Egyptian Civilization

INTRODUCTION
Originally called Kamet after the black soil which was located there. Later named Egypt by Greeks. As early as 5000 years ago man began to settle in Nile valley. Leaders united these early peoples to kingdoms. By 4000 BCE two main kingdoms dominated: Upper- Southern Egypt Lower- Northern Egypt.

GOVERNMENT and RELIGION were inseparable in ancient Egypt. The PHARAOH was the head of State and the divine representative of the gods on earth. Religion and government brought order to society through: The construction of TEMPLES The creation of LAWS TAXATION The ORGANIZATION OF LABOR TRADE with neighbors The DEFENCE of the countrys interests.

Ancient Egypt achieved stability through the cooperation of all levels of the population. The PHAROAH was at the top of the social hierarchy. Next to him, the most powerful officers were the VIZIERS, the executive heads of the bureaucracy.

Under them were the HIGH PRIESTS, followed by ROYAL OVERSEERS (administrators) who ensured that the 42 DISTRICT GOVERNORS carried out the pharaoh's orders.
At the bottom of the hierarchy were the SCRIBES, ARTISANS, FARMERS, and LABORERS.

ROYAL WOMEN: Royal mothers, wives, and daughters derived their status from their relationship with the king. Kings had MANY WIVES and royal families were large. To keep the royal bloodline pure, kings often MARRIED within their family, a SISTER or half sister, for example. Not all the pharaohs were men. Before the Graeco-Roman period, at least three WOMEN ascended the throne, the most important being Queen HATSHEPSUT.

The word HIEROGLYPH literally means "sacred carvings". The Egyptians first used hieroglyphs for inscriptions carved or painted on temple walls. This form of PICTORIAL WRITING was also used on: Tombs Sheets of papyrus Wooden boards covered with a stucco wash Potsherds Fragments of limestone.

Be a scribe. It will save you from toil and protect you from every kind of work. It will spare you from bearing hoe and mattock, so that you will not have to carry a basket. It will keep you from plying the oar and spare you all manner of hardships.
-- Excerpt from a text used in the New Kingdom for the instruction of scribes.

RELIGION is the glue that binds local communities together and transforms them into nations. It creates common understandings and shared values that are essential to the growth of a civilization.

Entering a Temple

The ancient Egyptians believed in the RESURRECTION OF THE BODY and life everlasting.

As long as order was maintained, everything was highly dependable and life after death could be achieved. But there were certain conditions.
For example, the body had to be preserved through MUMMIFICATION and given a properly furnished tomb with everything needed for life in the afterworld.

MATERIALS USED IN MUMMIFICATION: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Linen Sawdust Lichen Beeswax Resin 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Natron Onion Nile mud Linen pads Frankincense

GODS

Ra the sun god. He was the most important god of the ancient Egyptians.

Isis the protective goddess. She used powerful magic to help people in need.

Anubis the god of embalming and the dead.

Osiris god of the dead, and ruler of the underworld.

Seth the god of chaos.

Atum the creator god. Believed to be the first god to exist.

Sekhmet goddess of war.

Horus god of the sky. Protector of the pharaoh.

ARCHITECTURE: The ancient Egyptians built their pyramids, tombs, temples and palaces out of STONE, the most durable of all building materials. These building projects took a high degree of architectural and engineering SKILL, and the organization of a LARGE WORKFORCE consisting of highly trained craftsmen and laborers.

Apart from the pyramids, EGYPTIAN BUILDINGS were decorated with PAINTINGS, CARVED STONE IMAGES, HIEROGLYPHS, and THREE-DIMENSIONAL STATUES. The art tells the story of the pharaohs, the gods, the common people and the natural world of plants, birds and animals.

Zosers Step Pyramid

Built during the 3rd dynasty, Zosers architect, Imhotep, added steps above Zosers mastaba to create a step pyramid -- a stairway to the heavens.

One of the oldest mysteries surrounding ancient Egypt concerns the building of the PYRAMIDS. The Egyptians left thousands of illustrations depicting daily life in the Old Kingdom. The Great Pyramid, built for Pharaoh Khufu, contains over 2 million limestone blocks, each weighing roughly 2 tons! As the pyramids still stand today it is easy to see the ancient Egyptians knowledge in mathematics & geometry.

The diagram below shows the outside of the Great Pyramid.

