The Periods of Ancient Egypt
Overview
This presentation provides a very brief overview of the periods of Ancient Egypt. It covers some of the achievements and changes made during each period.
Early Dynastic Period 3100 BC - 2700 BC
During this period, the foundations of Egyptian civilization were layed by the actions of King Menes, ruler of Upper Egypt. King Menes conquered and united lower Egypt becoming the first pharaoh and establishing a civilization that would last for over 2000 years.
King Menes
“Egypt,” Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), v. 9, 1911, plate II
Map of Ancient Egypt
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Egypt_map-en.svg
The Old Kingdom 2700 BC - 2100 BC
This is the period where Pharaohs built a strong central government making Egypt the first centralized state in history. The greatest achievements of this era were the construction of the Pyramids. Originally beginning as Mastabas or underground tombs with a single layer covering, by the 2600s BC, the architect and vizier of the Pharaoh Djoser, Imhotep designed the first pyramid fo Saqqara. Imhotep will become known as the world's first architect.
Ancient Egyptian Mastaba
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastaba#/media/File:Mastaba-faraoun-3.jpg
The first Pyramid of Egypt at Saqqara
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saqqara,_step_pyramid_of_Djoser_(6201557496).jpg
Under the reign of the Pharaoh Sneferu, the Pyramids developed into a more complex triangular deisgn. This becomes the primary style of pyramid building in Ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom.
The Bent Pyramid of Sneferu
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bent_Pyramid
The Red Pyramid of Sneferu
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Red_Pyramid
The son of Sneferu, Khufu is known for building the Great Pyramid of Giza which is Egypt's largest pyramid and one of the three famous pyramids of Giza. Khufu's son and grandson, Kafra and Menkuare would build the other two pyramids and possible the Great Sphinx.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:All_Gizah_Pyramids.jpg
The building of such pyramids was expensive, lenghty and labor intensive. The Great Pyramid for example took close to 25 years to built. These costly projects combined with crop failures led to the end of the New Kingdom and the end of pyramid building in Ancient Egypt.
The Middle Kingdom 2100 BC - 1700 BC
The Middle Kingdom can be described as a period of peace and internal growth within Egypt. Many canals were built, farmland was expanded and the population of Egypt grew. Pyramids were no longer and future pharaohs would be buried in stone tombs.
Map of the Middle Kingdom
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Egypt_old_and_middle_kingdom-es.svg
The New Kingdom 1700 BC - 1050 BC
The New Kingdom marks a new phase for Ancient Egypt. The pharaohs are now warrior kings who expand Egypt in every direction and turn it into an Empire ruling as far south as Nubia and as far north as Syria.
Map of the New Kingdom
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Kingdom_of_Egypt