Bronze Age (for deletion, kept for Palestinian details)

The basic economic, social and political institutions of Ancient Egypt were developed in the pre-dynastic period (following the Chalcolithic). Agriculture was, and remained, the foundation of the economic life. A calendar with a solar year of 365 days was introduced. The writing went through pictographic, symbolic, syllabic and alphabetic stages before Dynasty IV, but retained them all to Roman times. During the Old Kingdom, the Pharoah was deified in life and in death, and exercised despotic authority, ruling through an elaborate, carefully trained bureaucracy.

Architects erected colossal pyramids and magnificent columned palaces and temples. Sculptors and painters portrayed gods, humans, animals and monsters with admirable realism and grace. Literature began to flourish; some rudimentary sciences were cultivated for practical purposes.

The Old Kingdom

2900-2700: Dynasties I & II: The two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united under the rule of Menes and his successors.

2700-2200: Dynasties III to VI: Capital at Memphis. Zoser (d.2649), the founder of Dynasty III, built the step pyramid of Sakkara. Snefru (d.2589) of Dynasty IV built the pyramid of Medum and developed navigation. His three successors, Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, erected the three colossal pyramids at Gizeh. The first pyramid texts appear under Unis (d.2315), last ruler of the Dynasty V, and continued under Dynasty VI. Egyptian art reached its culmination under Dynasty V.

2200-2100: Dynasties VII to X: The dissolution of the power of the Pharoahs allowed the nomes (territorial divisions) to become autonomous.