Ancient Egypt: Music & Dance

Both music and dance were highly valued in Ancient Egyptian society. Their importance cannot be over emphasized as they were integral to all areas of everyday life. Pictures of musical performances and dancers have been found on temple walls and tomb paintings, and both music and dance were central to religious processions, banquets, military parades, and seasonal celebrations. They were therefore a popular form of entertainment throughout Ancient Egypt and some of the earliest examples of theatrical performance that have been discovered. This guide will look at the types of dances commonly performed, the use of music, and the cultural influences of the artform within Egyptian society.

Key Dates & Events

• c.6000 BCE - 3100 BCE - the Predynastic era (sometimes known as Prehistoric Egypt). It is usually broken up into three periods of time: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.
• c.3150 BCE - 2686 BCE - the Early Dynastic period, in which Egypt was unified as a nation and the first two dynasties of Pharaohs ruled.
• c.2700 BCE - 2200 BCE - also known as the “Age of the Pyramids”, due to the large number of pyramids constructed as burial places for the Pharaohs. This period spanned from the Third Dynasty to the Sixth Dynasty.
• c.2030 BCE - 1650 BCE - the Middle Kingdom, following an unsettled interim period. It spans from the Eleventh through the Thirteenth Dynasties.
• c.1550 BCE - 1069 BCE - a period known as the New Kingdom. It spanned from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, and rulers included some of the most famous Pharaohs known today such as Tutankhamun, Ramasses II, and Ramasses III.
• c.664 BCE - 332 BCE - the Late Period which saw the rule of the final Egyptian Pharaohs and their fight against Persian expansion into Egypt. It ends with the conquest of Alexander III of Macedon (commonly known as Alexander the Great).