Time Line of Ancient Egyptian History

Egyptian art and Egyptian history go hand in hand. What we know of Egyptian history and culture comes primarily from reading inscriptions on monuments and papyrus paper documents and studying texts in tombs. This information was not really available until the beginning of the twentieth century. But the story started a century before in 1799 when Napoleon's forces discovered the Rosetta stone, it was stela that had the same text in Babylonian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Egyptian cursive writing.

Rosetta Stone
196 BC
British Museum, London

The Rosetta stone announces a general debt cancellation by Ptolemy V in 196 BC By giving the same text in several forms it provided a way of getting started on decoding the ancient Egyptian language. From this clue and the large volume of papyrus documents and inscriptions the grammar rules and vocabulary of the ancient Egyptian language were derived. This work took scholars almost a hundred years. This in turn led to the historical effort covering two centuries to reconstruct ancient Egyptian history, culture and religion. Learn more about the Egyptian Language.

One of the most interesting things about the Rosetta Stone, apart from its multilanguage nature, is that it is clear that in 196 BC one wrote Greek without spaces between words.

muchlikethissentenceinenglishitalsohadnopunctuationandnoseparationbetweensentences.

The table given below is a summary of information that can be reconstructed of the reigns of the various Egyptian pharaohs. A great deal is not known, and while some dates can be deduced exactly by linking with known historical or astronomical events, other dates are purely relative and as they distance themselves from a known date become more and more approximate, the most distant dates are just guesses. Since there is no indication of the reasoning behind any given date, they must all be looked at as approximate. The dates given are based on The Penguin Guide to Ancient Egypt (1983) by Dr. William J. Murnane and the Chronicle of the Pharaohs (1996) by Peter Clayton. These two books correspond closely on dates and Clayton probably depended in part on Murnane when he wrote his book.

For those that have not though about dates before Christ, you may find the table unusual. Successive years BC are one smaller than the year before. Because one is essentially counting down to the birth of Christ. So if you were born in 1900 BC, and you lived around 50 years, you would die somewhere around 1850 BC. No one ever used these Christian dates in antiquity, because no one knew when Christ would be born, nor would they even have cared. They were devoted to their own gods and goddesses. The Egyptian pharaohs were considered gods, the embodiments of Horus, god of the sky. Dates in antiquity were usually given as how many years into the pharaoh's reign something happened.

The table below represents about 3000 years of history. Much must have happened in that time. Some rulers were strong, others weak, wars, plague, disasters all must have occurred. However we know little, because no one wrote a history as we know it. In Ptolemaic times Manetho, an advisor to Ptolemy I wrote a book called Notes on Egypt. No copies of this book exist today, but it is widely quoted by other ancient authors (like the Hebrew/Roman scholar Josephus) who used it as a source. Manetho is the one who divided Egyptian history into the dynasties we still use today.

Egyptian art and writing were primarily devoted to the gods and the afterlife, keeping records, some literature, and writing letters. Only priests and scribes could read and write. Some periods we know more about than others, because they caused dislocations of religion or were prominent in some other way that was commemorated in stone.

The ten periods given below are names given to various periods of Egyptian history by modern scholars. No one used those names in ancient times. But they help categorize and place immense periods of time, by giving a name to the period. So when we talk about the Old Kingdom we are talking about a 500 year period of Egyptian history. The United States and most modern European governments have only existed for about 200 years or less. So these periods of Egyptian history are really large blocks of time when many things happened.

Three thousand years with five kings every hundred years (on the average) means there are at least 150 faros. But many times during Egyptian history the country was divided and there were several kings at once. The Thirteenth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom had over 70 faros spanning about 140 years, but usually things didn't change that often. So taking everything into consideration 250 pharaohs is closer to real number. Of these we know a good deal of about 50.

Index of Periods

Scholars conventionally break Egyptian history into ten major periods. The dates given for any particular pharaoh and period are controversial. There is good reason to believe that several centuries need to be removed from the Egyptian chronology somewhere in the neighborhood of the third intermediate period, around the 11th century BC. The consequence of this will be a move of prior eras toward the more modern era, and throw off dates in the succeeding eras until dates settle down at the beginning of the Late Period in about the 8th century BC. If you are interested in the technical details of how scholars get fixed dates from archeological material consider reading the book Centuries of Darkness by Peter James [1993 Rutger's University Press or 1991 Johanathan Cape Ltd.]; this book gives great insight into the problems and the techniques. They also have a website (http://www.centuries.co.uk) which covers dating events and objects from early times.

