when did ancient egypt start and end

Ancient Egypt is generally considered to have started around 3100 BCE when Upper and Lower Egypt were unified by the first king, Narmer (also called Menes), marking the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period. It lasted as a distinct civilization until 30 BCE, when Cleopatra VII died and Egypt became part of the Roman Empire. This dynastic period, often what people mean by "ancient Egypt," spans roughly 3,000 years.