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The Decline and Fall of Ancient Egypt
The Nubians were conquered various times by Egypt, once during the Old Kingdom and again during
the Middle Kingdom. The major one came during the New Kingdom, during the eighteenth and
twentieth dynasties. The dates for these dynasties are approximately 1567 B.C. to 1085 B.C.. After
the twentieth dynasty, the Nubians separated themselves from Egypt. In 750 B.C. they conquered
Egypt. They ruled Egypt until the Assyrians took over in 670 B.C. This particular group of people
were one of the first to conquer Egypt. They began the fall of the Egyptian Empire. They were only in
Egypt for eighty years, before the Assyrians took over.
King Mentuhoptep I tried to bring Nubia back under Egyptian control during the sixth dynasty. Nubia
was reconquered during the Middle Kingdom. Again it was brought back under Egyptian control
during the New Kingdom. It would stay this way for almost four-thousand years, when Nubia broke
away from Egypt and then turned around and conquered it.
As a part of the Egyptian Empire, Nubia did a lot of trading. Egypt used the resources there. In Nubia
there was a lot of gold and copper which was used during Egypt's Middle Kingdom. This trade
helped the Egyptian Empire. They sent stones that were used for buildings, ebony for furniture and
gold that was used in gold working;. The Nubians had contacts that the Egyptians did not have. They
were able to trade with other cultures in Asia and other places.
During the Middle kingdom, this group of people was not very receptive of the Egyptians. They would
lead raids against the military posts that Egypt set up. They were recruited by Egypt to fight in its
wars.
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