The dates given below, as well as all the dates used in the Egypt part of this website is based on traditional Egyptian chronology as reported by Peter Clayton in Chronicles of the Pharaohs [1994 Thames and Hudson] and The Penguin Guide to Ancient Egypt by William J. Murnane [1983 Penguin Books]. It must be said that even the traditional chronology of ancient Egypt is not terribly consistent among scholars, although most agree in its broad outline. An attempt has been made to keep the pharaoh's names on the site consistent with Peter Clayton's usage, thus on this website the usage is "Ramsses II" rather than "Ramses II".

The following table provides summary information about the period and provides links to more detailed information, just select with the mouse the name of the period you are interested in and a list of pharaohs and their dates will become visible. To get back to the index after visiting a period's details, select either Eye-of-Ra which brackets the period name in the section heading.

alt spelling: pharos

start-end yr	# years	Dynasties	# kings	Name of Period
-3050				Predynastic
3050-2686	364	1 -   2	12	Early Dynastic
2686-2184	502	3 -   6	30	Old Kingdom
2181-2040	141	7 - 10	21+	First Intermediate
2040-1782	258	11 - 12	14	Middle Kingdom
1782-1570	212	13 - 17	24+	Second Intermediate
1570-1070	500	18 - 20	32	New Kingdom
1069-  525	544	21 - 26	46+	Third Intermediate
525-  332	192	27 - 31	15	Late
332-AD395	726	Macedonian Ptolemaic Roman	3   15	Greco-Roman

5000-2920	Predynastic Period
5000-4000	Badarian (Neolithic)
4000-3600	Naqada I
3600-3100	Naqada II
3100-2920	Naqada III
	Scorpion        Narmer

3050-2686	Early Dynastic Period (dynasties one and two)
3050-2890	First Dynasty
	Hor-Aha [assumed alias for Menes]                            Djer    Djet    Den    Anedjib    Semerkhet    Qa'a
2770-2649	Second Dynasty
	Hetepsekhemwy            Raneb                            Ninetjer    Seth-Peribsen    Khasekhemwy

2890-2686	Old Kingdom (dynasties three to six)
2686-2613	Third Dynasty
2686-2668	Sanakht
2668-2649	Dojser (Netjerykhet)
2649-2643	Sekhemkhe
2643-2637	Khaba
2637-2613	Huni
2613-2498	Fourth Dynasty
2613-2589	Sneferu
2589-2566	Khufu (Cheops)
2566-2558	Djedefre
2558-2532	Khafra (Chephren)
2532-2504	Menkaura (Mycerinus)
2504-2500	Shepseskaf
2498-2345	Fifth Dynasty
2498-2491	Userkaf
2491-2477	Sahura
2477-2467	Neferirkara (Kakai)
2467-2460	Shepseskara
2460-2453	Neferefre
2453-2422	Niuserra (Ini)
2422-2414	Menkauhor (Kaiu)
2414-2375	Djedkara (Isesi)
2375-2345	Unas
2345-2181	Sixth Dynasty
2345-2333	Teti
2332-2283	Pepy I (Meryre)
2283-2278	Merenra (Nemtyemsaf)
2278-2184	Pepy II (Neferkare)

2181-2040	First Intermediate Period (dynasties seven to ten)
2181-2160	Seventh-Eighth Dynasties
	7th upto 70 Kings who ruled for 70 days.
	8th about 17 Kings descended from Pepi II ruling from Memphis;       Asiatics ruled the Delta, and Herakleopolis had won control of Middle Egypt.
	Wadjkare (Demedjibtawy)
	Qajare Iby
2160-2040	Ninth-Tenth Dynasties     (ruling mostly Lower Egypt from Herakleopolis)
	The major foe in these times seems to be the Theban government...  The border was somewhere near Abydos.
	Meryibre Khety
	Merykare
	Kaneferre
	Nebkaure
	Maybe several more kings.

1991-1650	Middle Kingdom (dynasties eleven and twelve)
2134-1991	Eleventh Dynasty     (ruling Upper Egypt from Thebes)
2134-2118	Inyotef I (Sehertawy)
2118-2069	Inyotef  II (Wahankh)
2069-2060	Inyotef  III (Nakjnebtepnefer)
2060-2010	Mentuhotep I (Nebhetepre)
2010-1998	Mentuhotep II (Sankhkare)
1997-1991	Mentuhotep III (Nebtawyre) (ruling all Egypt from Thebes)
1991-1782	Twelfth Dynasty
1991-1962	Amenemhet I (Sehetepibre)
1971-1926	Senusret I (Kheperkare)
1929-1895	Amenemhet II (Nubkaure)
1897-1878	Senusret II (Khakheperre)
1878-1841	Senusret III (Khakhaure)
1842-1797	Amenemhet III (Nymaatre)
1799-1786	Amenemhet IV (Maakherure)
1785-1782	Queen Sobeknefru (Sobekkare)

