- Egypt was unified around 3100 BC under King Narmer/Menes, who established the first dynasty and symbolized the union of Upper and Lower Egypt. - Egyptian society was highly stable and hierarchical for over 3,000 years under a system of dynastic rule by pharaohs, who were considered divine kings. Major gods included Ra, Osiris, Isis, and Anubis. - The predictable flooding of the Nile River made agriculture and settlements along its banks very productive, in contrast to the less stable environment of Mesopotamia. Hieroglyphic writing and monumental architecture like the pyramids emerged during this early period in Egypt.