Ancient Egypt, a cradle of civilization, thrived along the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged around 3150 BC when Upper and Lower Egypt were united. The civilization's success stemmed from its ability to adapt to the Nile's agricultural conditions, producing surplus crops and supporting a dense population. This allowed for substantial social and cultural development.
With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation, the development of a writing system, collective construction projects, trade, and a military.
The Cradle of Civilization
Ancient Egypt was a civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150 BC when Upper and Lower Egypt were amalgamated by Menes. The history of ancient Egypt unfolded as a series of stable kingdoms interspersed by periods of relative instability.
The pinnacle of ancient Egyptian power was achieved during the New Kingdom, which extended its rule to much of Nubia and a considerable portion of the Levant. After this period, Egypt entered an era of slow decline and was conquered by various foreign civilizations.
The Gift of the Nile
The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the Nile's conditions for agriculture. The predictable flooding of the Nile and controlled irrigation of its fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and thereby substantial social and cultural development.
Read also: The Language of the Pharaohs
Villages and towns were situated near the Nile River because it was the chief highway as well as the only source of water. They farmed and fished and hunted, making it plentiful and ensuring no one went hungry.
Pharaohs: Rulers of the Two Lands
Pharaohs were the kings of ancient Egypt, though most pharaohs were men. As ancient Egyptian rulers, pharaohs were both the heads of state and the religious leaders of their people. The word “pharaoh” means “Great House,” a reference to the palace where the pharaoh resides.
The pharaoh made laws, waged war, collected taxes, and oversaw all the land in Egypt, and his power was absolute. He was not worshipped, but he was obeyed.
Many scholars believe the first pharaoh was Narmer, also called Menes. Many believe he was the first ruler to unite upper and lower Egypt. Pharaohs were typically male, although there were some noteworthy female leaders, like Hatshepsut and Cleopatra.
Ancient Egyptian Society
Daily Life
The remains from ancient Egypt provide an excellent idea of how the ancient Egyptians lived. Much information has also come from tombs, including the paintings of scenes of everyday life on the walls of the tombs. Because the Egyptians thought that life continued after death, everything they might need in the next world was placed in their tombs.
Read also: Pharaohs: A detailed look
Houses were made of mud brick with small, high openings covered with matting to keep out the heat. The walls were decorated with bright frescoes, and the floors were covered with straw matting and rugs. Wall paintings offer a rich source of information about how common people lived with their children, farmed, raised animals, and performed daily tasks.
Clothing was simple due to the hot climate. White linen was the most commonly used fabric. Men typically wore a skirt of linen and sometimes a vest, while women wore a straight, simple ankle-length dress with shoulder straps. Egyptians were fond of perfumes and cosmetics, with both men and women wearing green eyeshadow and outlining their eyes with kohl.
Medicine
In order to preserve the dead, the Egyptians needed to know a great deal about the human body, resulting in skillful doctors. Some of the earliest medical and surgical records have been found in Egypt. One of the earliest is the Ebers Papyrus, written about 1550 bce, which lists 700 cures for common sicknesses and problems.
Writing
The creation of a written language was one of the Egyptians’ finest achievements. The first Egyptian writing was in a picture form called hieroglyphics. The pictures, which stood for sounds of words, were cut or painted on the walls of tombs and temples, and were delicately colored in red, yellow, green, black, and blue. Hieroglyphics were in use by 3100 bce.
A form of cursive writing developed in about 2900 bce. It was written in ink with a pen made of reeds and was mainly written on papyrus. Another script, called demotic, began to appear in about 700 bce and was used for ordinary writing. The earlier form, called hieratic, was then used mostly for sacred writings.
Read also: The Art of Ancient Egypt
The key to understanding Egyptian writing was the Rosetta Stone, a stone tablet dating from about 200 bce that was found in Egypt in 1799. The stone shows words in Greek with translations in hieroglyphics and demotic script. By comparing the Egyptian text with the Greek text, a scholar who knew Greek was able to uncover the meaning of the hieroglyphics and the demotic words.
Religion and Mythology
The ancient Egyptians worshiped many gods. The main god of the sun was Re (or Ra). Each city had its own special gods. When the city of Thebes grew in importance, its special god Amon did also. Eventually, the Egyptians combined Amon with Re. Amon-Re was considered the king of the gods.
Because the ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, Osiris, one of the gods of the dead, was also important. His wife Isis and his son Horus were worshiped alongside Osiris.
The Egyptians believed other gods helped them in real life, too. For instance, Osiris’s wife, the goddess Isis, helped cure human sickness, and the goddess Tefnut caused the rain to fall.
The Egyptians believed in magic as an important part of daily life. They prayed to their gods every day. They spent their lifetime to earn their way in, wanting a wonderful afterlife.
Here are some figures of Egyptian Mythology:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Amon | One of the chief gods |
| Bastet | Goddess of music and pregnant women; cat headed |
| Hathor | Goddess of women and love; cow-headed |
| Horus | God whose eyes were the Sun and the Moon; appeared as a falcon |
| Isis | Important goddess; wife of Osiris and mother of Horus |
| Mont | God of war; falcon-headed |
| Nut | Goddess of the sky |
| Osiris | Important god of the underworld |
| Re | Chief Sun god |
| Seth | God of disorder; had some features of a dog |
| Thoth | God of the Moon, wisdom, and writing; ibis-headed |
The Egyptians preserved the dead as mummies by removing the internal organs and preserving the body with salt or other chemicals. In addition to those of people, thousands of mummies of sacred animals such as cats, ibises, and crocodiles have been found. Mummies of important people were placed in elaborate coffins called sarcophagi, often bearing a portrait of the deceased.
Being mummified was an important part of how Egyptians believed their soul would enter the afterlife, and tombs were filled with things a person would need there: food, games, and even underwear!
Inventions and Achievements
The ancient Egyptians were a very practical people. They learned the principles of engineering that enabled them to build vast structures such as the pyramids. They did not have pulleys to aid in lifting heavy weights, but they were able to move large stone blocks by means of sledges, rollers, and ramps.
Among the many achievements of ancient Egypt are: the quarrying, surveying, and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics; a practical and effective system of medicine; irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques; the first known planked boats; Egyptian faience and glass technology; new forms of literature; and the earliest known peace treaty.
Ancient Egyptian astronomers created a calendar much like ours-based on the sun’s rotation-and are thought to be the first civilization to measure a year using 365 days. They were also math geniuses and are thought to have developed division and multiplication.
Fun Facts About Ancient Egypt
Here are some interesting facts about Ancient Egypt you might not have known:
- Ancient Egyptians worshiped over 1,400 gods and goddesses.
- Toilets were found in many Ancient Egyptian tombs.
- The lost Egyptian city of Heracleion was found after 1200 years under the sea.
- Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
- The tradition of exchanging wedding rings goes all the way back to the Egyptians.
- Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the death of their cats.
- In Ancient Egypt, killing a cat, even accidentally, incurred the death penalty.
- Many Egyptian pharaohs were actually overweight and unhealthy due to their diet of alcohol, bread and honey.
50 Insane Facts About Ancient Egypt
Popular articles:
tags: #Egypt
