Ancient Egypt

**Ancient Egypt** takes place from 3100 BC-332 BC. It is one of the many eras shown in Season 4.

## History

Ancient Egypt encompasses eight different periods. Some are peaceful, others dark, and then there are ones that bounce around like roller-coasters!

### **Note Worthy Events**

#### ***Early Dynastic Period (3100 BC-2686 BC)***

**3100 BC** -Hieroglyphic writing and an ancient writing system, consisting of alphabetic and logographic elements, are created.

**3000 BC** - Egyptians start to keep track of time based on the solar year, the lunar month, and the solar day. Egypt also starts worshiping the sun, and the solar deities were, Hathor, Sekhmet, Wadjet, Menhit, Nut, Bat, and Bast. Hathor, then Isis, each gave birth to Horus and Ra.

**2920 BC** - The 1st Dynasty starts with Narmer, also known as the Pharaoh Menes. He wins many battles in the north and unites most of Egypt. He centers teh capital at Hiku-Ptah (Memphis), where the Ptah Cult was located.

**2900 BC** - King Djer, a 1st Dynasty ruler, is buried in Umm el-Qa'ab at Abydos, the seat of the cult of Osiris.

**2890 BC** - The 2nd Dynasty begins with Hotepsekhemwy, the king's Horus name. *Hotep*means "to be pleased" or "peaceful", though it can also mean "conciliation," which might refer to the reconciliation of Upper and Lower Egypt at this time.

**2800 BC** - Mining projects begin in Sinai, which would be very crucial in the construction of pyramids and other magnificent structures in later eras.

**2700 BC** - Papyrus paper is developed for writing and documenting.

#### ***Old Kingdom (2686 BC-2181 BC)***

**2690 BC** - Pharaoh Khasekhemwy lays to rest the violent disputes of the 2nd Dynasty and unites Northern and Southern Egypt.

**2670 BC** - The 3rd Dynasty begins with Djoser, whose Horus name was Netjerikhet. Though most historians agree that Djoser was the first pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty, some say that Necherophes/Nebka preceded Djoser.

**2667 BC-2648 BC** - Imhotep, Djoser's vizier, publishes medical documents detailing the diagnosis and cure of 200 diseases.

**2650 BC-2625 BC** - Imhotep, Ra high priest at Heliopolis and Djoser's chancellor, builds a pyramid (the Step Pyramid) at Saqqara, the necropolis of Mymphis, for Djoser.

**2625 BC** - Huni becomes pharaoh and begins construction of the Maidum Step Pyramid, which was finished by his successor, Sneferu.

**2613 BC** - The 4th Dynasty begins with Sneferu. In his reign, he builds the Dahshur, the first straight-sided pyramid that became known as the Red Pyramid.

**2589 BC** - Sneferu passes away and Khufu (Cheops) begins his reign. Other than having the Great Pyramid of Giza built, not much was documented about him.

**2584 BC** - Khufu has his vizer, Hemon (Hemiunu), begin building the Great Pyramid.

**2558 BC** - Khafra, son of Khufu, becomes ruler, who is only known for being cruel and heretical.

**2558 BC-2532 BC** - The Sphinx is built for Pharaoh Kafra stometime during his reign. He also built the second largest pyramid of Giza.

**2532 BC** - Khafra passes away.

**2494 BC** - The 5th Dynasty begins with Userkaf. He began the custom of building Sun Temples at Abusir. During his life, he also built the Pyramid of Userkaf complex at Saqqara.

**2375 BC** - Unas, last ruler of the 5th Dynasty, reigns as pharaoh. Menatho wrote than he most likely had no sons when he died.

**2345 BC** - The 6th Dynasty beings with Teti, who reigned for about 12 years.

**2333 BC** - Teti passes away and Userkare becomes the pharaoh. It is said the Userkare opposed Teti and may have usurped the throne, but he could have also been his son, but this is uncertain.

**2332 BC** - Pepi I, son of Teti, becomes pharaoh. He was able to do so with the support of powerful influences in Upper Egypt, and abled to dethrone Userkare, who murdered Teti.

**2283 BC** - Pepi I passes away and is buried in a pyramid in South Saqqar.

#### ***1st Intermediate Period (2181 BC-2055 BC)***

**2184 BC** - Pepi II passes away, outliving his heirs and leaving Egypt in a state of disorder.

**2181 BC-2160 BC** - The 7th-8th Dynasties. Very little documentation exists for this period, though Manetho, a priest and historian from the Ptolemaic Period, said that there were 70 pharaohs who each ruled for 70 days, though he could have meant to imply the disorganization that occurred during the dynasties.

