AHC: Ancient Egyptian colonies

[Bos taurus]

Make Egypt have colonies before 1000 BC. Bonus points if they are in Europe.

This is difficult because OTL Egypt has no intristic reason for creating colonies. One needs yo give a plausible reason for it to create them - like serious overpopulation or a need for resources

 

[Fabius Maximus]

Assuming that by "colonies" you mean overseas possessions, then Cyprus would be an obvious one: it's a valuable source of copper and wood, both of which are lacking in Egypt, it's quite close, it's small enough to feasibly be conquered and held, and the Pharaoh could adapt the pre-existing trade relations to help run the place.

 

[Calculon]

Isn't it against the rules to post such a short thread?

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Perhaps it colonizes the lands of Ophir and Punt?

 

[Aluma]

Lemme do a bear impression!:

Please, I implore use the Pre-1900 Misc. thread for these What Ifs.

You need to actually start a discussion(come on its not that hard!) not just ask a question or make an AH challenge!!!
(Goddamn Ancient Egyptians, stop spamming our forum!)

The Miscellaneous Thread ​

seriously use it we made it for you man

Lokedi!

 

[Bos taurus]

Lemme do a bear impression!:

Please, I implore use the Pre-1900 Misc. thread for these What Ifs.

You need to actually start a discussion(come on its not that hard!) not just ask a question or make an AH challenge!!!
(Goddamn Ancient Egyptians, stop spamming our forum!)

The Miscellaneous Thread ​

seriously use it we made it for you man

Lokedi!

OP was expanded a bit.

 

[Kerney]

Have the Bronze age collapse go worse, have the Sea People's rule for a short time and have refugee colonies reach spread out.

 

[DanMcCollum]

As others have said, Cyprus would be a good bet, due to its strategic location and the resources that it has available.

I wonder if there would be a chance of Egyptian trade colonies forming further West as well. The Pheonicians arrived in OTL Carthage and environs in the 9th century BCE, so its possible that the Egyptians could do so earlier. The big problem, of course, is explaining why Egypt would want to do so - throughout much of it's history is was more isolationist and self-sufficient, and when the Empire bug bit it, most of it's energy would have been devoted towards administering and defending its lands in the Levant.

 

[Lalli]

Cyprys, Crete or even Tunisia would are possible. But why Egyptians would do that? And one problem is that Egyptians were afraidn of dying on foreing lands. They wouldn't really like go far from their homeland.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Egypt did rule Cyprus sometimes but I don't believe they ever had more than small settlements to administer the mines and such.

But, yes, that's a great place to start.

Population pressure probably won't work. Egyptians have the best agricultural land in the known world, and their agriculture is intimately linked with the Nile. Egyptian farmers wouldn't know how to farm in any new colony.

So. Trade and resources are the way to go. In the Bronze Age, copper and tin were strategic metals. Copper is 'easy' to get - but taking and holding Cyprus would help. Tin is the real problem. Have some major calamity disrupt their tin supply maybe even have the Phoenicians refuse to trade it for a while. Then it might be worthwhile for Egypt to develop their own trading networks. Possibly piggybacking off a conquered Phoenicians city state.

Once trading starts bringing in money, it could set up conditions for its continuance

Not only tin from the west but slaves from various hinterlands, gold and ivory from the south, etc.

 

[Aluma]

Cyprys, Crete or even Tunisia would are possible. But why Egyptians would do that? And one problem is that Egyptians were afraidn of dying on foreing lands. They wouldn't really like go far from their homeland.

I guess they'd need a way to religiously circunvent that first, like manually bringing dirt from Egypt or having a priest build a temple on the foreign land proclaiming the soil surrounding said temple as spiritually part of Egypt

 

[Sol Zagato]

Make Egypt have colonies before 1000 BC. Bonus points if they are in Europe.

This is difficult because OTL Egypt has no intristic reason for creating colonies. One needs yo give a plausible reason for it to create them - like serious overpopulation or a need for resources

Wood and metals. Egypt is poor in both.

 

[Lalli]

I guess they'd need a way to religiously circunvent that first, like manually bringing dirt from Egypt or having a priest build a temple on the foreign land proclaiming the soil surrounding said temple as spiritually part of Egypt

This could work.

Or then Ancient Egypt could last much much longer, perhasp to OTL Middle Ages and change its religious view so that no matter where you die as long as you are Egyptian and follower of Egyptian gods.

 

[Aluma]

This could work.

Or then Ancient Egypt could last much much longer, perhasp to OTL Middle Ages and change its religious view so that no matter where you die as long as you are Egyptian and follower of Egyptian gods.

So something akin to how Christianity developed out of Judaism and started saying gentiles get to Heaven if they believe the Jesus stuff?

 

[CalBear]

Please use the Pre-1900 Misc. thread for these sorts of WI.

You need to actually start a discussion not just ask a question or issue an AH challenge

Miscellaneous <1900 (Alternate) History Thread ​

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