Ancient Egyptian Timeline

Historic events

Egypt divided into Upper and Lower Egypt

Art movements

Hieroglyphic writing created

Two-dimensional imagery and symbolism established

Grid system to regulate proportions established

Painted pottery and figurines, ivory carvings, slate cosmetic palettes

Relief design developed from drawing

High quality and richly designed ceramics

Historic events

3100 BCE - Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by the first pharaoh Menes

Memphis is capital city

The strong central government supports the work of scribes, sculptors, and other artists and encourages new artistic methods.

Art movements

The Step Pyramid (first pyramid) for King Djoser constructed at Giza

Conventions of three-dimensional art established

Special royal iconography used to express ideologies of kingship

Scale of figures in artwork is used to symbolise status

Symbolic positions of seated and standing figures established

Depiction of nude enemies stripped of status

Historic events

6th Dynasty – Collapse of the central government leads to local art styles developing

Art movements

First images and forms of art that endured for 3000 years

Painting develops

Large numbers of pyramids constructed

4th Dynasty – Great Sphinx and Great Pyramids built at Giza

5th Dynasty – Decoration inside pyramids introduced

5-6th Dynasty – mortuary chapels expanded to allow walls to be decorated

Stelae appear

Statues of kings placed in pyramid temples as part of the royal cult.

5th Dynasty – potter’s wheel invented

Gods depicted with broad shoulders and low smalls of their backs

Formalised nude figures with long, slender bodies, idealised proportions and large staring eyes

Historic events

Egypt splits into two smaller states: ruled by Memphis in the north and Thebes in the south. This civil disorder lasts for 150 years.

Art movements

Regional art styles develop

Historic events

Mentuhotep reunites Egypt

First obelisks erected at Heliopolis by Seusret I

11th Dynasty – God Amun-Ra rises to prominence and becomes a centre of cult at Thebes

Art movements

New emphasis is placed on the King as the child of a divine pair.

Technology to smelt and cast bronze develops and statues flourish

Women begin to appear in individual portraits

People lower in social rankings began to commission statues, causing a large variation of quality

Coffins imitating body form appear

Shabtis appear

Canopic jars with heads sculpted in human form appear

Key piece

Historic events

Egypt falls to Near Eastern rulers - Hyksos - who seize power of the north.

11th Dynasty – Egypt unified again

Art movements

Egyptian art declines and is relatively crude

A reversion to traditional models from Memphis in the Early Dynastic Period

Figures have small heads, narrow shoulders and waists, slender limbs and no visible musculature.

Historic events

1470 BCE - Rule of the first female pharaoh Hatshepsut

1350 BCE - Ahkenaten rules and attempts to introduce the worship of a single god

1334 BCE - Tutankhanum rules

1290 BCE - Rameses II rules

Political stability and economic prosperity, supporting the abundance of artistic masterpieces

Art movements

Ahkenaten adopts the ‘Amarna’ style of art, characterised by movement and activity in images as well as faces shown in profile and distinctly feminine forms

Elaborate hidden tombs in the Valley of the Kings created

A middle class comprised of independent craftsmen and artisans develops

Highest quality workmanship, colossal sizes, rich materials used

Durable materials such as sandstone, basalt and granite widely used

A new sculpture introduced – owner kneeling, holding a stelae with a hymn to the sun

Feminine dress becomes more elaborate; men and women wear large heavy wigs with multiple tresses and braids

More painted scenes in rock-cut tombs than carved relief scenes

19th Dynasty – Canopic jars now have heads of baboons, jackals, falcons and humans

Large-scale battle scenes in temple decorations

Historic events

Egypt again falls under Nubian and Lybian rule

Art movements

Bronze sculpting reaches its height

Many statues are richly inlaid with gold and silver

Kushite fold (the facial ‘smile’ line from the nose to the mouth)

Nubians depicted with dark skin and hooped earrings, braided hair

Historic events

Egypt regains the throne

Art movements

Stylistics developments of the New Kingdom discarded and older models are looked to for inspiration, particularly styles from the Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom

Standards for the king and elite are at an extraordinary high level

The development of iron tools allow artisans to work on very hard stones

Bronze statuary common and technically finer and bronze casting now a major industry

Minor arts, such as alabaster vases, faience pottery, glass, ivories and metalwork flourish

Historic events

Alexander the Great conquers Egypt and his general, Ptolemy, founds a dynasty.

Cleopatra dies in 30 BCE and Egypt becomes a province of the Roman Empire

Art movements

Colossal statues grace temple pylons along with sphinxes

New type of voluptuousness in female forms

High, smoothly rounded and heavily-modelled relief styles

Historic events

The adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Egypt

Art movements

4-5th Century CE – art decorated with pagan and Christian themes