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The Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt was the second of three eras of political fragmentation in pharaonic history, traditionally spanning from approximately 1773 to 1550 bce. It encompasses the late 13th–17th dynasties of Egypt, which ruled semi-contemporaneously from several different political centers. The beginning of the era was a continuation of the proceeding unified period, the Middle Kingdom, and was also marked by the increased influx of immigrants from Southwest Asia, the Eastern Desert, and Nubia. At the height of the Second Intermediate Period, a dynasty of foreign kings known as the Hyksos (Dynasty 15) ruled the north of Egypt from Avaris, modern Tell el Dabʿa, in the Eastern Delta, while a native Egyptian dynasty ruled from Thebes (Dynasty 17). These Theban kings began a war to expel the Hyksos from Egypt, formally ending this period and ushering in the New Kingdom. Although this period has long been characterized as one of decline and crisis, it actually featured an unprecedented level of innovation and regionalism, not least of all due to the impact of immigrants on Egyptian society and culture.

The First Intermediate Period (FIP; c. 2118–1980 bce) covers almost a century and a half during which the first major crisis of the Egyptian state occurred. Many aspects of the civilization went through a significant restructuring during that time. After nearly a millennium of the elite ruling from Memphis, a new capital was established at Heracleopolis Magna. Provincial administrative personages rose to prominence and some exercised political initiative, such as the rulers of Edfu, Hefat, and Thebes. The latter took control of southern Upper Egypt and challenged the kings ruling from Heracleopolis. Thus, the period is characterized by this division to northern and southern kingdoms. On the one hand, traditional historiography views the epoch as a time of crisis, featuring wars and famines, yet it seems that such opinions may be exaggerated. On the other hand, this period witnessed the growth of provincial towns like Edfu and Dendera and the flourishing of literature. Provincial culture was enriched by traditions previously developed in the capital and disseminated across the country, although the artistic quality was often compromised. The culture of the following periods inherited innovations of the FIP, such as scarab seals, mummy masks, saff-tombs, and the idea that royal power comes from the gods. A new power center emerged in the south, Thebes, which dominated the political, religious, and cultural life of Egypt for the next two millennia.