Introduction

This section looks at the development of Egypt from the very earliest evidence (dating to the Lower Palaeolithic, around 700,000 years ago) to the end of the Third Dynasty, a staggeringly long period of time during which information becomes richer as time passes.

The purpose of this approach is to provide a coherent narrative, a framework of reference which provides the foundation for subsequent discussions about given sites, economies, processes and ideas. A

Use the highlighted sections in the menu bar, left, to navigate to different time periods.  The chronological divisions of these phases are summarized below.

Chronology of Prehistoric Egypt

The Egypt past is usually described in terms of its Dynastic heritage.  Prehistoric studies lie in Egypt’s Predynastic pre-literate past.  Sufficient work has been carried out to form a basis for discussions, although I strongly suspect that future work will review current classifications and chronologies.  Some of the current terms are rather dated, and are based on southern African and European terminologies, which are not always appropriate, and not all authorities agree about the way in which earlier Palaeolithic periods are organised.  At present, prehistoric Egypt is divided up as shown below, based unless otherwise stated on Vermeersch and Hendrickx 2000.  The Predynastic is taken to begin after the Badarian in Upper Egypt and after the end of Faiyum, Merimde and possibly el Omari in Lower Egypt.  Again, unless otherwise stated these are based on Vermeersch and Hendrickx 2000.  All divisions and subdivisions are clearly outlined below:

NB: Full links to subdivisions are provided on the home page for each time period.

• Prehistoric
• Lower Palaeolithic c. 700/500,000 – 250,000 BP
• Middle Palaeolithic c. 250,000 – 70,000 BP
• Early Middle Palaeolithic 150,000 – 250,000 with
• Nubian Middle Palaeolithic
• Mid Middle Palaeolithic 80,000 – 150,000 BP with
• Khormusan
• Denticulate Mousterian
• Egyptian Group K
• Egyptian Group N
• Nubian Mousterian
• Saharan Mousterian
• Late Middle Palaeolithic 70,000 – 80,000 BP
• Halfan
• Safahan
• Transitional Group – 50,000 – 70,000 BP
• Taramsan
• Upper Palaeolithic 24,000 – c.50,000 BP
• NK4
• Shuwikhatian
• Late Palaeolithic 24,000 – 10,000 BP
• Fakhurian (21000-19500BP)
• Kubbaniyan (19000-17000BP)
• Ballanan-Silsilian (16,000 – 15,000 BP)
• Isnan (12,300 BP)
• Qadan (12,000 BP)
• Sebilian
• Epipalaeolithic 10,000 – 7000 BC
• Elkabian (Nile Valley)
• Faiyum Qarunian
• Dakhleh Masara
• Khartoum Mesolithic
• Saharan Neolithic 8800 – 4700 BC
• Early Neolithic 8800 – 6800 BC
• Middle Neolithic 6600 – 5100 BC
• Late Neolithic 5100 –4700 BC
• Early Neolithic
• Tarifian
• Faiyumian c.5400 – 4400 BC
• Merimda c.5000 – 4100 BC
• El-Omari c.4600 – 4350 BC
• Dakhleh Neolithic (Bashendi)
• Djara Neolithic
• Tasian
• Badarian (Upper Egypt) c.4400 – 4000 BC
• Predynastic
• Maadi-Buto (Lower Egypt) 4000 – 3200 BC
• Naqada (Upper Egypt)
• Naqada I / Amratian c.4000 – 3500 BC
• Naqada II / Gerzean c.3500 – 3200 BC
• Protodynastic
• Naqada IIIa/b / Dynasty ‘0’ c.3200 – 3000 BC
• Early Dynastic
• The inclusion of the 3^rd Dynasty is based on Wilkinson (1999, 2001, p.61): “The similarities between the Third Dynasty and the preceding period became increasingly apparent.  Despite the innovation of pyramid-building, Egyptian civilization of the Third Dynasty shares more in common with the First and Second Dynasties than with the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, the age of the true pyramids.  For this reason, a number of recent studies have placed the Third Dynasty in the Early Dynastic Period.”
• 1^st Dynasty c.3000 - 2890 BC
• 2^nd Dynasty c.2890 – 2686 BC
• 3^rd Dynasty c.2686 – 2613 BC

All text and images on this site are the copyright of Andrea Byrnes 2011 unless otherwise stated