The historical chronologies for dynastic Egypt are based on reign lengths inferred from written and archaeological evidence. These floating chronologies are linked to the absolute calendar by a few ancient astronomical observations, which remain a source of debate. We used 211 radiocarbon measurements made on samples from short-lived plants, together with a Bayesian model incorporating historical information on reign lengths, to produce a chronology for dynastic Egypt. A small offset (19 radiocarbon years older) in radiocarbon levels in the Nile Valley is probably a growing-season effect. Our radiocarbon data indicate that the New Kingdom started between 1570 and 1544 B.C.E., and the reign of Djoser in the Old Kingdom started between 2691 and 2625 B.C.E.; both cases are earlier than some previous historical estimates.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1189395 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
From Shamans to Priests of Sekhmet: A Review of the Literature in Search for the Origins of Doctors in Ancient Egypt.
Cureus
August 2024
Medicine, University of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, BRA.
This review suggests that shamans were in charge of the healing process in pre-dynastic Egypt. After the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt by Narmer in 3100 BC, shamans evolved into the Sem priests, who were responsible for the king's health. With the change in Egyptian religion in the fourth dynasty (2613-2494 BC), Ra, the sun god, was revered as the supreme power, replacing the king.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNile waterscapes facilitated the construction of the Giza pyramids during the 3rd millennium BCE.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 2022
Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Collège de France, CEREGE, 13545 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 04, France.
Article Synopsis
- The pyramids of Giza were once near a channel of the Nile called the Khufu branch, which allowed boats to transport materials to the Pyramid Harbor complex.
- Researchers studied pollen patterns to understand the environmental history of the area over the last 8,000 years, revealing how water levels changed.
- Their findings indicate that while the Nile's water levels were high during the time of the pyramid builders, they gradually decreased due to drying conditions in East Africa, reaching their lowest during the Dynastic Period.
Ancient Egyptian health: the prevalence of anemia at the origins of agriculture and state level society.
Homo
November 2019
Sociology/Anthropology Department, University of La Verne, 1950 Third St, La Verne, CA 91750, USA.
Ancient Egyptians experienced a vast increase in population size following the Neolithic Revolution. Nomadic hunter-gatherer groups gradually adopted agriculture as their primary food subsistence strategy. Analyses of human societies shifting from foragers to farmers have provided evidence which suggests this transition is linked with an increase in disease and allostatic load.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessment of biodegradation in ancient archaeological wood from the Middle Cemetery at Abydos, Egypt.
PLoS One
December 2019
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.
Abydos is a large, complex archaeological site located approximately 500 km south of Cairo in Upper Egypt. The site has served as a cemetery for thousands of years and is where most of the Early Dynastic royal tombs are located. North Abydos includes the Middle Cemetery and the North Cemetery, which are separated from each other by a wadi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex estimation from cranial morphological traits: Use of the methods across American Indians, modern North Americans, and ancient Egyptians.
Homo
September 2018
Department of Anthropology, California State University, 6000 J St, Sacramento 95819-6106, United States.
This paper focuses on estimating sex by visual assessment of human cranial morphology. Practitioners in the field report variation in sexual dimorphism across populations. This study evaluates again the general hypothesis that populations vary in their pattern of sexual dimorphism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!