Old Kingdom

The period in ancient Egypt comprising the Third Dynasty to the Sixth Dynasty; many cultural elements developed at this time.

Dates

c. 2649–2150 B.C.E.

Places

Africa > North Africa > Egypt

Basics Works of Art Curated Guides

Old Kingdom

The period in ancient Egypt comprising the Third Dynasty to the Sixth Dynasty; many cultural elements developed at this time.

Dates

c. 2649–2150 B.C.E.

Places

Africa > North Africa > Egypt

Basics Works of Art Curated Guides

Basics to get you started

Ancient Egyptian chronology and historical framework

Creation myths and form(s) of the gods in ancient Egypt

Multilingualism along the Nile

Materials and techniques in ancient Egyptian art

Ancient Egypt, an introduction

The mummification process

Private tombs, portals to the afterlife

Art Appreciation: Power—comparisons and connections

Egyptian social organization—from the pharaoh to the farmer (part 1)

Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 5th–3rd millennia B.C.E.

Works of Art

King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen

2490–2472 B.C.E.

Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara

c. 2675–2625 B.C.E.

Wooden tomb statue of Tjeti

2321–2184 B.C.E.

The Seated Scribe

c. 2620–2500 B.C.E.

Pyramid of Menkaure

c. 2510 B.C.E.

Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Sphinx

c. 2520–2494 B.C.E.

c. 2558–2532 B.C.E.

Pyramid of Khufu

c. 2551–2528 B.C.E.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

c. 2600–2500 B.C.E.

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Curated Guides to Old Kingdom

All Textbook Chapters

Textbook Chapter

Ancient Egyptian religious life and afterlife