Ancient Egypt By AndyCumming 3100 BCE hieroglyphic writing in Egypt Period: 3100 BCE to 2950 BCE Predynastic 3000 BCE Egyptians worship the sun Period: 2950 BCE to 2575 BCE Early Dynastic 2920 BCE Menes/Aha unites Egypt 2700 BCE Egyptians write on papyrus Period: 2575 BCE to 2130 BCE Old Kingdom 2550 BCE Great Pyramid of Giza (146m tall) built 2515 BCE Sphinx is built for pharaoh Khephren 2130 BCE Egypt splits into two smaller states (Memphis in the north and Thebes in the south) Period: 2130 BCE to 2030 BCE First Intermediate Period 2040 BCE Nebhetepre Mentuhotep II reunites Egypt, makes Thebes the capital of all Egypt Period: 2030 BCE to 1630 BCE Middle Kingdom 1640 BCE The Hyksos seize power in northern Egypt and introduce the horse-driven chariot Period: 1630 BCE to 1539 BCE Second Intermediate Period 1539 BCE Ahmose I of Thebes defeats the Hyksos and expels them from Egypt Period: 1539 BCE to 1075 BCE New Kingdom 1504 BCE Tuthmosis I campaigns to Mesopotamia. Thebes becomes most important city 1480 BCE Queen Hatshepsut ascends to throne 1458 BCE 1479 BC: Tuthmosis III becomes pharaoh. Reorganises empire into a military bureaucracy-defeats the Mitannis and conquers Syria. 1450 BCE Egyptians use the sundial 1353 BCE Akhenaten becomes pharaoh, banishes all gods other than Atum 1275 BCE the Egyptian king Rameses II fights against the Hittites at Kadesh in Syria Period: 1075 BCE to 715 BCE Third Intermediate Period Period: 715 BCE to 332 BCE Late Period 332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Egypt