| Dynasties of Ancient Egypt | |
|---|---|
| Predynastic Period | |
| Protodynastic Period | |
| Early Dynastic Period | |
| 1st 2nd | |
| Old Kingdom | |
| 3rd 4th 5th 6th | |
| First Intermediate Period | |
| 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th | |
| Middle Kingdom | |
| 11th 12th | |
| Second Intermediate Period | |
| 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th | |
| Abydos Dynasty | |
| New Kingdom | |
| 18th 19th 20th | |
| Third Intermediate Period | |
| 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th | |
| Late Period | |
| 26th 27th 28th | |
| 29th 30th 31st | |
| Hellenistic Period | |
| Argead Dynasty | |
| Ptolemaic Dynasty | |
The Protodynastic Period is characterised as being the time when Ancient Egypt was undergoing the process of political unification, leading to a unified state during the Early Dynastic Period. Furthermore, it is during this time when the Egyptian language was first being recorded in Egyptian hieroglyphs. There is also strong archaeological evidence of Egyptian settlements in southern Canaan during the Protodynastic Period, which have been regarded as colonies or trading entrepôts.
State formation began during this era and perhaps even earlier. Various small city-states arose along the Nile. Centuries of conquest reduced Upper Egypt to three major states; Thinis, Naqada, and Nekhen. Not much is known of Lower Egypt's political makeup but they may have shared in Naqada's Set cult while Thinis and Nekhen were part of the Horus cult. Being sandwiched by Thinis and Nekhen, Naqada was the first to fall. Thinis then conquered Lower Egypt. Nekhen's relationship with Thinis is uncertain but these two states may have merged peacefully with the Thinite royal family ruling all of Egypt. The Thinite kings are buried at Abydos in the Umm el-Qa'ab cemetery.
Most Egyptologists consider Narmer to be the last king of this period (under the name "Scorpion II"), as well as the king who united Egypt and became the first king of the First Dynasty.
| Name | Dates | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Name lost on the Palermo Stone. | |
| …pu | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Seka | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Khayu | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Tiu | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Tjesh | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Neheb | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Wazner | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Mekh | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| …a | Only known from the Palermo Stone. | |
| Unknown | 4-5 kings lost on the Palermo Stone (may have included Wash). | |
| Hedju | Only known from two clay jugs from Tura. | |
| Ni | Only known from clay and stone vessels found in tombs near Tarchan, Tura, Tarjan, and Nagada. Some scholars believe that this serekh is simply a crude attempt at writing the name "Narmer". | |
| Nineith | Only known from inscriptions in Helwan. Reading of name is uncertain. | |
| Hat | Some scholars believe that this serekh is simply a crude attempt at writing the name "Narmer". | |
| Dju | May also have ruled in Upper Egypt. | |
| Wash | ca. 3150 BC | Only known from the Narmer Palette. |
| Name | Dates | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Arm | Most likely never existed. | |
| Finger Snail | Most likely never existed. | |
| Fish | Most likely never existed. | |
| Elephant | Most likely never existed. | |
| Stork | Most likely never existed. | |
| Bull | ca. 3300-3250 BC | Most likely never existed. |
| Scorpion I | ca. 3300-3250 BC | First ruler of Upper Egypt |
| Crocodile | ca. 3170 BC | Potentially read Shendju; identity and existence are disputed. |
| Iry | ca. 3170 BC | Correct chronological position unclear. |
| Ka | ca. 3160 BC | Maybe read Sekhen rather than Ka. Correct chronological position unclear. |
| Scorpion II | ca. 3150 BC | Potentially read Serqet; possibly the same person as Narmer. |
References[]
- Anđelković, Branislav. 2002. "Southern Canaan as an Egyptian Protodynastic Colony." Cahiers Caribéens d’Égyptologie 3/4 (Dix ans de hiéroglyphes au campus):75–92.
- Bard, Katherine, A. 2000. "The Emergence of the Egyptian State." In The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. 61–88
- Midant-Reynes, Béatrix. 2000. The Prehistory of Egypt: From the First Egyptians to the First Pharaohs. Translated by Ian Shaw. Oxford and Malden: Blackwell Publishers
- Wilkinson, Toby Alexander Howard. 2001. Early Dynastic Egypt. 2nd ed. London: Routledge
- Wright, Mary. 1985. "Conacts Between Egypt and Syro-Palestine During the Protodynastic Period." Biblical Archeologist: Perspectives on the Ancient World from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean 48 (4):240–253.
See also[]
- Naqada III
External resources[]
| Preceded by: None |
Predynastic Period Protodynastic Period |
Succeeded by: 1st Dynasty |