**2134 BC** - Egypt divides into Thebes in Upper Egypt (Southern Egypt) and Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt (Northern Egypt)

**2160 BC-2130 BC** - The 9th Dynasty takes hold and ruled by Heracleopolitan pharaohs, who Manetho describes as evil and violent, though records of this era are either undocumented or lost.

**2130 BC-2040 BC** - The 10th Dynasty reigns in Lower Egypt. They rose out of the Siut (Asyut) province, south of the Heracleopolitan Kingdom.

**2134 BC-1991 BC** - The 11th Dynasty rules. The pharaohs were originally seated in Upper Egypt, and were known as the Theban Pharaohs.

**2061 BC** - Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II becomse pharaoh in Thebes.

#### ***Middle Kingdom (2055 BC-1650 BC)***

**2040 BC** - Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II wins the civil war, reunites Egypt, makes Thebes the capital of all Egypt, establishes the 11th Dynasty, and builds the mortuary complex of Deir el Bahri.

**2010 BC** - Mantuhotep II dies and is succeeded by Mentuhotep III, how was already quite old after his father's 51 year reign. Despite this, Mentuhotep III was able to explore to Punt and create new architecture.

**2000 BC** - The first obelisks are erected at Heliopolis (Cairo), the site of the cult of Ra/Atum.

**1991 BC** - Amenemhet I rises to power and beginning the 12th Dynasty by probably overthrowing Mentuhotep IV.He changes the capital to Itjtawy, south of Memphis. He has a pyramid built there and constructs the Wall of the Ruler in the Sinai region.

**1975 BC** - Amenemhet builds the Pyramid of Hawara with its labyrinth.

**1962 BC** - Sunusret I succeeds Amenemhet, and he continues his father's aggressive expansion policies during his reign.

**1900 BC** - Ceremonies honoring Osiris and his mysteries are held in Abydos, recounting the passing and resurrection of the deity.

**1844 BC** - Amenemhet III comes into power, and his reign is considered the Golden Age of the Middle Kingdom Period. He also constructs the Labyrinth at Harawa.

**1800 BC** - The Kahun Gynecological Papyrus deals with women's health and contraception.

**1797 BC** - Amenemhet III passes away and the 12th Dynasty begins to decline.

**1720 BC** - Egypt starts to fracture politically, with many local dynasties being established, one being the West-Semitic speaking Syro-Canaanite Dynasty in the delta area, which eventually conquers southward due to the unstable political situation, and becoming the 15th Dynasty to rule Ancient Egypt.

**1700 BC** - The Kingdom of Kush is established south of Egypt.

#### ***2nd Intermediate Period (1650 BC-1550 BC)***

**1650 BC-1550 BC** - Xois serves as the capital city during the 14th Dynasty, which beins with a provincial ruling family that branched from the central authority at the time.

**1640 BC** - The Hykos, Semitic people from Western Asia, seize power in the eastern side of the Nile Delta of Egypt. They establish a capital in Avaris and introdus the horse-driven chariot and composition bow during the 15th and 16th Dynasties. The Egyptians still rule Upper Egypt in the south maintaining their capital at Thebes. The 17th Dynasty begins with Nubkheperre Intef.

#### ***New Kingdom (1550 BC-1069 BC)***

**1550 BC** - The 18th Dynasty begins with Ahmose I, who gains power. He built some of the last pyramids in Egypt and laid the foundations for the New Kingdom Period.

**1532 BC** - Ahmose I of Thebes subdues and expels the Hyksos at Avaris, restoring power to the lands of Canaan and Nubia.

**1530 BC** - Ahmose resumes large-scale construction projects similar to those before the Second Intermediate Period, such as expanding the Amun Temple in Karnak and the Montu Temple at Armant.

**1525 BC** - Ahmose I passes away and Amenhotep I begins his reign, who was not originally supposed to rule but his brother had died, leaving Amenhotep I to rule.

**1520 BC** - Amenhotep I separates his mortuary temple and royal tomb, allegedly to keep tomb robbers from finding his burial site, making him the first pharaoh to do this.

**1504 BC** - Amenhotep I passes away, and Thutmose I, his brother-in-law, becomes pharaoh. Thutmose I campaigns all the way to Mesopotamia, making Thebes the most imposing city of the kingdom, and erects the Obelisk at the Karnak temple. This makes the Egyptian Empire reach its greatest expansion.

**1500 BC** - The Egyptian Empire expands as far as Euphrates.

**1492 BC** - Thutmose I passes away. He is the first pharaoh to be buried in the Valley of the Kings in a tomb cut into the rock.

**1479 BC** - Thutmose III rises to power and reorganizes the bureaucracy of the empire's military. Hatshepsut co-rules as regent with Thutmose III, her stepson, who was too young to rule alone.

