Before the time of ancient Egypt, there were two lands called Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. One might assume that Upper Egypt would be north of Lower Egypt, but this was not so: the terms upper and lower refer to the two regions' relative elevation or height along the Nile. Because northern Egypt was downstream from southern Egypt, it was “lower.”
Based on what historians know, Lower Egypt was not “lower” than Upper Egypt in terms of culture. In fact, it was more developed, as symbolized by the establishment of the first Egyptian capital in the northern city of Memphis. Yet it appears that in the unification of the country that occurred in about 3100 B. C.,Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and then adopted much of its northern neighbor's culture.
According to tradition, the king who brought together the two Egypts—in effect, the first pharaoh—was named Menes (MEN-ease), though he may have been named Narmer or Aha. Because of uncertainty about his identity, he is usually considered a semi-legendary figure. In other words, he may have lived, but most likely much of what historians “know” about him is mere legend.
What is certain is that Egypt was unified and that this unification created the world's first national government. For almost 3,000 years, Egypt would be ruled by a series of dynasties, or royal houses, who would each in turn claim the title of pharaoh for themselves. A dynasty is a group of people, often but not always a family, who continue to hold a position of power over a period of time. The ruling dynasty might change (in all, Egypt had thirty-one dynasties), but the unified kingdom of Egypt continued to exist. It provided a single government that made trade and travel possible throughout the Nile Valley and Delta. The pharaoh's crown became a symbol of the unified kingdom: it combined the tall white crown of Upper Egypt with the squat red crown of Lower Egypt.
World History
