How old is Ancient Egypt?
The Greek and Roman writers of antiquity, basing their accounts on information received either first or second-hand from Egyptian sources, claimed a far greater antiquity for the Egyptian civilization, than that currently established by Egyptologists. These Egyptian sources called for antiquity ranging from 24,000 and 36,000 years during which Egypt was civilized. The Greco-Egyptian historian Manetho (3rd century BCE), under the early Ptolemies, wrote the only substantive history of Egypt to come down to us. He gathered his information from Egyptian records. A few pre-dynastic inscribed tablets and papyri have been found, but all were incomplete because of their remote age. Manetho acknowledged greater antiquity of the Egyptian history. However, because of the overwhelming task, he chose Menes as a starting point, about 3,000 years earlier. Manetho started with Menes and then divided the entire chronicle of events into 31 dynasties, from Mena (Menes) to the time of Alexander the Great
The Greek and Roman writers of antiquity, basing their accounts on information received either first or second-hand from Egyptian sources, claimed a far greater antiquity for the Egyptian civilization, than that currently established by Egyptologists. These Egyptian sources called for antiquity ranging from 24,000 and 36,000 years during which Egypt was civilized. The Greco-Egyptian historian Manetho (3rd century BCE), under the early Ptolemies, wrote the only substantive history of Egypt to come down to us. He gathered his information from Egyptian records. A few pre-dynastic inscribed tablets and papyri have been found, but all were incomplete because of their remote age. Manetho acknowledged greater antiquity of the Egyptian history. However, because of the overwhelming task, he chose Menes as a starting point, about 3,000 years earlier. Manetho started with Menes and then divided the entire chronicle of events into 31 dynasties, from Mena (Menes) to the time of Alexander the Great
