Who were the Medjay?

In the past, Pan-Grave finds were attributed to the Medjay, a group of semi-nomadic people in the Eastern Desert mentioned in Egyptian documents, but recent scholarship discounts that idea. The term ‘Medjay’ actually meant different things at different times. In the Old Kingdom, Medja referred to an area in Nubia. Later, the term described semi-nomadic populations in the Eastern Desert near the First and Second Cataracts. Towards the end of the Middle Kingdom some of these groups began to self-identify as Medjay, perhaps situationally while interacting with Egyptians. People defined as Medjay in Egyptian records were renowned for their military skills but also held other roles, including religious ones. During the Second Intermediate period, ‘Medjay’ soldiers fought with the Thebans, playing a part in the reunification of Egypt. In the New Kingdom, the term was used to describe a police-like force. Scan the blue QR code nearby to listen to a text about the Medjay.