Editing Upper and Lower Egypt (section)

{{short description|Two regions of Ancient Egypt}} 
In [[History of ancient Egypt|Egyptian history]], the '''Upper and Lower Egypt''' period (also known as '''The Two Lands''') was the final stage of [[prehistoric Egypt]] and directly preceded the [[Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)|unification of the realm]].  The conception of Egypt as the Two Lands was an example of the dualism in ancient Egyptian culture and frequently appeared in texts and imagery, including in the titles of Egyptian [[pharaoh]]s.

The Egyptian title ''[[wikt:zmꜣ#Egyptian|zmꜣ]]-[[wikt:tꜣwj#Egyptian|tꜣwj]]'' ([[Egyptological pronunciation]] ''sema-tawy'') is usually translated as "Uniter of the Two Lands"<ref>Ronald J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary, Society of Biblical Lit, 2013</ref> and was depicted as a human [[trachea]] entwined with the papyrus and lily plant. The trachea stood for unification, while the papyrus and lily plant represent Lower and Upper Egypt.

Standard titles of the [[pharaoh]] included the [[prenomen (Ancient Egypt)|prenomen]], quite literally "Of the [[Cyperaceae|Sedge]] and Bee" ([[wikt:nswt-bjtj|nswt-bjtj]], the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt)<ref>Abeer El-Shahawy, Farid S. Atiya, The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, American Univ in Cairo Press, 2005</ref> and "lord of the Two Lands" (written ''[[wikt:nb-tꜣwj|nb-tꜣwj]]''). [[Queens regnant]] were addressed as pharaohs and male. [[Queens consort]] might use the feminine versions of the second title, "lady of The Two Lands" (''nbt-tꜣwj''), "mistress of the Entire Two Lands" (''hnwt-tꜣwy-tm''), and "mistress of the Two Lands" (''hnwt-tꜣwy'').<ref>Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Golden House Publications, London, 2005, {{ISBN|978-0954721893}}</ref>