Problems in Egyptian chronology are as ancient as Egypt itself. Like all ancient kingdoms the recognition of the importance of accurate historical records in Egypt grew very slowly. (There were numerous reasons, principally political, for not keeping accurate records). Thus by the third century B.C. virtually all problems connected with Egyptian chronology were already known, though unsolved. Manetho, the Egyptian priest writing his famous Egyptian History points to most of them. The problem is two-fold: l) there are internal problems of assigning beginnings and endings to various Dynasties, and 2) externally, the problem is reconciling dates in the Egyptian calendar with attested dates in other calendaric systems, for example, Greek, Jewish, Assyrian, Persian, and Julian/Gregorian. The following chronology is widely accepted at present by scholars. Minor variations and adjustments may well be required as new data are collected.
| Protodynastic Period: Dyn. I II | 3110 - 2665 B.C. |
| Old Kingdom: Dyn. III - VIII | 2664 - 2155 B.C. |
| First Intermediate Period: Dyn. IX X [coffin lids with diagonal calendars ] XI | 2154 - 2052 B.C. |
| Middle Kingdom: Dyn. XII | 2052 - 1786 B.C. |
| Second Intermediate Period: Dyn. XIII [ Hyksos Period ] XVII | 1785 - 1570 B.C. |
| New Kingdom: Dyn. XVIII [ King Tut ] XIX [ Sati ] [sarcophagus ceiling painting of Nut; cf. EAT I, 39] XX [ Ramses IV ] [Nut ceiling painting; cf. EAT I, 40] [See also EAT II for Ramsesside star clocks, c. 1500 B.C.] | 1570 - 1075 B.C. |
| Late Period: Dyn. XXI XXV | 1075 - 664 B.C. |
| Saite Period: Dyn. XXVI | 664 - 525 B.C. |
| First Persian Period: Dyn. XXVII [ Plato, Aristotle ] | 525 - 404 B.C. |
| Last Egyptian Period: Dyn. XXVIII XXIX XXX | 404 - 341 B.C. |
| Second Persian Period: Dyn. XXXI | 341 - 332 B.C. |
| Greek Period: | 332 - 30 B.C. |
| Roman Period: | 30 B.C. - A.D. 324 |
| Byzantine or Coptic Period: | A.D. 324 - 640 |