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Avaris (Tell el-Dab'a): Hyksos capital of ancient Egypt. East Nile Delta.

Thinis: Capital city of pre-unification Upper Egypt, remains undiscovered but is well-attested by ancient writers (Like Manetho). Declined in importance when the capital was shifted to Memphis.

Merihmda: An archaeological site of the same name contains a Neolithic culture. West Nile Delta.

Abydos: One of the most important archaeological sites of ancient egypt, a necropolis for the earliest Egyptian royalty (dynasties 1-2, also possibly predynastic royal tombs). In the low-desert, west of the Nile river.

Heliopolis: An important religious center centered around worship of the sun god Ra. Lower Egypt.

Naqada: Site of a neolithic town and burial grounds of the predynastic period, discovered by Flinders Petrie and home to the Amratian, Gerzean, and Naqada III cultures. In the great bend of the Nile on the west bank.

Giza Plateau: Home to the Great Pyramids of Egypt and other monuments. In the western desert on the edge of the Nile Valley.

Thebes: Capital of Egypt during the middle and new kingdoms. Temples at places like Luxor and Karnak, necropolises of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Upper Egypt.

Memphis: Capital of Egypt during the early dynastic and old kingdom. Important religious and administrative center.

Wadi Hammamat: A watercourse that has a dry bed except when it rains and forms an oasis. Major mining region and trade route east from the Nile Valley. Specifically the bend.

Faiyum: A region of ancient Egypt (Lower Egypt) known for its fertility and the abundance of plant and animal life. Initially a lifeless basin, it was created when Nile flooding diverged a branch of freshwater, creating a lake surrounded by rich alluvia (Oasis). Human habitation of the area dates back to 7200 BC (prehistory), but the Fayum was at its peak during the Middle kingdom, benefitting from the stable rule of the 12th dynasty. Saw major expansion of agricultural activity, the development of extensive canal and irrigation systems, and construction of various monuments.

Hierakonpolis: A prehistoric royal residence of Upper Egypt. A well-known site for the study of Egypt’s predynastic and early dynastic periods. Important finds: slate palette of King Namer and mace-head of King Scorpion. Upper Egypt.

Lisht: Necropolis with two pyramids, the ancient ruins are the best preserved examples of the Middle Kingdom. Lower Egypt.

Elephantine: An island in the Nile opposite the city of Aswan, near the first cataract. The site of a fort used for protection from and trade with Kush.

Hermopolis: Home to a labyrinth of underground streets and catacombs sacred to the cult of Thoth. Upper Egypt.

Buhen: Settlement on the western bank of the Nile just below the second cataract. A colonial town that served as an ancient copper factory, surrounded by a crude stone wall. Its origin is during the reign of Sneferu in the 4th dynasty.

Badari: (ca. 4400-4000 BCE) Egyptian predynastic cultural phase considered to have emerged in Upper Egypt. First discovered at el-Badari. Provides the earlier direct evidence of Agriculture in Upper Egypt. Economy based on agriculture (wheat, barely, lentils), and animal husbandry and fishing.

Kerma: One of the largest archaeological sites in Nubia, former capital of the ancient Kerma kingdom. Conquered by Egypt at the beginning of the New Kingdom (18th dynasty). Kush.