The Second Intermediate Period, c. 1782 - 1570BC

There was a smooth transition to the 13th dynasty after the death of Queen Sobeknefru. Overall, DXIII (started by Wegaf, c. 1782 - 1778) contained 10 kings and lasted for about 70 years. Unlike the sudden breakdown that ushered in the First Intermediate Period, the chaos of the Second Intermediate Period was probably less severe than it was once believed. At least initially, central government remained relatively strong and the country was fairly stable.

The chronology of DXIII is hard to establish because so few records remain. It seems likely that Merneferre Ay was the last to rule both Upper and Lower Egypt, as the Eastern Delta broke away after his death. The burial of Hor, believed to be the 3rd king, has been found near Amenemhet III's pyramid at Dashur. At Saqqara, there are 4 brick pyramids that have been ascribed to some DXIII kings. 1 has been identified as having belonged to the 5th king, Khendjer Userkare. We also have a seated statue of Sobekhotep II, but things like that are sadly rare for this particular period.

Running concurrently with the last kings of DXIII, an obscure 14th dynasty seems to have ruled over the Eastern Delta. It seems likely that this dynasty lasted for about 60 years.

A dynasty that enjoyed a slightly greater degree of longevity was the 15th dynasty, a line of Semitic kings who ruled in the eastern desert and delta regions. Known as "Hyksos" ("desert princes"), they are allocated 108 years in the Turin papyrus. In about 1720BC, the Hyksos sacked the Egyptian capital, Memphis. The main god worshipped by this group was Seth, and there were a few Phoenician gods thrown in for good measure. The Hyksos also introduced some military innovations - the chariot and horse was hitherto unknown in Egypt, and would be utilised greatly by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. They were also expert archers.

There are few records for the Hyksos period, as New Kingdom pharaohs, seeking to remove the Hyksos from history, destroyed them. Some fragments of Minoan-style wall paintings have been unearthed at Avaris, the Hyksos capital, and the cartouche of the 5th king, Khyan, has been found on a jar lid in the palace of Knossos in Crete.

There is also an ephemeral 16th dynasty, which ruled under the Hyksos in a small area of Egypt. Nothing is known about it though.

While the Hyksos were ruling in the delta, a new royal line, the 17th dynasty, was evolving in Thebes. Initially ruling between Elephantine in the south and Abydos in the north, the DXVII kings managed for the most part to preserve some remnants of the Middle Kingdom culture, despite limited resources. The early rulers didn't challenge the Hyksos, and an uneasy truce existed between the two dynasties. However, later DXVII kings were more adventurous, sometimes with unfortunate circumstances. 1 pharaoh of the 17th dynasty, Sequerene Tao, was found to have terrible head wounds, inflicted during a savage battle, when his mummy was discovered in 1881. Sources show that it was Sequerene Tao and his two sons, Kamose and Ahmose, who finally drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.