Ancient Egypt Timeline

  3100-2950 BC

Late Predynastic Period

• Earliest known hieroglyphic writing
• Foundation of the Egyptian state

  2950-2575 BC

Early Dynastic Period
(1st-3rd Dynasties)

• Creation of the capital city of Memphis
• Intensive contact with Palestine
• The first pyramid is built - the Step Pyramid at Saqqara

  2575-2150 BC

Old Kingdom
(4th-8th Dynasties)

• The Great Pyramids are built at Dahshur and Giza
• Pyramids and elite tombs include the first extensive inscriptions

  2125-1975 BC

1st Intermediate Period
(9th-11th Dynasties)

• Egypt splits into two smaller states, ruled from Memphis in the north and Thebes in the south

  1975-1640 BC

Middle Kingdom
(11th-14th Dynasties)

• Mentuhotep reunites Egypt
• Amenemhat I founds a new royal residence near Memphis
• Egypt conquers Lower Nubia under Senwosret I and III
• Classical period of art and literature

  1630- 1520 BC

2nd Intermediate Period
(15th-17th Dynasties)

• Hyksos kings seize power in the north
• Theban 17th dynasty in the south

  1539-1075 BC

New Kingdom
(18th-20th Dynasties)

• Egyptian empire in Near East and Nubia
• Elaborate tombs of the Valley of Kings
• Rule of woman pharaoh Hatshepsut
• King Akhenaten attempts to introduce a monotheistic religion
• Brief reign of Tutankhamun
• Ramesses II rules for 67 years

  1075-715 BC

3rd Intermediate Period
(21st-25th Dynasties)

• Disunity and Libyan settlement in Egypt
• Nubians conquer Egypt (late 8th century)

  715-332 BC

Late Period
(20th-30th Dynasties,
2nd Persian Period)

• Egypt conquered briefly by Assyrians
• Cultural revival under kings from Sais
• Persian conquest of Egypt (525 BC)
• Egypt independent again (404-343 BC)

  332 BC-395 AD

Greco-Roman Period
(Macedonians, Ptolemies,
and Romans)

• Alexander the Great occupies Egypt
• Alexander's general, Ptolemy, becomes king and founds a dynasty
• The Rosetta Stone is carved (196 BC)
• Cleopatra VII reigns (51-30 BC)
• Egypt becomes a province of the Roman Empire (30 BC)