The legacy of the Hyksos: a study in cultural memory and identity

The Hyksos era during the Second Intermediate Period had a significant impact on the formation of cultural memory and identity in Ancient Egypt. Specific moments of this era were documented in the Egyptian textual sources from the Second Intermediate Period onwards, and grew increasingly negative towards the Hyksos rulers over time. The specialised descriptions in these texts, however, often contradict the archaeological evidence, and a new approach is needed that can explain the divergences in these two source bases. The present study aims to overcome these issues by re-evaluating the Egyptian textual sources through the concept of cultural memory. The framework of cultural memory represents a unique approach that can allow a fresh understanding of the Hyksos and their legacy to be reached. It intially sets out to determine the frames of experience of the Second Intermediate Period and Expulsion Era, including the events, catastrophes, and obstacles faced by the Thebans and the Hyksos. Following this, the study turns to the non-contemporary accounts to determine features that were altered, added, and omitted. These later texts are then related to their historical and physical context to determine how this influenced the creation of a document and representations of Egyptian identity.