The Middle Kingdom saw an increase in democratic practices compared with the Old Kingdom. While kings and royals retained power, nobles and civil servants became deputized and acquired great influence. These officials, known as viziers, eventually demanded more power leading to political instability and collapse.

The Hyksos invaded and successfully conquered most of Egypt at the end of the Middle Kingdom. They ruled for approximately a century from 1,650 to 1,550 BCE. The Hyksos notably introduced advanced weaponry, like horse-drawn chariots, to Egyptian society. The Egyptians used these new technologies to drive the Hyksos out of Egypt and establish a powerful empire during the New Kingdom.

The wheel was most likely introduced into Egyptian society by the Hyksos during the 17th century BCE. This means that the Great Pyramids of Giza, constructed a thousand years before the Hyksos invasion, were constructed without the use of wheels - a considerable accomplishment.

The Papyrus Rhind is one of the most famous examples of an ancient Egyptian mathematical text. It contains a formula for determining the area of the circle and provides substantial evidence regarding the sophistication of Egyptian mathematical understanding.

The Edwin Smith Medical Papyrus dates from the Second Intermediate Period. It differs from the other medical papyri that have so far been discovered in that it is much more rational and scientific in its approach. Rather than advising magical or ritual solutions for diseases and injuries, it provides actual surgical or medical solutions. It is written as a series of case studies and includes symptoms, diagnoses, and prognoses.

Avaris was the capital city of Egypt during the rule of the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. The Hyksos invaded Egypt during the waning years of the Middle Kingdom, they sacked the capital Memphis, and subsequently established their own capital called Avaris.

Avaris, in the Nile Delta, was built during the Thirteenth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom, but it was adopted by the Hyksos as the capitol from which they ruled Lower Egypt, while the Theban Pharaohs of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties ruled Upper Egypt from Thebes. Memphis, while in Lower Egypt and serving as the Egyptian capitol at other times, was besieged by the Hyksos, and many of its artifacts and treasures were taken to Avaris. Aswan is located in Upper Egypt rather than Lower Egypt, and Alexandria was not created until the 300s BCE. Amarna became prominent during the reign of the infamous Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten. 

The worship of Amun is associated with Thebes, specifically the great temples of Karnak and Luxor. During the Second Intermediate Period, and continuing into the New Kingdom, Amun rapidly ascended to the top of the Egyptian pantheon. Thebes was the center of political and religious authority in Egypt during this time period and the ascendancy of Amun both caused and reinforced this status.

Theban theology taught that all the various Gods were merely incarnations or functions of the God Amun. The Thebans understood Amun to be hidden and unknowable, and that only he could exist outside of creation and therefore only he could have created the world. He was also said to have created all the other Gods as incarnations of his own divine authority. Specifically, the God Amun is described as being made of three parts: Ra, the Sun God; Ptah, the intermediary; and Amun, the hidden. The Thebans believed that these three were merely incarnations or functions of the same God. This is very similar to the concept of the holy trinity of Christianity and many scholars have speculated that the theology of Amun might have influenced or informed early Christian theology.

The Edwin Smith Medical Papyrus was discovered in the nineteenth century. It dates from the Second Intermediate Period. It provides rational and scientific information about a series of medical procedures presumably carried out by the author. It is incredibly important for informing our understanding of Egyptian medical practice and understanding.