I am reading John Romer's history of Egypt, not for the first time, and he is annoying me, again not for the first time.
Romer seems intent on pushing the narrative of a totally non violent and unwarlike early Egypt, any interpretations to the contrary being the result of nineteenth century imperialists and colonizers projecting onto the past.
He conveniently ignores the fact that nineteenth century western expansion was just the most recent example of a constantly repeated theme played out again and again in AE as well as other places. He claims there is no evidence of warfare dismissing the violent imagery of the smiting scenes found dotted about the pre-dynastic landscape and the evidence of burials of people suffering exactly such wounds, not to mention the multiple maceheads discovered!
It really gets on my nerves.