign rule. This era saw the rise of the Hyksos, a dynasty of Palestinian origin, who established their capital at Avaris in the Nile Delta. The Hyksos, whose name likely meant "rulers of foreign lands," introduced significant technological and cultural innovations to Egypt, including the horse and chariot, composite bows, and new metalworking techniques, bringing Egypt closer to the technological level of Southwest Asia.12

While the Hyksos ruled northern Egypt, a native Egyptian dynasty, the 17th, maintained control from Thebes in the south. The period concluded with the Theban kings Seqenenre and Kamose initiating a struggle to expel the Hyksos, paving the way for the reunification of Egypt and the beginning of the New Kingdom.13