1640-1532	Second Intermediate Period (dynasties thirteen to seventeen)
1783 - 1640	Thirteenth Dynasty
1782-1778	Wegef (Hgytawtyre)
17??-1760	Ameny Intef IV
c.1760	Hor
c.1750	Sobekhotep II (Amennemhet VI)
c.1747	Khendjer (Userkare)
c.1745	Sobekhotep III (Sekhemre Sewadjtawy)
1741-1730	Neferhotep I (Khasekhemre)
1730-1720	Sobekhotep IV (Khaneferre)
c.1720	Ay (Merneferre)
	Neferhotep II (Sekhemre Sankhtawy)
	Fourteenth Dynasty
	Nehesy (Aasehre)
1663-1555	Fifteenth Dynasty  (Hyksos, ruling the Delta and Desert)
	Sheshi (Mayebre)
	Yakubher (Meruserre)
	Khyan (Seuserenre)
	Apepi I (Auserre)
	Apepi II
1663-1570	Sixteenth Dynasty   (minor Hyksos rulers)
	Anather
	Yakobaam
1663-1570	Seventeenth Dynasty
	Numerous Theban/Luxor pharaohs:
	Sobekemsaf II (Sekhemre Shedtawy)
	Intef VII ( Nubkheprre)
c.1633	Tao I
c.1574	Tao II
1573-1570	Kamose (Wadjkheperre)

1570-1070	New Kingdom (dynasties eighteen to twenty)
1570-1293	Eighteenth Dynasty
1570-1546	Ahmose I ( Nebpehtyre)
1551-1524	Amenhotep I (Djeserkare)
1524-1518	Thutmosis I (Akheperkare)
1518-1504	Thutmosis II (Akheperenre)
1498-1483	Queen Hatshepsut (Maatkare)
1504-1450	Thutmosis III (Menkheperre)
1453-1419	Amenhotep II (Ankeperure)
1419-1386	Thutmose IV (Menkheperure)
1386-1349	Amenhotep III (Nubmaatre)
1350-1334	Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten (Neferkheperure)
1335-1333	Smenkhkare (Ankhkheperure)
1334-1325	Tutankhamun (Nebkheperure)
1325-1321	Ay (Kheperkheperure)
1321-1293	Horemheb (Djeserkheperure Setepenre)
1293-1185	Nineteenth Dynasty
1293-1291	Ramsses I (Menpehtyre)
1291-1278	Sety I (Menmaatre)
1279-1212	Ramsses II (Usermaatre)
1212-1202	Merenptah (Baenre-merynetjeru) 13th son of Ramsses II
1202-1199	Amenmesse (Akhenre-setepenre)
1199-1193	Sety II (Userkheperure-setepenre)
1193-1187	Siptah (Akenre-setepenre)
1187-1185	Queen Tawosret (Sitre-meryamum)
1185-1070	Twentieth Dynasty
1185-1182	Sethnakhte (Userkhaure Setepenre)
1182-1151	Ramsses III (Usermaatre Meryamun)
1151-1145	Ramsses IV (Heqamaatre)
1145-1141	Ramsses V (Usermaatre)
1141-1133	Ramsses VI (Nebmaatre Meryamun)
1133-1125	Ramsses VII (Usermaatre Maryamum Setepenre)
1126-1126	Ramsses VIII (Usermaatre Akhenamum) son of Ramsses III
1127-1108	Ramsses IX (Neferkhare Setepenre)
1108-1098	Ramsses X (Khepermaatre)
1098-1070	Ramsses XI (Menmaatre Setepenptah)

