Old Kingdom Egypt: Pharaoh as Divine Ruler (c. 2686–2181 BCE)

1. Old Kingdom political center anchored at Memphis

   Jan 1, 2686 BCELabels: Memphis, Saqqara, Giza

   • Old Kingdom
   • Britannica

2. Djoser commissions Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara

   Jan 1, 2670 BCELabels: Djoser, Step Pyramid, Saqqara

   • Britannica
   • Pyramid Djoser

3. Heb-Sed courts encode eternal kingship renewal

   Jan 1, 2660 BCELabels: Heb-Sed, Djoser, Royal jubilee

   • Pyramid Djoser
   • Egypt Museum

4. Khufu builds the Great Pyramid at Giza

   Jan 1, 2560 BCELabels: Khufu, Great Pyramid, Giza

   • Britannica
   • Old Kingdom

5. Fourth Dynasty Giza pyramids intensify royal cult

   Jan 1, 2520 BCELabels: Giza Pyramids, Khufu, Royal cult

   • Britannica
   • Old Kingdom

6. Userkaf introduces Fifth Dynasty sun-temple program

   Jan 1, 2494 BCELabels: Userkaf, Sun temple, Abusir

   • Sun Temples
   • Userkaf

7. Solar temples link kingship with Ra’s cult

   Jan 1, 2450 BCELabels: Sun temples, Ra, Fifth Dynasty

   • Sun Temples
   • Userkaf

8. Unas first inscribes Pyramid Texts in royal pyramid

   Jan 1, 2300 BCELabels: Unas, Pyramid Texts, Saqqara

   • Britannica
   • UCL Petrie

9. Pyramid Texts spread through Sixth Dynasty pyramids

   Jan 1, 2300 BCELabels: Pyramid Texts, Sixth Dynasty, Saqqara

   • UCL Petrie
   • Pyramid Texts

10. Pepi II’s exceptionally long reign strains succession

    Jan 1, 2281 BCELabels: Pepi II, Succession, Sixth Dynasty

    • Guinness
    • Pepi II

11. Central authority weakens amid environmental stress claims

    Jan 1, 2200 BCELabels: Nile floods, Central authority, Environmental stress

    • Britannica

12. Old Kingdom ends; First Intermediate Period begins

    Jan 1, 2181 BCELabels: Old Kingdom, First Intermediate, Third Sixth

    • Old Kingdom
    • First Intermed