Papers by Marwa Soliman
CURRENT RESEARCH IN EGYPTOLOGY 2023 BOOK OF ABSTRACTS, 2023
During the New Kingdom (second half of the 2nd millennium B.C.), and particularly during the
18th... more During the New Kingdom (second half of the 2nd millennium B.C.), and particularly during the
18th dynasty, Egypt's military policy was drastically changed. The Hyksos occupation meant the
end of Egypt's traditional indifference towards its neighbors, especially those beyond the
northeastern frontier. Due to the inherent danger in the east, the 18th dynasty had to reconstruct the
entire military and administrative structure. Self-centered thinking had to give way to a more
dynamic approach. To protect the Egyptian borders against another invasion, the Egyptians came
up with the idea of creating buffer zones along their borders.
The purpose of the paper is to define and objectify buffer zones as a strategic concept utilized
during the New Kingdom, tracing the procedures through which the Egyptians developed buffer
zones, and the ways in which they applied these to their borders. Therefore, the paper will discuss
how the idea of a buffer zone developed for regions outside the Nile Valley (beyond Egypt’s
eastern, western, and southern borders). Firstly, the reasons behind the idea will be analyzed, in
addition to determining the criteria under which certain areas were considered buffer zones, from
the beginning until the end of the New Kingdom. The paper will then explore the importance of
population control policies for buffer zone formation, discussing particular methods of population
control (such as depopulation, cultural assimilation, and the taking over of traditional foreign
spots), and observing their application for Egypt’s eastern, western, and southern borders.
Assessing the archaeological evidence, the paper will analyze the ways in which the ancient
Egyptians used different methods for defining boundary protection, depending on each border’s
geophysical character, geopolitical importance, and settlement nature. Shedding light on the
differences between each Egyptian buffer zone, the paper will aspire to demonstrate whether the
different applications of buffer zone formation achieved their objectives.
Keywords: buffer zones, boundaries, defending strategies
Current Research in Egyptology 2022 Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Symposium, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, 26-30 September , 2022
Since the earliest times in history, the Libyan border has been the cause of significant issues f... more Since the earliest times in history, the Libyan border has been the cause of significant issues for Egypt.
The kings of the 1st Dynasty were forced to protect the western borders and may have been involved in
actions to secure them within Egypt’s Western Desert. In terms of the Libyans, it is worth noting that
they seem to see the Western Desert’s borders as primarily geographical in nature, as opposed to the
Egyptians’ ethnic categorisation. The preoccupation of the late Ramesside kings with the struggle for
the throne left the battlefield open for the senior military leaders of the Libyan mercenaries, which
led to their success in increasing their political, religious, and military influence in the south from the
end of the Ramesside period until the Third Intermediate Period (TIP). Political and social changes
characterised the TIP in Egypt (1076-664 BC). Egypt was divided into small states, increasing the power
of local government and reducing the power of the central authority. While some states reunified with
the centre, others remained independent. Therefore, this current research will shed light on the impacts
of the Libyans on Ancient Egypt during the TIP resulting from the obvious changes that occurred
politically and socially, identifying the various causes, manifestations, and consequences. Furthermore,
to what extent Libyans affected the political and social levels in Egypt will be discussed.
Thesis Chapters by Marwa Soliman
الصراعات الداخلية خلال عصر الأسرات الواحدة والعشرين، وحتى بداية الأسرة السادسة والعشرين رسالة مقدمة لنيل درجة الدكتوراة فى الآثار المصرية القديمة , 2015
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Papers by Marwa Soliman
18th dynasty, Egypt's military policy was drastically changed. The Hyksos occupation meant the
end of Egypt's traditional indifference towards its neighbors, especially those beyond the
northeastern frontier. Due to the inherent danger in the east, the 18th dynasty had to reconstruct the
entire military and administrative structure. Self-centered thinking had to give way to a more
dynamic approach. To protect the Egyptian borders against another invasion, the Egyptians came
up with the idea of creating buffer zones along their borders.
The purpose of the paper is to define and objectify buffer zones as a strategic concept utilized
during the New Kingdom, tracing the procedures through which the Egyptians developed buffer
zones, and the ways in which they applied these to their borders. Therefore, the paper will discuss
how the idea of a buffer zone developed for regions outside the Nile Valley (beyond Egypt’s
eastern, western, and southern borders). Firstly, the reasons behind the idea will be analyzed, in
addition to determining the criteria under which certain areas were considered buffer zones, from
the beginning until the end of the New Kingdom. The paper will then explore the importance of
population control policies for buffer zone formation, discussing particular methods of population
control (such as depopulation, cultural assimilation, and the taking over of traditional foreign
spots), and observing their application for Egypt’s eastern, western, and southern borders.
