Literacy was extremely uncommon in ancient Egyptian society. The only people who were educated to read and write were the wealthy sons of scribes who were themselves expected to train for and enter into government service.

The Royal Annals, which survive in seven known copies including the Palermo Stone, is a historical list written during the Fifth Dynasty, which narrates the reigns of the previous kings. The Merneptah Stele is also historical in nature, but it concerns the conquests of the Nineteenth Dynasty (New Kingdom) Pharaoh Merneptah. The Stele of Queen Tetisheri is also attributed to a specific king, Pharaoh Ahmose I of the Eighteenth Dynasty (also of the New Kingdom), while the Great Hymn to the Aten is a New Kingdom religious text associated with the radical reformer Akhenaten (of the Eighteenth Dynasty). The Book of the Dead is a continuum of works deriving from a tradition as old as the Old Kingdom, but it is a funerary text rather than a historical narrative or list. 

The Old Kingdom established the political, societal and cultural foundations of the Egyptians dynasties to come. During this time Egypt also began to acquire the diplomatic skills for which it became famous. Contacts between Egypt and other Middle Eastern powers began as a result of Egypt wanting to keep its borders safe and trade for materials. 

The Old Kingdom saw the completion of the pyramids at Giza during the Fourth Dynasty, the Great Sphinx and the Great pyramid, which is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The Giza pyramids are an early example of quarried limestone, which was cut with extreme precision and then transported to the site. Tools called mallets were used alongside chisels to cut stone. 

The name Kemet, or Black Land, is what the ancient Egyptians called their country. This name stems from the color of the fertile soil after the annual flood of the Nile River. 

The Sphinx, which is located adjacent to the Great Pyramids of Giza, has long inspired the imagination of historians, Egyptologists, and tourists. It was most likely constructed during the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, probably during the reign of Khafre (one of the immediate descendents of Khufu). The Sphinx’s face is generally believed to be an image of Khafre.

The Third and Fourth dynasties are considered to be periods of relative peace and prosperity in the history of ancient Egypt. The Third Dynasty was the first ruling dynasty of the Old Kingdom and came to power in the 27th century B.C.E. This period of time is marked by a strong, centralized government under the absolute authority of the Pharaohs and a series of successful military campaigns against weaker neighboring states.

Pepi II is the last notable ruler of the Sixth Dynasty (the last ruling dynasty of the Old Kingdom). Pepi II’s rule was marked by the steady decline of his authority and the power of the Egyptian state. Pepi II is often remembered in popular history for the notable length of his reign. He was said to have assumed the throne as a small child and reigned for more than ninety years.

Khufu is one of the most famous Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom period of Egyptian history. The Old Kingdom began in the 27th century BCE and lasted until the 22nd century BCE. Khufu is most famous for ordering the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza to serve as his burial tomb. Most of what we know about Khufu comes from historians writing more than two thousand years after he died and is therefore unreliable.

The Third Dynasty was the first ruling dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The Third Dynasty came to power in the 27th century BCE under the authority of Djoser. The Old Kingdom lasted from the rule of the Third Dynasty to the rule of the Sixth Dynasty in the 22nd century BCE.