The lands around the Nile valley have been getting dryer over the past few thousand years, pushing more and more people onto the narrow strip of land along the banks of the river.
To feed the growing population, the waters of the Nile have to be damned and diverted onto fields and into pools and tanks. This calls for disciplined activity by the whole population, working together. Strong rulers are needed to control this activity, and powerful chiefdoms are emerging along the middle Nile. Within these, the characteristic features of one of the great civilizations of world history, Ancient Egypt, are beginning to take shape.
Related Timelines:
Timeline of African History
Timeline of Middle East History
Timeline of World History