Fast Facts on Ancient Egypt Margery Gordon CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT EGYPT This is a mixed compilation from Dr. Zahi Hawass, past archeologist with the Egyptian national government office of culture and history and from the latest research done by the British Museum who are traveling an exhibit in the United States and with my notes taken at the Virginia Museum of Art when they traveled an exhibit in 1999: NEOLITHIC PERIOD: c. 4500 – 3100-3000 BCE c. 4500 - 3000 Neolithic period: farming and domestication of animals and first settlements. Simple pottery such as black topped pots; early experiments with copper and gold working. Local rulers. EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD: c. 3100-3000 - 2650 BCE c. 3000 - 2650 Dynasties 1 and 2 Narmer (Menes) Unification under also known as one ruler, capital at Catfish Memphis and royal tombs at Abydos Aha and Saqqara OLD KINGDOM: c. 2650 - 2150 BCE c. 2650 2575 Dynasty 3: Zoser (also spelled Step Pyramid at Djoser) Saqqara Huni c. 2575 2465 Dynasty 4: Snoferu Strong centralized Khufu government; Khafre pyramids at Dahshur Menkaura and Giza Shepseskaf Queen Khentikaus c. 2465 - 2325 Dynasty 5: Userkaf Pyramids and Sun Sahure Temples at Abu Sir Neferirkara and Saqqara; Pyramid ---------- Texts Unas OLD KINGDOM: Dynasty 6: Teti Strong beginning but Pepi I decline during long c. 2650 - 2150 BCE Pepi II reign of Pepi II; Queen Nitokerty pyramids at Saqqara; c. 2325 - 2150 last ruler probably Queen Nitokerty FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 2150 - 2040 BCE c.2l50. - 2040 Dynasties 7 - 10 Collapse of central government country divided among local rulers famine and poverty MIDDLE KINGDOM: c. 2040 - 1640 BCE c. 2040 - 1991 Dynasty II Montuhotep II Reunification of Egypt by Theban rulers c. 1991 - 1783 Dynasty 12 Amenemhat I Powerful central Senwosret I government; Amenemhat II expansion into Senwosret II Nubia (Sudan) Senwosret III Capital at Lisht, Amenemhat III near Memphis Amenemhat IV Queen Sobekneferu c. 1783 -.1640 Dynasty 13 Rapid succession of rulers; country in decline SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 1640 - 1550 BCE c. 1640 - 1580 Dynasty 14 Country divided c. 1585 - 1530 Dynasty 15 and 16 Asians ruling in the- Delta. c. 1640 - 1550 Dynasty 17 NEW KINGDOM: c. 1550 - 1070 BCE c.1550 - 1307 Dynasty I8 Ahmose Reunification and Amenhotep I expulsion of Tuthmosis I Asiatics in North; Tuthmosis II annexation of Nubia Tuthmosis III in South. Period of Queen Hatshepsut greatest expansion Amenhotep III and prosperity. Akhenaten Thebes (Luxor) Tutankhamun became main Ay residence. Horemheb, c.1307 - 1196 Dynasty 19 Rameses I After glorious reign Seti I of Rameses II, Rameses II prosperity Merneptah threatened by Siptah incursions of ‘Sea Queen Twosret Peoples' in North. Residence in Delta. c.1196 - 1070 Dynasty 20 Setnakht Economic decline Rameses III - XI and weak kings ruling from the delta. Civil and workers' strikes. Royal tombs robbed. THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 1070 – 712 BCE c. 1070 - 945 Dynasty 21 Smendes Egypt in decline. Siamun Siamun may be the pharaoh who gave his daughter in marriage to Solomon c. 945 - 712 Dynasty 22 Shoshenq I 'Shishak' of the Osorkon I Bible. Egypt Shoshenq II fragmented and politically divided. THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: c. 1070 – 712 BCE c. 928 - 712 Dynasties 23 - 24 Osorkon IV Egypt divided between local rulers. LATE PERIOD: c.712 - 332 BCE c. 712 - 657 Dynasty 25 Kashta Rulers from Kush Piankhy (Py) (Sudan) united Shabaka Egypt and started Shebitka cultural revival. Taharqa Latter part of period Tantamani Egyptians threatened by Assyrians who invaded in 671, 667 and 663 BC. Last king fled south. 664-525 Dynasty 26 Psamtek I Dynasty from Sais Necho II in Delta. Defeated Psamtek II 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 Last native rulers of Nectanebo I Egypt. Cultural Nectanebo II renaissance and nationalism but political decline. 343-332 Dynasty 31 Artaxerxes III Persian re-conquest PTOLEMAIC (GRAECO-ROMAN PERIOD): 332B.C.E. – 30 BCE 333-304 Macedonian Alexander the Great Macedonian rulers Dynasty 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 ROMAN -30 BCE-395 CE 30- 395 CE Roman control Until Christianity took over- 330 CE Constantine actually made Roman kingdom a Christian state .