While dozen of cities were developing in,
in Egypt the foundation were being laid for
the first great nation.
from 5000 to 3300 BC, farmers by the river
Nile banded together to dig canals to
control the Nile's annual flooding and to
water their crops.
By 3300 BC, Nile farming villages had grown
into towns. Rich and powerful kings were
buried in big, boxlike mud-brick tomb
called Mastabas.
Egyptian townspeople began to work copper
and stone, paint vases, weave baskets and
use potter's wheels.
Early Egypt was divided into two kingdoms-
Upper Egypt, and Lower Egypt on the Nile
delta. In 3100 BC, King Menes of Upper
Egypt conquered Lower Egypt to United the
two kingdoms, but a King of Egypt was
always called King of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Menes founded a capital for a united Egypt
at Memphis.
With Menes, Egypt's Dynasty I- the first
family of kings- began. The time of
Dynasties I and II, which lasted until
2649 BC, is known by historians as the
Archaic Period.
After the Archaic Period came the Old
Kingdom (2649-2134 BC), perhaps the
greatest era of Egyptian culture.
Craftsmen made fine things, scholars
developed writing and the calendar and
studied astronomy and maths.
The greatest scholar and priest was Imhotep,
minister to King Zoser (2630-2611 BC)
Imhotep was architect of the first of the
great pyramids, the Step Pyramid as
Sakkara.