**1473 BC-1458 BC** - Hatshepsut declares herself ruler, ruling alongside Thutmose III, although she was practically the sole ruler. Her rule is marked by great progress and prosperity. When he reached the appropriate age, Hatshepsut makes Thutmose the general of the Egyptian armies.

**1458 BC** - Thutmose III is victorious against the Mitannis, conquering Syria. Ancient Egypt also rises to the peak of its power and influence.

**1450 BC** - The first sundial is created in Egypt.

**1391 BC** - Amenhotep III rises to power and builds the Amun Temple at Luxor and the Palace at Malkata (close to Thebes).

**1353 BC** - Amenhotep IV (later, Akhenaten) becomes pharaoh and marries Nefertiti. He relocates the new capital to Amarna, north of Thebes, dedicating it to the god, Aten, and forbidding references to all other deities.

**1333 BC** - The child, Tutankhamun (King Tut) becomes the ruler of Egypt. He is famous for having a fully intact tomb.

**1323 BC** - King Tut dies at the early age of 19, possibly due to congenital flaws as the result of inbreeding among the royal family, and is buried in the Valley of the Kings.

**1319 BC** - General Horemheb takes the throne, reforming the state and suppressing the preceding Amarna rulers. He also relocates the capital back to Memphis.

**1307 BC** - Horemheb passes away, but not before making his vizier, Ramesses I, the next pharaoh because Ramesss had heirs (avoiding succession problems), thus beginning the 19th Dynasty.

**1306 BC** - Ramesses I passes away and his son, Seti I, becomes pharaoh.

**1300 BC** - A canal is constructed to connect the Red Sea and Nile River.

**1290 BC** - Seti I passes away after completing the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and Ramesses II takes the throne.

**1274 BC** - The battle of Kadesh occures between Pharaoh Ramesses II and Hittite king, Muwatalli II.

**1258 BC** - The Treaty of Kades (the world's first peace treaty) is created between the Kittites and the Egyptians.

**1250 BC** - Ramesses II relocates the capital to PI-Ramesse in the delta and constructs the Colossus at Memphis, two temples at Abu Simbel, a tombe at Thebes, and the Hypostyle Hall of the Karnak Temple at Luxor.

**1224 BC** - Ramesses II passes away.

**1196 BC** - The 20th Dynasty begins with Sethnakhte, who is not related to his predecessors and may have been an usurper.

**1194 BC** - Sethnakhte passes away and his son, Ramesses III (regarded as the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom Period) begins his rule.

**1180 BC** - The Sea Peoples increase their efforts in invading Egypt.

**1180 BC-1178 BC** - Ramsesses III fortifies Xois to try to hold off the threat of the invading Sea Peoples.

**1178 BC** - Ramesses III thoroughly defeats the Sea Peoples on the shores at Xois.

#### ***3rd Intermediate Period (1069 BC-664 BC)***

**1069 BC** - The Amon High Priests take over the throne. This causes Egypt to split in two: The northern part that is ruled by the 21st Dynasty in Tanis (on the Mediterranean Sea) and the southern part, ruled by the Amon Priests in Thebes.

**926 BC** - Pharaoh Sheshonk I, founder of the 22nd Dynasty, reigns and is the Meshwesh king of Egypt. Sheshonk I also invades Palestine.

**750 BC** - Iron becomes popular in Egypt.

**720 BC** - The Nubian king, Piankh/Piye of Kush (Sudan) conquers Egypt and foundign the 25th Dynasty.

**710 BC** - Shabaka, the successor of Piye of Kush, relocates the capital to Thebes.

**699 BC** - Taharqa becomes the king of Egypt and makes Memphis the capital.

**671 BC** - The Assyrians defeat Tantamani and sack Memphis, ending the 25th Dynasty.

#### ***Late Period (664 BC-332 BC)***

**664 BC** - Tantamani, the pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty, retreats to Napata and giving up his attempt to conquer Lower Egypt.

**610 BC** - Necho II assumes the throne in Egypt, establishing the 26th Dynasty. He also played a significant part in the histories of the Juday Kingdom, Babylonia, and the Assyrian Empire.

**605 BC** - Nebuchadnezzer II leads the Babylonians to conquer Carchemish and defeat the Egyptian army. His father, Nabopolassar, passes away that year and letting Nebuchdnezzer take the throne.

**525 BC** - At the Battle of Pelusium, Cambyses of Persia conquers Egypt and executes Pharaoh Psamtik III. Then, he invades the Kingdom of Kush, but is not quite successful.

**404 BC** - Amyrtaeus of Sais is able to expel the Persians and found the 28th Dynasty

**343 BC** - The persians reconquer Egypt and establish the 31st Dynasty.