Archaic Egyptian language

Archaic Egyptian is the stage of the Egyptian language spoken during the Early Dynastic Period, which lasted up to around 2600 BC. The language is thereafter considered Old Egyptian. The first known inscriptions in Archaic Egyptian date from around 3400 BC. They are the earliest known Egyptian hieroglyphic texts, and overall predate the first pharaoh, Narmer, by at least 300 years. Sometimes, Archaic Egyptian is not considered separate from Old Egyptian at all; because of its age, we know the least about it compared to other stages of the language.