The history of ancient Egypt spans three millennium. It began in 3200 BC when Lower and Upper Egypt were unified during the Early Dynastic Period and ended with the conquest of Egypt by Macedonia under Alexander the Great in 332 BC. This immense time span recorded the rise and fall of 30 dynasties ruling over one of the most enduring and powerful empires the world had ever seen. The Egyptians took pyramid building to new heights, were able to make paper from papyrus, created a system of hieroglyphics, used alphabetic, syllabic symbols, and ideograms to record their history, and they were able to design a remarkably accurate calendar. The Egyptians were the first to harness oxen to plow their fields and the first to rig their boats with sails for traveling up and down the Nile River. Their accomplishments are impressive and set standards for further innovations..
