Researchers Develop New Timeline for Egypt's First Dynasty

Using radiocarbon dating and computer models, researchers have established the most robust timeline to date for the rise of early Egypt.

The results, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A, suggest that the period of unification in which the region's territorial states were brought under one political ruler happened much more quickly than previously believed.

Led by researchers from the University of Oxford, the study included over 100 fresh radiocarbon dates taken from hair, bone and plant samples excavated from a number of key sites, including the tombs of kings and surrounding burials.

Previously, scholars relied on archaeological evidence in order to establish the timeframe for the series of events that led up to the establishment of one of the world's greatest empires, comparing ceramic styles from artifacts excavated at burial sites to piece together the chronology.

"The origins of Egypt began a millennium before the pyramids were built, which is why our understanding of how and why this powerful state developed is based solely on archaeological evidence," lead author Michael Dee of the school's Research laboratory for Archaeology said in a press release. "This new study provides new radiocarbon dating evidence that resets the chronology of the first dynastic rulers of Ancient Egypt and suggests that Egypt formed far more rapidly than was previously thought."

According to the study's results, King Aha's accession to the throne -- considered by many to mark the starting point of the Egyptian state -- occurred between 3111 BC and 3045 BC. Furthermore, the researchers determined that the Predynastic period in which inhabitants along the Nile River started forming permanent settlements lasted for a shorter period than previously believed. Largely assumed to have taken root around 4000 BC, the new evidence suggests this period occurred closer to 3800-3700 BC, meaning the Neolithic period that preceded it finished later.

All told, the researchers estimate their new dates for each king to be accurate within 32 years with 68 percent probability.