1069-525	Third Intermediate Period (dynasties twenty-one to twenty-six)
1080-945	Theben High Priests
1080-1074	Herihor (Hemnetjertepyenamun)
1074-1070	Piankh
1070-1032	Pinedjem I (Khakheperre Setepenamun)
1054-1046	Masaherta
1045- 992	Menkheperre (Hemnetjertepyenamun)
992- 990	Snendes II
990- 969	Pinedjem II
969- 945	Psusennes 'III'
1070-945	Twenty-First Dynasty    (at Tanis)
1070-1043	Smendes I (Hedjkheperre Setepenre)
1043-1039	Amenemnisu (Neferkare)
1040-  991	Psusennes I (Akheperre Setepenre)
993-  984	Amenemope (Usermaatre Meryamun Setepenamun)
984-  978	Osorkon the Elder (Aakheperre Setepenre)
978-  959	Siamun (Netjerkheperre Setepenamun)
959-  945	Psusennes II (Titkheperure)
945-712	Twenty-Second Dynasty  (at Tanis -- from Libya)
945-924	Shoshenq I (Hedjkheperre Setepenre)
924-889	Osorkon I (Sekhemkheperre)
c.890	Shoshenq II (Heqakheperre Setepenre)
889-874	Takelot I (Usermaatre Setepenre)
874-850	Osorkon II (Usermaatre Setepenamun)
850-825	Takelot II (Hedjkheperre Setepenre)
825-773	Shoshenq III (Usermaatre Setepenre)
773-767	Pami (Usermaatre Setepenamun)
767-730	Shoshenq V (Aakheperre)
730-715	Osorkon IV (Aakheperre Setepenamun)
818-712	Twenty-Third Dynasty (at Leontopolis -- Lybian control)
818-793	Pedibastet (Usermaatre Setepenamun)
793-787	Sheshonq IV (Usermaatre Meryamum)
787-759	Osorkon III (Usermaatre Setepenamum)
764-757	Takelot III (Usermaatre)
757-754	Rudamon (Usermaatre Setepenamum)
754-715	Iuput II (Usermaatre)
	Peftjauabastet (Neferkare) -- AT HERAKLEOPOLIS
	Nimlot -- AT HERMOPOLIS
724-715	Twenty-Fourth Dynasty  (at Sais )
727-720	Tefnakht (Shepsesre)
720-715	Bakenre (Bocchoris) (Wahkare)
770-712	Twenty-Fifth Dynasty (Nubia / Kushite)
747-716	Piankhi (Menkheperre)
716-702	Shabaka   (Neferkare)
702-690	Shebitku (Djedkare)
690-664	Taharqa (Nefertemkhure)
664-656	Tantamani (Bakare)
664-525	Twenty-Sixth Dynasty    (Controlled by Assyrians)
664-610	Psamtik I (Wahibre)
610-595	Necho II (Wahemibre)
595-589	Psamtik II (Neferibre)
589-570	Apries (Haaibre)
570-526	Amasis (Khnemibre)
526-525	Psamtik III (Ankhare)

525-332	Late Period (dynasties twenty-five to thirty-one) Until the arrival of Alexander the Great
525-359	Twenty-Seventh Dynasty (First Persian Period)
525-522	Cambyses II
521-486	Darius I
485-465	Xerxes
465-424	Artaxerxes I
423-404	Darius II
405-359	Artaxerxes II
404-399	Twenty-Eighth Dynasty
404-399	Amyrtaeus
399-380	Twenty-Nineth Dynasty
399-393	Nefaarud I (Baebre Nertbetheru)
393-380	Hakor (Maatibre)
380-343	Thirth Dynasty
380-362	Nakhtnebef or Nectanebo I (Kheperkare)
362-360	Djedhor or Teos (Irmaatenre)
360-343	Nakhthoreb or Nectanebo II (Snedjemibre Setepeninhur)
343-332	Thirty-First Dynasty (Persian Second Period)
343-338	Artaxerxes III
338-336	Arses
336-332	Darius III

332 BC - 395 AD	Greco-Roman Period From the arrival of Alexander the Great Through the transfer to the Roman Empire by Octavian Augustus Ceasar To the fall of the Roman Empire
332-305	Macedonian Dynasty
332-323	Alexander the Great (Meryamum Setepenre)
323-317	Philip Arrhidaeus (Meryamum Setepenre)
316-305	Alexander IV (Haaibre Setepenamun)
304-30	Ptolemaic Dynasty
304-284	Ptolemy I Soter I
246-221	Ptolemy II Philadelphus
246-222	Ptolemy III Euergetes I
222-205	Ptolemy IV Philopator
205-180	Ptolemy V Epiphanes
180-164	Ptolemy VI Philometor
170-163	Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II
163-145	Ptolemy VI Philometor (second period)
145	Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator
145-116	Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (second period)
116-110	Ptolemy IX Soter II
110-109	Ptolemy X Alexander I
109-107	Ptolemy IX Soter II (second period)
107- 88	Ptolemy X Alexander I (second period)
88- 80	Ptolemy IX Soter II (third period)
80	Ptolemy XI Alexander II
80- 58	Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos
58- 55	Queen Berenice IV
55- 51	Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (second period)
51- 30	Queen Cleopatra VII
36- 30	Ptolemy XV Caesarion
30 BC - 395 AD	Roman Emperors