Ancient Egypt, one of the oldest and most enduring civilizations in the world, thrived for over 3000 years. Its legacy continues to captivate and inspire us today. From the majestic pyramids to the intricate hieroglyphs, Ancient Egypt has left an indelible mark on history. The civilization of Ancient Egypt lasted for more than 3000 years, longer than any other civilisation known to us. Although we are talking about a period that began more than 5000 years ago, we know a great deal about ancient Egypt.
Map of Ancient Egypt showing major cities and the Nile River.
The Lifeline: The Nile River
The civilization of Ancient Egypt was built in northeast Africa, alongside one of the most famous rivers in the world: the Nile River. Geography was essential to Egyptian civilization. Ancient Egypt was built next to the Nile River. Ancient life depended on the waters of the River Nile. The Nile gave the civilization of Egypt its life.
The Nile flows right through to the Mediterranean Sea and it does this for 960 miles (1545 km). The Nile rises from the lakes of central Africa as the White Nile and from the mountains of Ethiopia as the Blue Nile. The two rivers meet and flow together northward to the Nile Delta. Then the river melts into the Mediterranean Sea.
Most of the money and wealth that the ancient Egyptians built was because of the Nile River and the many skills they learned from it. Egyptian people had to learn to become experts in irrigation by taking water from the Nile and using to grow crops that could be sold. Great Egyptian cities were built because of this and the Nile was used for water as well as many other things like food, soil and to transport both the crops and Egyptian people. Every year there would be great floods along the Nile River and this would dig up fertile soil from the river bed which was very useful for growing food.
Read also: The Language of the Pharaohs
Kingdoms and Intermediate Periods
Many historians group the history of Ancient Egypt into three major kingdoms: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. You might be wondering about the time in between these Kingdoms. These were called intermediate periods and were times of decline and chaos for the civilization.
- The Old Kingdom: Lasted from around 2649 BC to 2150 BC.
- The Middle Kingdom: Came from around 2030 BC to 1640 BC.
- The New Kingdom: Spanned from about 1550 BC to 1070 BC.
Egyptologists, people who study Ancient Egypt, divide up the Egyptian civilization into four parts:
- The Old Kingdom
- The Middle Kingdom
- The New Kingdom
- The Late Period
Each of these parts is separated by intervals of changes and instability.
Here is a summary of the major periods in Ancient Egyptian history:
| Period | Approximate Dates | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic Period | ca 3100 B.C. to ca 2575 B.C. | Early pharaohs worked to keep the two lands under their control. |
| Old Kingdom | ca 2575 B.C. to ca 2150 B.C. | Age of the Pyramids, pharaohs associated with the sun god Ra. |
| First Intermediate Period | ca 2130 B.C. to ca 1938 B.C. | Local leaders took control due to drought. |
| Middle Kingdom | ca 1938 B.C. to ca 1630 B.C. | Reunification of the country, great art produced. |
| Second Intermediate Period | ca 1630 B.C. to ca 1540 B.C. | Weak pharaohs, Hyksos ruled in the north. |
| New Kingdom | ca 1540 B.C. to 1075 B.C. | Most prosperous and powerful period, well-known rulers like Hatshepsut and Ramses II. |
| Third Intermediate Period | ca 1075 B.C. to ca 656 B.C. | Time of drought, famine, and foreign invasions. |
| Macedonian and Ptolemaic Egypt | 332 B.C. to 30 B.C. | Alexander the Great conquered the ruling Persians, then gave control to the Greek general Ptolemy I Soter. |
Egyptian Culture
Ancient Egypt is well known for its rich and diverse culture that extended to religion, writing, arts and even the government. Religion and the government were closely tied because the Pharaoh was both the leader of the government and the leader of the religion - because they were considered to be gods. Writing was very important to the government of Ancient Egypt and only certain people, called scribes could read and write and they were considered to be very powerful.
Read also: Pharaohs: A detailed look
Example of Egyptian hieroglyphs, a complex writing system.
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: Historians think that division and multiplication were first developed by these people. This was also one of the first civilizations to have a written language using a system called hieroglyphic writing, in which symbols-not letters-represent words or sounds.
Many things like metal work, paper making and amazing architecture all came from the Egyptians.
Great pyramid of Giza : A Wonder of the Ancient World
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
Egypt is a dry, hot desert country and ancient life depended on the waters of the River Nile. The Nile was used for water to irrigate the fields and the main means of travelling and of transporting goods. Only the land on the banks of the Nile could be cultivated to support life. The rest of Egypt was, and is, desert.
Most people in ancient Egypt were farmers. They lived with their families in houses made of mud bricks that were near the Nile River. The Nile flooded each year, leaving behind fertile soil for planting crops like wheat, barley, lettuce, flax, and papyrus. As the Egyptians learned how to move river water to their fields, they were able to grow more food, including grapes, apricots, olives, and beans.
Read also: The Art of Ancient Egypt
Villages and towns were situated near the Nile River because it was the chief highway as well as the only source of water. The houses were made of mud brick. Windows were small, high openings covered with loosely woven matting to keep out the heat and glare of the sun. The walls were decorated with bright frescoes. Straw matting and rugs covered the floors.
Wall paintings are an especially rich source of information about how the common people lived with their children, hunted and farmed, raised animals, and performed daily tasks. The clothing, jewelery, and hair styles of all classes of people can be clearly seen. Egyptians were fond of perfumes and cosmetics. Both men and women wore a kind of green eyeshadow and outlined their eyes with a black substance called kohl. Women also applied color to their lips and nails. Vessels to hold cosmetics and the tools needed to grind them were included in tombs for use in the afterlife.
Food and diet were important aspects of daily life. The crops and vegetables meant that even the poorer Egyptians usually ate a balanced diet. The staple food was bread from grain. They grew onions and leeks and salad vegetables. They grew beans and dried them so that they could be cooked and eaten throughout the year. They grew fruit such as figs and pomegranates. They caught fish from the Nile. They kept cattle. They made beer from barley and richer people drank wine made from grapes.
A food offering depicted in the tomb of Nakht.
Religion and Mythology
The ancient Egyptians were plytheastic. This means they believed in many gods and goddesses, much like the Greeks and Romans. Gods were thought to offer protection to the people. Some would take care of them when they die, others controlled the weather and would generally help the people if they were worshipped.
Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, except for the reign of Akhenaton. They had many gods and goddesses, some with only a local cult. Some gods were humans with animal heads and bodies.
Some Figures of Egyptian Mythology:
- 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
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.
Commonly worshiped Egyptian Gods.
The End of the Empire
The Empire of Ancient Egypt started to become weak somewhere around 700 BC. The Empire was the conquered by a number of other civilizations. The Assyrian Empire were the first to conquer Ancient Egypt, then about 100 years or so later, the Persian Empire also conquered them. Alexander the Great of Greece also conquered Egypt in 332 BC and set up his own ruling family, the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Finally, the Romans came to Egypt in 30 BC and conquered it to make it a province of Rome.
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