The society we know today as Ancient Egypt stood the test of time (at least in regards to civilisation time), and lasted around 3000 years. Even today, our modern society technological society is maybe a few hundred years old depending on the markers used. The changes in that time in regards to innovation, food production, religion, art and culture have changed rapidly.
Let’s outline the history of Ancient Egypt in a timeline format. For a slightly more detailed approach, please see my previous article here.
Timeline
8500 BCE – early Neolithic communities in Nabta Playa
4000 BCE – Egypt begins to split into Upper and Lower communities with population increasing
3100 BCE – Narmer, the first pharaoh begins the first dynasty and unites upper and lower Egypt
2686 BCE – 3rd dynasty begins marking the beginning of The Old Kingdom, golden age for pyramid building
2613 BCE – 4th dynasty, construction of the great pyramids of Giza
2181 BCE – 7th dynasty, marks the beginning of the 1st intermediate period
2150 BCE – 11th dynasty, marks the beginning of The Middle Kingdom
1782 BCE – 13th dynasty, marks the beginning of the 2nd intermediate period
1550 BCE – 18th dynasty, marks the beginning of The New Kingdom, Egypt’s golden age.
1479 BCE – Hatshepsut begins her rule as pharaoh along with Thutmose III, who is the greatest military pharaoh. The rule wasn’t without drama.
1390 BCE – Amenhotep III, height of the dynasty
1352 BCE – Akhenatan and wife Nefertiti who temporarily changed the religion of Ancient Egypt to a monotheistic religion
1336 BCE – reign of Tutankhamun, whose tomb was found unraided in 1922 by Howard Carter
1279 BCE – Rameses II the great builder
1077 BCE – 21st dynasty and the 3rd intermediate period begins. This period includes some foreign rulers
664 BCE – 26th dynasty and the Late Period begins. This includes the Persian Empire taking over a couple of times and the end of the dynasties, finishing with 31 dynasties.
305 BCE – Ptolemaic Egypt begins, after Alexander the Great ousted the Persians. One of his generals, Ptolemy, would take over Egypt and his dynasty was to rule for 300 years, making it one of the most successful dynasties in Egyptian history.
30 BCE – Cleopatra VII dies as the last Queen of Egypt and Rome takes over.
