The New Kingdom Period

At the end of the Second Intermediate Period the Theban rulers of Dynasty 17 drove out the Hyksos kings. This started the beginning of the Egyptian Empire, or the New Kingdom Period. Ranging from the 18th-20th dynasties it is perhaps the most famous of all the ages because of the kings it saw sit on the throne. The successors of Dynasty 17 conducted such military campaigns that they extended Egypt's influence in the Near East and established Egyptian control of Nubia to the fourth cataract. As a consequence, the pharaohs gathered unimaginable wealth which allowed them to reinstate themselves as gods and lavish wealth into the religious system.

Thebes remained a main cultural and religious center throughout the New Kingdom Period. It was here that the pharaohs built their mortuary temples and were laid to rest mass rock-cut tombs decorated with exquisite paintings and painted reliefs illustrating religious texts concerning the afterlife. Due to the growing demand of the new tombs a town was established near Thebes to the west for the workers who thrived off of the work of kings. Here at Deir el-Medina the workers left an unimaginable wealth of information about life in an ancient Egyptian community of artisans and craftsmen.

The New Kingdom Period is now known for the monumental architecture, estuaries honoring the gods and pharaohs, political stability, economic prosperity, and countless artistic masterpieces. This time also contained some of Egypt's most famous pharaohs including Ahmose I, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Amenhotep III, Akhenaten and Tutankhamen. Queen Hatsheput is a legend who concentrated on expanding Egypt's external trade, Thutmose III was the Napoleon of Egypt who expanded Egypt's army and wielded it with great success, and King Tut is the mysterious boy king.

Next to Tutankhamen, Amenhotep IV is one of the most famous pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty. He is the one who changed his name to Akhenaten to establish the worship of the Aten and whose exclusive worship of the Aten is often interpreted as history's first instance of monotheism. (Biblical scholars disagree however) Due to his quick betrayal of the old ways of the Egyptian religion Akhenaten's religious fervor is one of the reason why he was subsequently written out of Egyptian history and most traces of him destroyed (or attempts at least).

Ramses II, the Great, ruled during the 19th Dynasty and he sought to recover territories in the Levant that had been held by the 18th Dynasty lost due to Akhenaten's lack of interest outside of Egyptian borders. Ramses II is also famed for the large number of children he sired by his various wives and concubines. The mass funerary complex in the Valley of the Kings he built to house his family has proved to be the largest funerary complex in Egypt by far.

To close the New Kingdom Period, 20th dynasty pharaoh Ramses III was the last great king. In Year 8 of his reign, the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt by land and sea and Ramses III defeated them in world reknown battles. He claimed that he incorporated them as his subjects and settled them in Southern Canaan, although evidence suggests that they forced their way into Canaan. Cost to battles the Sea Peoples exhausted Egypt's treasury and aided in the gradual decline of the Egyptian Empire in abroad and at home. These difficulties were recorded with the first known labor strike in history occurring during Year 29 of Ramses III's reign. Food rations for royal tomb-builders and artisans in the village of Deir el Medina could not be provisioned and the people went on strike.

After Ramesses III's death the decline was quick and Egypt had seen its best years fly by as she headed again into a dark period, the Third Intermediate Period. As Egypt was beset by a series of droughts, below-normal flooding levels of the Nile, famine, civil unrest and official corruption she was done with the glory days.

18th Dynasty Rulers

Ahmose | c. 1550-1525 BC

Amenhotep I/Djeserkare | c. 1525-1504 BC

Thutmose I/Aakheperkare | c. 1504-1492 BC

Thutmose II | c .1492-1473 BC

Hatshepsut/Maatkare | c. 1473-1458 BC

Thutmose III/Menkheperre | c. 1458-1425 BC

Amenhotep II/Aaakheperure | c. 1427-1400 BC

Thutmose IV/Menkheperure | c. 1400-1390 BC

Amenhotep III/Nebmaatre | c. 1390-1352 BC

Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten/Neferkheperurawaenre | c. 1352-1336 BC

Neferneferuaten | c. 1336 BC

Tutankhaten/Tutankamen/Nebkheperure | c. 1336-1327 BC

Ay/Kheperkheperure | c. 1327-1323 BC

Horemheb/Djeserkheperure | c. 1323-1295 BC

19th Dynasty Rulers

Ramses I/Menpehtyre | c. 1295-1294 BC

Seti I/Menmaatre | c. 1294-1279 BC

Ramses II/Usermaatre Setepenre | c. 1279-1213 BC

Merenptah | c. 1213-1203 BC

Amenmessu | c. 1203-1200 BC

Sety II | c. 1200-1194 BC

Saptah | c. 1194-1188 BC

Tausret | c. 1188-1186 BC

20th Dynasty Rulers

Setnakht | c. 1186-1184 BC

Rameses III/Usermaatre Meryamun | c. 1184-1153 BC

Ramses IV | c. 1153-1147 BC

Ramses V | c. 1147-1143 BC

Ramses VI | c. 1143-1136 BC

Ramses VII | c. 1136-1129 BC

Ramses VIII | c. 1129-1126 BC

Ramses IX | c. 1126-1108 BC

Ramses X | c. 1108-1099 BC

Ramses XI | c. 1099-1069 BC