Home > History of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt appeared as a unified state sometime around 3300 BC. It survived as an independent state until about 1300 BC. Archeological evidence indicates that a developed Egyptian society has existed for much longer.
Ongoing excavation in Egypt continually reshapes the views of scholars about the origins of Egyptian civilization. In the late 20th century archaeologists discovered evidence of human habitation before 8000 BC in an area in the southwestern corner of Egypt, near the border with Sudan. Nomadic peoples may have been attracted to that area because of the hospitable climate and environment. Now exceptionally dry, that area once had grassy plains and temporary lakes that resulted from seasonal rains. The people who settled there must have realized the benefits of a more sedentary life. Scientific analysis of the remains of their culture indicates that by 6000 BC they were herding cattle and constructing large buildings.
The descendants of these people may well have begun Egyptian civilization in the Nile Valley. Also a recent genetic study links the maternal lineage of a sedentary population from Upper Egypt to eastern Africa[1].
In about 3100 BC, Egypt was united under a ruler known as Mena, or Menes, an Upper Egyptian, who inaugurated the 30 pharaonic dynasties into which Egypt's ancient history is divided — the Old and the Middle Kingdoms and the New Empire. The pyramids at Giza (near Cairo), which were built in the fourth dynasty, testify to the power of the pharaonic religion and state. The Great Pyramid, the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops), is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ancient Egypt reached the peak of its power, wealth, and territorial extent in the period called the New Empire (1567–1085 BC).
The Egyptians reached Crete around 2000 BC and were invaded by Indo-Europeans and Hyksos Semites. They defeated the invaders around 1570 BC and expanded into the Aegean, Sudan, Libya, and much of southwest Asia, as far as the Euphrates.
1 Egyptian chronology
Egyptian history is broken in several different periods according to the dynasty of the ruling pharaoh. The dating of
events in Egyptian history is still a subject of research.
The conservative dates are not supported by any reliable absolute date for span of about three millennia. There is a recommended revision of the chronology of Egypt. See Egyptian chronologyEgyptian chronology involves assigning beginnings and endings to various Dynasties. See also Chronology, Conventional Egyptian chronology and Egyptology. Scholars consider this a difficult task. Hatch of the University of Florida puts it: :The problem is for further discussion, and the King ListThis is a conventional chronology of the rulers of ancient Egypt, taking into account well accepted developments during the 20th century but not including any of the major revision proposals that have also been made in that time. See also Revised Chronolo.
- Predynastic Period (Prior to 3100 BC)
- Archaic PeriodAncient Egyptians considered themselves to be, The People of Two Lands, these lands being Lower and Upper Egypt. The earliest known Pharaoh of the 1st Dynasty is Menes. We know his name because it is written on a palette used for make-up (only men wore ma (1st–2nd Dynasty)
- Old Kingdom (3rd–6th Dynasty)
- First Intermediate Period (7th–11th Dynasty)
- Middle KingdomThe Middle Kingdom is a period in the history of ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth dynasty, roughly between 1986 BC and 1633 BC. The Beginning The Middle Kingdom is usually dated to when P (12th–13th Dynasty)
- Second Intermediate PeriodThe Second Intermediate Period marks a period when Ancient Egypt once again fell into disarray between the end of the Middle Kingdom, and the start of the New Kingdom. It is best known as when the Hyksos made their appearance in Egypt, whose reign compris (14th–17th Dynasty)
- New KingdomThe New Kingdom period of Egyptian history is the period between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasty of Egypt. It follows the Middle Kingdom, and was succeeded by the Third Intermediate P (18th–21st Dynasty)
- Third Intermediate Period (22nd–25th Dynasty) (also known as the Libyan Period)
- Late Period (26th–30th Dynasty)
