New Kingdom
Quick Summary
The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt, spanning from approximately 1539 to 1077 BCE, was a period of significant expansion and prosperity. This era saw Egyptian rulers like Thutmose I campaign successfully into Syria and Africa, extending the empire's reach. The king, often referred to as pharaoh, was considered divine and held a central role in maintaining order and appeasing the gods.123
During this time, devotion to the state god Amon-Re increased, with vast riches from conquests dedicated to his temples. Royal tombs shifted from pyramids to rock-cut chambers in the Valley of the Kings. While the New Kingdom was marked by powerful rulers like Ramses III, who defended Egypt against invasions by the Sea Peoples, it also faced internal challenges such as administrative inefficiency and economic decline towards its end.24
- ancient Egypt - Thutmose I and Thutmose II
- ancient Egypt - The king and ideology: administration, art, and writing
- ancient Egypt - The 7th and 8th dynasties (c. 2150–c. 2118 bce )
- ancient Egypt - Last years of the 19th dynasty
- ancient Egypt - The early 20th dynasty: Setnakht and Ramses III
- ancient Egypt - Amenhotep I
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
ancient Egyptian religionInfluence on other religionsDuring the New Kingdom, Egypt was very receptive to cults from the Middle East, while Egyptian medical and magical expertise was highly regarded among the Hittites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. The chief periods of Egyptian influence were, however, the 1st millennium bce and the Roman period. Egypt was…
Read MoreDuring the New Kingdom, Egypt was very receptive to cults from the Middle East, while Egyptian medical and magical expertise was highly regarded among the Hittites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. The chief periods of Egyptian influence were, however, the 1st millennium bce and the Roman period. Egypt was…
Read More
ancient Egyptian religionGroupings of deities…common grouping, principally in the New Kingdom and later, was the triad. The archetypal triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus exhibits the normal pattern of a god and a goddess with a youthful deity, usually male. Most local centres came to have triads, the second and third members of which…
Read More…common grouping, principally in the New Kingdom and later, was the triad. The archetypal triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus exhibits the normal pattern of a god and a goddess with a youthful deity, usually male. Most local centres came to have triads, the second and third members of which…
Read More
ṢaqqārahIn the New Kingdom (c. 1539–1075 bce), however, Memphis became a principal administrative and military centre, and a number of tombs from that period have been found, including the finely decorated tomb of the general, later king, Horemheb, rediscovered in 1975. Also, in that era and later…
Read MoreIn the New Kingdom (c. 1539–1075 bce), however, Memphis became a principal administrative and military centre, and a number of tombs from that period have been found, including the finely decorated tomb of the general, later king, Horemheb, rediscovered in 1975. Also, in that era and later…
Read More
Valley of the KingsThe kings of the New Kingdom (c. 1539–1075 bce), fearing for the safety of their rich burials, adopted a new plan of concealing their tombs in a lonely valley in the western hills behind Dayr al-Baḥrī. There, in tombs sunk deep into the heart of the mountain, pharaohs were…
Read MoreThe kings of the New Kingdom (c. 1539–1075 bce), fearing for the safety of their rich burials, adopted a new plan of concealing their tombs in a lonely valley in the western hills behind Dayr al-Baḥrī. There, in tombs sunk deep into the heart of the mountain, pharaohs were…
Read More
MemphisLater historyDuring the New Kingdom, Memphis probably functioned as the second, or northern, capital of Egypt. At one time it seems to have been the principal residence of the crown prince. Several 18th-dynasty inscriptions mention royal hunting parties in the desert near the Sphinx. Amenhotep II (reigned c.…
Read MoreDuring the New Kingdom, Memphis probably functioned as the second, or northern, capital of Egypt. At one time it seems to have been the principal residence of the crown prince. Several 18th-dynasty inscriptions mention royal hunting parties in the desert near the Sphinx. Amenhotep II (reigned c.…
Read More
ThebesArchaeology of the ThebesIn the New Kingdom, when the pharaohs hid their tombs in the secret Valley of the Kings (in western Thebes), ostentation had to be concentrated in their mortuary temples, which rivaled each other in size and magnificence. Although they were designed for the performance of rites connected…
Read MoreIn the New Kingdom, when the pharaohs hid their tombs in the secret Valley of the Kings (in western Thebes), ostentation had to be concentrated in their mortuary temples, which rivaled each other in size and magnificence. Although they were designed for the performance of rites connected…
Read More
JaffaAncient history…prominent administrative center during the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom. In the 13th century, Jaffa served as a garrison city for Ramses II.
Read More…prominent administrative center during the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom. In the 13th century, Jaffa served as a garrison city for Ramses II.
Read More





