We can divide up Egypt's past into a number of parts, but it is important to remember that there is history, and the time before history, called prehistory. History is the period of time when humans made records by writing about events, while prehistory, is the time before people could write. Overall, we can divide Egypt's long past as:

• Prehistory - The time before writing
• The Dynastic Period - The time of Egyptian Pharaohs or Kings
• The Greco-Roman Period - Egypt ruled by Greek Kings and Roman Emperors
• The Archaic Islamic Period - After the Arab Invasion
• The Colonial Period - Egypt ruled by Europeans