Transforming Egypt into the New Kingdom: the movement of ideas and technology across geopolitical, cultural and social borders

Egypt witnessed significant political, cultural and social transformations between the Middle and New Kingdoms. All such developments involve dynamic and multifaceted processes that could be influenced by both internal as well as external elements. A proponent typically associated with such influences is the rule of the Hyksos, which has been tied to the introduction of a host of ideas and entities from the Near East. However, the validity and extent of the impact of the Hyksos on New Kingdom Egyptian culture, technology and society remains insufficiently addressed. This paper provides an overview of the mechanisms that may have contributed to the movement of ‘foreign’ Near Eastern ideas and technology into Egypt via intensified MBA relations. It stresses that adoptions and transformations were interrelated with (a) the features of a concept/object itself; and (b) socially-structured factors, including socio-political needs and shifts, or ties to group identity and status.