Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt as a general historical term broadly refers to the civilization of the Lower Nile Valley, between the First Cataract and the mouths of the Nile Delta, from circa 3200 BC until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based on irrigation, it is the quintessential example of a hydraulic empire.

History

:Main article: History of ancient Egypt

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The ancient Egyptians themselves traced their origin to a land they called Punt, or "Ta Nteru" ("Land of the Gods"). Once commonly thought to be located on what is today the Somali coast, Punt now is thought to have been in either southern Sudan or Eritrea. The history of ancient Egypt proper starts with Egypt as a unified state, which occurred sometime around 3000 BC, though archaeological evidence indicates a developed Egyptian society may have existed for a much longer period.

Related Topics:
Punt - Somali - Sudan - Eritrea - History of ancient Egypt - 3000 BC - Archaeological - Society

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Along the Nile, in 10th millennium BC, a grain-grinding culture using the earliest type of sickle blades had been replaced by another culture of hunters, fishers, and gathering peoples using stone tools. Evidence also indicates human habitation in the southwestern corner of Egypt, near the Sudan border, before 8000 BC. Climate changes and/or overgrazing around 8000 BC began to desiccate the pastoral lands of Egypt, eventually forming the Sahara (c.2500 BC), and early tribes naturally migrated to the Nile river where they developed a settled agricultural economy and more centralized society (see ). There is evidence of pastoralism and cultivation of cereals in the East Sahara in the 7th millennium BC. By 6000 BC ancient Egyptians in the southwestern corner of Egypt were herding cattle and constructing large buildings. Mortar (masonry) was in use by 4000 BC. The Predynastic Period continues through this time, variously held to begin with the Naqada culture. Some authorities however begin the Predynastic Period earlier, in the Lower Paleolithic (see Predynastic Egypt).

Related Topics:
Nile - 10th millennium BC - Grain - Grinding - Culture - Sickle - Blade - Hunters - Fishers - Gathering - Stone tool - Sudan - 8000 BC - 8000 BC - Egypt - Sahara - 2500 BC - Agricultural - Economy - Society - Pastoralism - 7th millennium BC - 6000 BC - Herding - Constructing - Mortar (masonry) - 4000 BC - Predynastic Period - Naqada - Lower Paleolithic

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Egypt unified as a single state circa 3000 BC. Egyptian chronology involves assigning beginnings and endings to various dynasties beginning around this time. The conventional Egyptian chronology is the accepted developments during the 20th century, but do not include any of the major revision proposals that have also been made in that time. Even within a single work, often archeologists will offer several possible dates or even several whole chronologies as possibilities. Consequently, there may be discrepancies between dates shown here and in articles on particular rulers. Often there are also several possible spellings of the names.

Related Topics:
3000 BC - Egyptian chronology - Conventional Egyptian chronology

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• List of Pharaohs -- The Pharaohs stretch from before 3000 BC to around 30 BC.
• Dynasties (see also: List of Egyptian dynasties):
• Early Dynastic Period of Egypt (1st - 2nd Dynasties; until ca. 27th century BC)
• Old Kingdom (3rd - 6th Dynasties; 27th - 22nd centuries BC)
• First Intermediate Period (7th - 11th Dynasties)
• Middle Kingdom of Egypt (11th - 14th Dynasties; 20th - 17th centuries BC)
• Second Intermediate Period (14th - 17th Dynasties)
• Hyksos (15th - 16th Dynasties)
• New Kingdom of Egypt (18th - 20th Dynasties; 16th - 11th centuries BC)
• Third Intermediate Period (21st - 25th Dynasties; 11th - 7th centuries BC)
• Late Period of Ancient Egypt (26th - 31 Dynasties; 7th century BC - 332 BC)
• Achaemenid Dynasty
• Graeco-Roman Egypt (332 BC - AD 639)
• Ptolemaic Dynasty
• Roman Empire