CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT EGYPT
Dr. Zahi Hawass
NEOLITHIC PERIOD: c. 4500 - 3000
| c. 4500 - 3000 | Neolithic period: farming and domestication of animals and first settlements. Simple pottery; copper and gold working. Local rulers. |
EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD: c. 3000 - 2650 BC
| c. 3000 - 2650 | Dynasties 1 and 2 | Narmer | Unification under one ruler, capital at Memphis and royal tombs at Abydos and Saqqara |
| Aha |
OLD KINGDOM: c. 2650 - 2150 BC
| c. 2650 2575 | Dynasty 3: | Zoser Huni |
Step Pyramid at Saqqara |
| c. 2575 2465 | Dynasty 4: | Snoferu Khufu Khafre Menkaura Shepseskaf Queen Khentikaus |
Strong centralized government; pyramids at Dahshur and Giza |
| c. 2465 - 2325 | Dynasty 5: | Userkaf Sahure Neferirkara ---------- Unas |
Pyramids and Sun Temples at Abu Sir and Saqqara; Pyramid Texts |
| c. 2325 - 2150 | Dynasty 6: | Teti Pepi I Pepi II Queen Nitokerty |
Strong beginning but decline during long reign of Pepi II; pyramids at Saqqara; last ruler probably Queen Nitokerty |
FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 2150 - 2040 BC
| c.2l50. - 2040 | Dynasties 7 - 10 | Collapse of central government country divided among local rulers famine and poverty |
MIDDLE KINGDOM: c. 2040 - 1640 BC
| c. 2040 - 1991 | Dynasty II | Montuhotep II | Reunification of Egypt by Theban rulers |
| c. 1991 - 1783 | Dynasty 12 | Amenemhat I Senwosret I Amenemhat II Senwosret II Senwosret III Amenemhat III Amenemhat IV Queen Sobekneferu |
Powerful central government; expansion into Nubia (Sudan) Capital at Lisht, near Memphis |
| c. 1783 -.1640 | Dynasty 13 | Rapid succession of rulers; country in decline |
SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 1640 - 1550 BC
| c. 1640 - 1580 | Dynasty 14 | Country divided with | |
| c. 1585 - 1530 | Dynasty 15 and 16 | Asiatics ruling in the- Delta. | |
| c. 1640 - 1550 | Dynasty 17 | Sekenenre Tao I Sekenenre Tao II Kamose |
Theban dynasty begins reunification process |
NEW KINGDOM: c. 1550 - 1070 BC
| c.1550 - 1307 | Dynasty I8 | Ahmose Amenhotep I Tuthmosis I Tuthmosis II Tuthmosis III Queen Hatshepsut Amenhotep III Akhenaten Tutankhamun Ay Horemheb, |
Reunification and expulsion of Asiatics in North; annexation of Nubia in South. Period of greatest expansion and prosperity. Thebes (Luxor) became main residence. |
| c.1307 - 1196 | Dynasty 19 | Rameses I Seti I Rameses II Merneptah Siptah Queen Twosret |
After glorious reign of Rameses II, prosperity threatened by incursions of ‘Sea Peoples' in North. Residence in Delta. |
| c.1196 - 1070 | Dynasty 20 | Setnakht Rameses III - XI |
Economic decline and weak kings ruling from the delta. Civil and workers' strikes. Royal tombs robbed. |
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 1070 – 712 BC
| c. 1070 - 945 | Dynasty 21 | Smendes Siamun |
Egypt in decline. Siamun may be the pharaoh who gave his daughter in marriage to Solomon |
| c. 945 - 712 | Dynasty 22 | Shoshenq I Osorkon I Shoshenq II |
'Shishak' of the Bible. Egypt fragmented and politically divided. |
| c. 928 - 711 | Dynasties 23 - 24 | Osorkon IV | Egypt divided between local rulers. |
LATE PERIOD: c.712 - 332 BC
| c. 712 - 657 | Dynasty 25 | Kashta Piankhy (Py) Shabaka Shebitka Taharqa Tantamani |
Rulers from Kush (Sudan) united Egypt and started cultural
revival. Threatened by Assyrians who invaded in 671, 667 and 663 BC. Last king fled south. |
| 664-525 | Dynasty 26 | Psamtek I Necho II Psamtek II |
Dynasty from Sais in Delta. Defeated Kushite kings and continued rebuilding program after Assyrians left. |
| 525-404 | Dynasty 27 | Cambyses | Egypt annexed into Persian Empire. |
| 404-343 | Dynasties 28-30 | Amyrtaios Nectanebo I Nectanebo II |
Last native rulers of Egypt. Cultural renaissance and nationalism but political decline. |
| 343-332 | Dynasty 31 | Artaxerxes III | Persian reconquest |
GRAECO-ROMAN PERIOD: 332BC - AD 642
| 331-304 | Macedonian Dynasty | Alexander the Great | Macedonian rulers after death of Alexander in Babylon (323). |
| 304-30 | Ptolemaic Dynasty | Ptolemy I - XV | Last ruler, Cleopatra VII, allied with Mark Anthony against Rome. Defeated at the Battle of Actium by Octavian |