Trade expeditions to Byblos, Punt, and Nubia during the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE)

1. Old Kingdom trade networks take durable shape

   Jan 1, 2686 BCELabels: Egypt, Levant, Nile Valley

   • UCL Digital Egypt

2. Djoser-era seaborne timber imports evidenced at Saqqara

   Jan 1, 2667 BCELabels: Djoser, Saqqara, Byblos

   • Byblos Ruins

3. Wadi al-Jarf harbor supports Old Kingdom seafaring logistics

   Jan 1, 2570 BCELabels: Wadi al-Jarf, Khufu, Red Sea

   • Wadi al Jarf
   • Culture in Crisis

4. Merer’s logbook records Khufu-era expedition administration

   Jan 1, 2563 BCELabels: Merer, Wadi al-Jarf, Khufu

   • Diary of Merer
   • Archaeology Wiki

5. Sneferu campaigns secure Sinai mining routes

   Jan 1, 2540 BCELabels: Sneferu, Wadi Maghareh, Sinai

   • Egypt Museum
   • UCL Digital Egypt

6. Khufu ship burial reflects Lebanon cedar access

   Jan 1, 2500 BCELabels: Khufu ship, Lebanon cedar, Fourth Dynasty

   • Khufu Ship
   • UCL Digital Egypt

7. Sahure expedition to Punt recorded on Palermo Stone

   Jan 1, 2485 BCELabels: Sahure, Palermo Stone, Punt

   • UCL Digital Egypt
   • Sahure Wikipedia

8. Sahure’s reliefs depict seagoing ships and overseas trade

   Jan 1, 2485 BCELabels: Sahure, mortuary complex, seagoing ships

   • Sahure Wikipedia
   • WHE Image

9. Byblos trade documented by Egyptian royal objects in Lebanon

   Jan 1, 2450 BCELabels: Byblos, Levant, Old Kingdom

   • UCL Digital Egypt

10. Djedkare Isesi sends Sinai turquoise expeditions

    Jan 1, 2380 BCELabels: Djedkare Isesi, Wadi Maghareh, Sinai

    • Djedkare Isesi
    • UCL Digital Egypt

11. Pepi I’s Byblos ties attested by inscribed vessels

    Jan 1, 2320 BCELabels: Pepi I, Byblos, Levant

    • Pepi I
    • UCL Digital Egypt

12. Harkhuf conducts long-distance Nubian trade journeys

    Jan 1, 2280 BCELabels: Harkhuf, Elephantine, Nubia

    • Britannica
    • Harkhuf Bio

13. Pepi II’s reign includes trade and conflict in Nubia and Punt

    Jan 1, 2246 BCELabels: Pepi II, Nubia, Punt

    • Britannica
    • Britannica Harkhuf

14. Old Kingdom end disrupts long-distance expedition systems

    Jan 1, 2181 BCELabels: First Intermediate, Old Kingdom, state collapse

    • UCL Digital Egypt
    • Britannica Pepi II