by Belinda Brown

Created on: September 22, 2008

The Old Kingdom was the period when Egypt was reined by the third and sixth dynasties, dating from 2686BC until 2134BC. The imperial capital was Memphis, where the Pharaoh resided. The Old Kingdom is well known for the pyramids that had been built in this era, particularly the Great Pyramid of Giza. The pyramids had been constructed under the Pharaoh's instructions and were used as burial places.

The first Pharaoh to reign in the period of the Old Kingdom had been Pharaoh Djoser, who had reigned from 2630 to 2611BC. Djoser reigned in the third dynasty of Egypt. Djoser had the step pyramid constructed in Memphis under his command.

During this time, free states in Egypt had become to be known as nomes. They were under the Pharaoh's rule only. Previous rulers of nomes were given employment as tax collectors or were given the role of governor. In this period, the Pharaohs were worshipped as a God and the peoples of the time had the belief that it was their king who brought the rains that yearly flooded the Nile. The flooding of the Nile was necessary for the growth of their crops.

The fourth dynasty of Egypt had been ruled by Pharaoh Sneferu. Sneferu had built three pyramids during his reign and he was the only Pharaoh in Egyptian history to have moved the most brick and stone. Sneferu's successor and also his son, Khufu, had been responsible for constructing The Great Pyramid of Giza.

To build such a monumental construction, there would have been the need to house and feed the hundreds of laborers that was needed to build the pyramids and it would require a sophisticated federalized government. Past archeological discoveries had found a large underground city which had been used to house, feed, and equip the laborers. It was once thought that slaves were used to build the pyramids, but later discoveries have proved laborers were peasants that were hired from all over Egypt. They were skilled workers ranging from professional stone cutters, painters and mathematicians.

During the fifth dynasty, the Egyptian government had been weakened after the dynasties new Pharaoh Userkhalf, who reined from 2465BC to 2458BC had instigated new reforms. The fifth dynasty had been plagued by civil war, famine and droughts. There was a severe shortage of food as droughts had stopped the usual flooding of the Nile. The result had been the breakdown of the Old Kingdom and decades of famine there after.

Learn more about this author, Belinda Brown.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.