Assessing the archaeological evidence, the paper will analyze the ways in which the ancient
Egyptians used different methods for defining boundary protection, depending on each border’s
geophysical character, geopolitical importance, and settlement nature. Shedding light on the
differences between each Egyptian buffer zone, the paper will aspire to demonstrate whether the
different applications of buffer zone formation achieved their objectives.
Keywords: buffer zones, boundaries, defending strategies
The kings of the 1st Dynasty were forced to protect the western borders and may have been involved in
actions to secure them within Egypt’s Western Desert. In terms of the Libyans, it is worth noting that
they seem to see the Western Desert’s borders as primarily geographical in nature, as opposed to the
Egyptians’ ethnic categorisation. The preoccupation of the late Ramesside kings with the struggle for
the throne left the battlefield open for the senior military leaders of the Libyan mercenaries, which
led to their success in increasing their political, religious, and military influence in the south from the
end of the Ramesside period until the Third Intermediate Period (TIP). Political and social changes
characterised the TIP in Egypt (1076-664 BC). Egypt was divided into small states, increasing the power
of local government and reducing the power of the central authority. While some states reunified with
the centre, others remained independent. Therefore, this current research will shed light on the impacts
of the Libyans on Ancient Egypt during the TIP resulting from the obvious changes that occurred
politically and socially, identifying the various causes, manifestations, and consequences. Furthermore,
to what extent Libyans affected the political and social levels in Egypt will be discussed.
Thesis Chapters by Marwa Soliman
18th dynasty, Egypt's military policy was drastically changed. The Hyksos occupation meant the
end of Egypt's traditional indifference towards its neighbors, especially those beyond the
northeastern frontier. Due to the inherent danger in the east, the 18th dynasty had to reconstruct the
entire military and administrative structure. Self-centered thinking had to give way to a more
dynamic approach. To protect the Egyptian borders against another invasion, the Egyptians came
up with the idea of creating buffer zones along their borders.
The purpose of the paper is to define and objectify buffer zones as a strategic concept utilized
during the New Kingdom, tracing the procedures through which the Egyptians developed buffer
zones, and the ways in which they applied these to their borders. Therefore, the paper will discuss
how the idea of a buffer zone developed for regions outside the Nile Valley (beyond Egypt’s
eastern, western, and southern borders). Firstly, the reasons behind the idea will be analyzed, in
addition to determining the criteria under which certain areas were considered buffer zones, from
the beginning until the end of the New Kingdom. The paper will then explore the importance of
population control policies for buffer zone formation, discussing particular methods of population
control (such as depopulation, cultural assimilation, and the taking over of traditional foreign
spots), and observing their application for Egypt’s eastern, western, and southern borders.
Assessing the archaeological evidence, the paper will analyze the ways in which the ancient
Egyptians used different methods for defining boundary protection, depending on each border’s
geophysical character, geopolitical importance, and settlement nature. Shedding light on the
differences between each Egyptian buffer zone, the paper will aspire to demonstrate whether the
different applications of buffer zone formation achieved their objectives.
Keywords: buffer zones, boundaries, defending strategies
The kings of the 1st Dynasty were forced to protect the western borders and may have been involved in
actions to secure them within Egypt’s Western Desert. In terms of the Libyans, it is worth noting that
they seem to see the Western Desert’s borders as primarily geographical in nature, as opposed to the
Egyptians’ ethnic categorisation. The preoccupation of the late Ramesside kings with the struggle for
the throne left the battlefield open for the senior military leaders of the Libyan mercenaries, which
led to their success in increasing their political, religious, and military influence in the south from the
end of the Ramesside period until the Third Intermediate Period (TIP). Political and social changes
characterised the TIP in Egypt (1076-664 BC). Egypt was divided into small states, increasing the power
of local government and reducing the power of the central authority. While some states reunified with
the centre, others remained independent. Therefore, this current research will shed light on the impacts
of the Libyans on Ancient Egypt during the TIP resulting from the obvious changes that occurred
politically and socially, identifying the various causes, manifestations, and consequences. Furthermore,
to what extent Libyans affected the political and social levels in Egypt will be discussed.