The dates of the ancient Egyptian timeline are calculated from various lists from different sources, such as the Turin Royal Papyrus, tomb paintings, temple inscriptions and stelae. The history of Egypt was divided into 30 dynasties by the historian Graeco-Egyptian priest Manetho in about 280 BC. Manetho was one of two priestly advisors to Ptolemy I and was involved with the beginning of the cult of Serapis. Later historians grouped the dynasties into kingdoms and intermediate periods.

Some historical accounts survive from ancient times but after the end of the 4th Century A.D. they could no longer be read, until Champollion's translation of the Rosetta Stone. The last dated hieroglyphic writings are at the temple of Philae in 394 A.D.

The earliest surviving evidence is the Palermo Stone, dating from the 5th Dynasty (2498-2345 BC), which is inscribed on both sides and records some of the predynastic kings before 3150 BC throught to Neferirkare in the mid -5th Dynasty.

The Royal list of Karnak (now in the Louvre, Paris) has a list of kings through to Tuthmosis III (1504-1450 BC) and includes some of the more obscure names from the Second Intermediate Period.

The Royal List of Abydos is still in situ on the wall of a corridor in the Temple of Seti I (1291-1278 BC), but some of the kings are left out due to their association with the Amarna heresy of Akhenaten.

 

One other list inscribed in stone is the Royal List of Saqqara, now in the Cairo Museum, which runs from Anedjib from the First Dynasty to Rameses II.

The Royal Papyrus of Turin, now unfortunately very badly damaged, listed over 300 kings. Written in hieratic script and dated at about 1200 BC, it begins with dynasties of gods, followed by those of earthly kings with the exact lengths of each reign in years, months and days. Most of the information regarding dates and time is relative as the Egyptians, although using a calendar of 365 days, made no allowance for the additional quarter day each year therefore the timeline is not one hundred per cent accurate. Absolute chronology relies on calculations and astronomical data from astronomical calendars.

More recently excavations at Deir el-Medina, the village of the tomb builders at the Valley of the Kings have revealed writing on clay tablets and pottery that describe daily life. Writings on the walls within the tombs reveal how the Pharaohs lived and their achievements throughout their reigns.

 

 

Timeline

 

3200 BC	3150-2686	2686-2181	2181-2040	2040-1782	1782-1570	1570-1070	1069-525	525-332	332BC-AD641
Prehistoric & Predynastic Periods	Early Dynastic Period	Old Kingdom	First Intermediate Period	Middle Kingdom	Second Intermediate Period	New Kingdom	Third Intermediate Period	Late Period	Graeco-Roman Period
	Dynasty 0 - 2	Dynasty 4 - 6	Dynasty 7 - 10	Dynasty 11 - 12	Dynasty 13 - 17	Dynasty 18 - 20	Dynasty 21 - 26	Dynasty 27 -31	Macedonian Kings Ptolemaic Dynasty

(click on underlined link to view Pharaohs of the period)

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This is a much abridged version of the timeline of the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
Much of the information has come from the publication below and many more Egyptian websites

References : Clayton P A, 1982, "Chronicles of the Pharaohs", Thames & Hudson, London.