The kings of the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3150 - c. 2890 BCE) all worked toward the same ends: increasing trade, expansion of the kingdom through military campaigns, engaging in building projects (such as monuments, tombs, and temples), and securing central rule of the country. They ruled from the city of Thinis, near Abydos, and from Memphis. The first king, according to Manetho's chronology, was Menes who has come to be identified with the pharaoh once thought to be his successor, Narmer. Narmer united the regions of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt under central rule initially at Thinis before then building a palace at Memphis and shifting the seat of government to that city. Historian Margaret Bunson writes:
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 3200 BCE - c. 3000 BCEProbable dates for creation of Narmer Palette.
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3150 BCE - 2613 BCEEarly Dynastic Period in Egypt. First Kings.
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c. 3150 BCE - c. 3100 BCEReign of Menes, a.k.a. Narmer, first king who is thought to have unified Upper and Lower Egypt.
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3150 BCE - c. 2890 BCEFirst Dynasty in Ancient Egypt.
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c. 3100 BCE - c. 3050 BCEReign of Hor-Aha.
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c. 3050 BCE - c. 3000 BCEReign of Djer.
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c. 3000 BCE - c. 2990 BCEReign of Djet.
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c. 2990 BCEReign of Merneith, first female ruler of Egypt.
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c. 2990 BCE - c. 2940 BCEReign of Den, greatest of the First Dynasty Kings.
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c. 2940 BCE - c. 2930 BCEReign of Anedjib.
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c. 2930 BCE - c. 2920 BCEReign of Semerkhet.
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c. 2920 BCE - c. 2890 BCEReign of Qa'a, last pharaoh of the First Dynasty of Egypt.
