Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt
Egyptian dynasty from 1991 to 1802 BCE
The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is a series of rulers reigning from c. 1991–1802 BC (c. 190 years), at what is often considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom (Dynasties XI–XIV). The dynasty periodically expanded its territory from the Nile Delta and its valley to the south beyond the second cataract and to the east into Canaan.
The Twelfth Dynasty was marked by relative stability and development. It has a notably well recorded history for the period. Its first pharaoh was Amenemhat I and its final was Sobekneferu.
History
In the view of Egyptologist Frank Yurco:
The XIIth Dynasty (1991–1786 BCE) originated from the Aswan region. As expected, strong Nubian features and dark coloring are seen in their sculpture and relief work. This dynasty ranks as among the greatest, whose fame far outlived its actual tenure on the throne.
The public source identifies “Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt” as egyptian dynasty from 1991 to 1802 BCE. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Twelfth, Dynasty and Egypt.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt”, the useful work is to connect “egyptian dynasty from 1991 to 1802 BCE” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology, provenance and viewpoint should be read together before a broad social or political interpretation is accepted. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q719639. The Library of Congress control number is sh2009005152. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1991, 1802 and 1786.
Institutional narratives can privilege the records that survived while minimizing voices that were never formally collected. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Compare institutional narratives with records created by participants and affected communities. Dates and formal titles are useful anchors, but not substitutes for context.
- Event chronology
- Institutional context
- Locating named record creators
Contemporary correspondence, government or organizational records, oral histories and cited historical scholarship.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt primary sources, Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt archive and Twelfth research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt”?
- Who created the surviving record, and for what administrative purpose?
- What chronology connects this entry to wider political or social change?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.