The Old Kingdom
The Old Kingdom was a period in Egyptian history that lasted approximately 2700-2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders" because it encompasses the reigns of the Fourth Dynasty's great pyramid-builders, such as King Sneferu, who perfected the art of pyramid-building, and the kings Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, who built the Giza pyramids. Egypt's first sustained pinnacle of civilization occurred during the Old Kingdom, the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods (followed by the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom) that marked the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley.
The Old Kingdom is typically defined as the period from the Third to the Sixth Dynasties (2686–2181 BC). From the Fourth through the Sixth Dynasties of Egypt, information is scant, and historians describe the era's history as literally "written in stone" and essentially architectural in the sense that researchers have been able to construct history through monuments and their inscriptions. Egyptologists consider the Memphite Seventh and Eighth Dynasties of the Old Kingdom to be a continuation of the administration, which was centered in Memphis. While the Old Kingdom was an era of internal security and prosperity, it was followed by a period of discord and relative cultural decline known as the First Intermediate Period by Egyptologists. During the Old Kingdom, the King of Egypt (not known as the Pharaoh until the New Kingdom) became a living god who could demand his subjects' services and wealth.
The royal capital of Egypt was relocated to Memphis under Ruler Djoser, the first king of the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, where Djoser founded his court. During his reign, a new age of construction began in Saqqara. Imhotep, King Djoser's architect, is credited with the invention of stone construction and the design of the step pyramid, a novel architectural form. The Old Kingdom is primarily known for the enormous number of pyramids built during this time period as burial sites for Egypt's kings.
Period: 2700-2200 BC
