<P> In about 1650 BC, the Hyksos invaded the territory of both dynasties and established the Fifteenth Dynasty . The collapse of the Thirteenth Dynasty caused a power vacuum in the south, which may have led to the rise of the Sixteenth Dynasty, based in Thebes, and possibly of a local Abydos Dynasty . The Hyksos eventually conquered both, albeit for only a short time in the case of Thebes . From then on, the 17th Dynasty took control of Thebes and reigned for some time in peaceful coexistence with the Hyksos kings, perhaps as their vassals . Eventually, Seqenenre Tao, Kamose and Ahmose waged war against the Hyksos and expelled Khamudi, their last king, from Egypt c. 1550 BC . </P> <P> The Hyksos practised horse burials, and their chief deity, their native storm god, Baal, became associated with the Egyptian storm and desert god, Set . The Hyksos were a people of mainly Semitic - speaking origin . Although some scholars have suggested that the Hyksos contained a Hurrian component, most other scholars have dismissed this possibility . The Hurrians spoke an isolated language, but came under Indo - European rule and influence, and Hurrian etymologies have been suggested for some Hyksos names while Indo - European etymologies have been suggested for a very few names . If a Hurrian component did indeed exist among the Hyksos, an Indo - European component becomes difficult to explain, as Indo - European peoples only exercised a significant influence upon Hurrians in Syria after the Hyksos became well established in Egypt . </P> <P> The Hyksos brought several technical innovations to Egypt, as well as cultural imports such as new musical instruments and foreign loanwords . The changes introduced include new techniques of bronze - working and pottery, new breeds of animals, and new crops . In warfare, they introduced the horse and chariot, the composite bow, improved battle axes, and advanced fortification techniques . Because of these cultural advances, Hyksos' rule became decisive for Egypt's later empire in the Middle East during the New Kingdom . </P> <P> There are various hypotheses as to the Hyksos' ethnic identity . While the term "Asiatic" is often used for the Hyksos, in the context of Ancient Egypt, it refers to any people native to areas east of Egypt . West Asian origins are suggested, in particular, by the names of individuals such as Khyan and Sakir - Har, and pottery finds that resemble pottery found in archaeological excavations in the area of modern Israel . </P>

An important contribution of the hyksos to egyptian culture was