PROLEGOMENA

Chronology

The history of Egypt between 1552 and 664 BC, as for earlier periods, is conventionally divided up into usually sequential, numbered dynasties (table 3.1). These are derived from later ‘Epitomes’ of Manetho's history of Egypt (late fourth century BC) and usually do in fact coincide with real breaks, alterations or divisions in the line of dynastic succession.

The absolute chronology of these dynasties has been reconstructed with a high degree of reliability. It is true that two chronologies can be postulated for the Eighteenth to Twentieth dynasties (1552–1069 BC), because it is uncertain whether several dynastically-dated astronomical observations – vital for chronological reconstruction – were made near Memphis (‘high’ chronology) or near Thebes (‘low’ chronology). On the whole, the ‘low’ chronology fits the available evidence better, and is followed in the chronological table; nevertheless, neither the ‘high’ nor ‘low’ chronologies can yet be shown to be unquestionably correct. For the period between 945 and 330 BC there are an increasing number of reliable synchronisms, another dated astronomical observation, and some chronologically exceptionally well-documented dynasties (Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh), and the degree of disagreement amongst scholars is correspondingly smaller. In fact, disagreement about the absolute chronology of the entire period 1552–664 BC is quite small; significant developments within Egypt and the ever-changing pattern of its contacts with other areas can be dated with considerable if not complete precision.