1069–1043 BCE
21st Dynasty of Egypt
1069–945 BCE
The 21st Dynasty ruled from Tanis in the Delta, beginning with Smendes I, while the high priests of Amun at Thebes held real power in Upper Egypt. Both sides used royal titles and intermarried, so authority was divided but connected.
The royal tombs found at Tanis, including the silver coffin of Psusennes I, show that the northern kings were wealthy despite their limited territory.
- Dates
- 1069–945 BCE
- Rulers profiled
- 7
Rulers of the 21st Dynasty
Best-known rulers: Smendes I; Psusennes I; Amenemope; Siamun; Psusennes II. Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.
1043–1039 BCE
1039–991 BCE
993–984 BCE
984–978 BCE
978–959 BCE
959–945 BCE
Major monuments
- Tanis royal tombs
- Amun priestly documentation at Thebes
Key events
- Regional power-sharing between Tanis and Thebes
- eastern Mediterranean contacts.
Reading the evidence
The old model of a simple north–south split is being refined by documentary research; authority could be negotiated and overlapping.
Sources: Kitchen (1996); Shaw (2000); Metropolitan Museum. See the full bibliography.