A brief history of Egyptian Civilization: Part 2- Early dynastic period.
Egypt has a very long history of from pastoral cultures to one of the most advanced kingdoms of the ancient world. In the third century, BC Egyptian priest Manetho made the chronology of the Egyptian kings starting from the king Menes who is now believed to be the king Namer. Manetho grouped the kings into 30 dynasties. But the whole history of Egypt can be divided into these five sections:
- Pre-Dynastic period
2. Early Dynastic period
3. Old kingdom
4. Middle kingdom
5. New kingdom
Early Dynastic period: 3150–2613 BC.
This era is followed by Predynastic period when cultures in upper Egypt began to merge and started making a larger culture. The same thing was happening in Lower Egypt until the unification of the upper and lower Egypt happened. Thus began the early dyansty period and so did the centralized rulling class.
According to the third-century BC priest of Egypt, Manetho, king Menes unified the upper and lower Egypt. But scholars now believe that it was King Narmer who united it.
Although, other Scholars believe that the unification was rather gradual. According to them, upper Egypt systematically absorbed the land of lower Egypt.
Gradually, the divine rule of the king began but the title Pharaoh was not used. Writing, art and culture started developing. Scholar put three dynasties in this period though the status of the third is disputed amongst historians.
First dynasty: 3150–2890 BC. Historians believe that the early dynastic period started with the king Narmer, who was perhaps from Thinis or Hierakonpolis, around 3150 BC when he unified Egypt. He married the princess of Naquada to strengthen the ties between the two cities. He extended the territories to the Cannon and Nubia.
After his death, perhaps his wife Neithhotep ruled Egypt. Her tomb that was discovered in the 19th century was built like those of kings which indicated the status at par with the king himself.
Narmer’s son Hor Aha succeeded him and became king. Hor Aha was religious and interested in the life after death and first mastaba tomb, a house for deceased, was developed under his reign.
King Djer followed him, then king Dject. He married Merneith who ruled Egypt after his death perhaps as a ruler or as a regent for his Son Den, so she is considered to be the first undisputed female ruler of the history.
Den was the greatest ruler of the first dynasty who ruled for 50 years. After his two descendants, this dynasty fell because of the violent uprising and followed by the second dynasty
Second dynasty: 2890–2670 BC. After the conflicts and uprising Hotepkhmenwy subdued the king of the first dynasty and founded the second. Hptepkhmenwy was followed by Raneb or Nebra who was the first king to link his name that of gods and established the king and divine relationship.
A little is known about his successors but the sentence written on his third successor, Peribsen’s tomb was considered to be the first complete sentence written in ancient Egypt. Peribsen was followed by Khasekhemwy, possibly his son, who was succeeded by the first king Djoser who was titled as Pharoah which means the great house. He built the first known step-pyramid of ancient Egypt and founded the third dynasty.
Third Dynasty: 2670- 2613 BC. The third dynasty was a started with the building of the first step-pyramid in Egypt. Some historians put this dynasty in the old kingdom because of the pyramid building but others don’t believe it to be a real pyramid. For them, it was more like a Mastaba tomb than a pyramid. Pharoah Djoser’s vizier Imhotep designed this first pyramid.
Pharoah Djoser’s reign brought the development in the field of art and brought stability in the kingdom. He was succeeded by Pharoah Sekhemket then Khaba. The third dynasty and the early dynasty ended with the reign of Huna in 2613 BC, though little is known about him. Upon Huna’s death, pharaoh Snefru took over the throne and founded the fourth dynasty. Thus started the old kingdom and period of Pyramid building.
