These communities competed with each other for trade, and due to "unforeseen advantages", some became more powerful than others, which led to a few large domains dominating much of Egypt, which they would then be united by a single king. Evidence for the process that led to unification is scant, and the authors point out: “The elaborate processes of state formation leave few signs in archaeology” (111). Toward the end of the chapter, the authors state that “The roots of Egyptian civilization lie in the Nile Valley itself” (144). The argument that the beginning of Egyptian civilization is difficult to refute, and evidence from other “river-based” civilizations such as Mesopotamia tells a similar story: small communities formed around fertile lands due to river flooding, and as they grow they compete for resources and resources. trade routes. It is obvious that a similar process occurred in Egypt, but the chapter never addresses its hypotheses about the faster expansion of these larger kingdoms (~3200 BC - 2920 BC), compared to the slower period of development of the city-states observed in Mesopotamia. (~3500 - 2900 BC). Overall, the authors make a convincing case for the importance of the Nile in aiding the creation of the Egyptian Kingdom, and its influences are visible in myriad archaeological finds and writings.