The pyramids in front of the Great Pyramid were built for the Pharaohs Queens.

A temple was built in front of the Great Pyramid to allow daily rituals, and where offerings were left.

The buildings surrounding the pyramid are called MASTABAS, which were tombs that held nobles.

The Great Sphinx is a large human-headed lion that was carved from a mound of natural rock. It is located in Giza where it guards the front of Khafras pyramid. Legends have been told for many years about the Great Sphinx. These stories tell about the powers & mysteries of the Sphinx. Some people believe that there are hidden passageways or rooms underneath, but nothing has been found. yet!

The Ramp Theory

One theory suggests that RAMPS were used to haul the stone blocks on wooden sleds up the side of the pyramids. The ramps were lubricated with water to reduce friction when hauling the blocks. May have been several ramps on each side of the pyramid at different levels.

The pyramids were probably NOT BUILT BY SLAVES because slave labor was not widely used in Egypt at the time. PEASANT FARMERS

Pouring water to lubricate the ramp

Pyramids did not stand alone; they were part of a FUNERARY COMPLEX. The complex includes a PROCESSIONAL CAUSEWAY that links a FUNERARY TEMPLE to the pyramid, SOLAR BARQUES buried on the four sides of the pyramid, and MASTABAS and smaller pyramids where the family of the king and nobles were buried

LIVESTOCK was important to the Egyptian economy, supplying meat, milk, hides, and dung for cooking fuel. A variety of DOMESTICATED ANIMALS were raised, including cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and geese. Peasants probably enjoyed meat on special occasions.. DRAFT ANIMALS such as oxen increased agricultural productivity. HERDSMEN and SHEPHERDS lived a semi-nomadic life, pasturing their animals in the marshes of the Nile.

Most HOUSES were made of BRICK. The banks of the Nile provided the mud used to make bricks. Brick makers collected MUD, added STRAW and WATER to it as needed, and stomped it with their feet until it reached the right consistency. The mixture was then placed in a MOLD. Once shaped, the bricks were removed from the mould and left on the ground to dry in the sun. Egyptian PEASANTS would have lived in SIMPLE MUD-BRICK HOMES containing only a few pieces of furniture: BEDS, STOOLS, BOXES and LOW TABLES.

CRAFTWORKERS lived in one- or two-storey FLAT-ROOFED DWELLINGS made of mud bricks. The walls and roof would have been covered with plaster and painted. Inside, there was a RECEPTION ROOM, a LIVING ROOM, BEDROOMS and a CELLAR in which food and beverages were stored. Food was prepared in an OUTDOOR KITCHEN equipped with a mud-brick oven. Stairs on the exterior of the house led to a ROOF-TOP TERRACE.

The HOMES OF THE WEALTHY were larger and more luxurious. Each bedroom had a PRIVATE BATHROOM, and the walls, columns and ceilings were painted with BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS inspired by nature. Elaborate and highly DECORATED FURNITURE included beds, chairs, boxes and tables. PAINTED CLAY POTS and vessels, as well as ALABASTER BOWLS AND JARS, were also found in the homes of the nobles.

WOMEN engaged in WEAVING, PERFUME MAKING, BAKING and NEEDLEWORK. Women of all classes COULD EARN WAGES, OWN PROPERTY and EMPLOY WORKERS, but their main role was within the family. The title most women had was "MISTRESS OF THE HOUSE". They were considered EQUAL WITH MEN BEFORE THE LAW, and could sue for damages and divorce.

MATHEMATICS: Although the Egyptians lacked the symbol for zero, they calculated numbers based on the DECIMAL and the repetitive (numbers based on the POWER OF 10). The following signs were used to represent numbers in the decimal system

10 100 1000 10,000 100,000 1,000,000

Numbers were usually written LEFT TO RIGHT, starting with the highest denominator. For example, in the number 2,525 the first number to appear on the left would be 2000, then 500, 20 and 5, as follows:

The Egyptians did not develop abstract mathematical formulas. They used the simple arithmetic of ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION

MEDICINE: The doctors of ancient Egypt combined MAGIC SPELLS with REMEDIES. If a person fell sick, the illness was thought to be caused by the wrath of the gods or by an evil spirit that had entered the body.

Both PRIESTS AND DOCTORS were called upon to heal the sick, combining their powers and skills to fix the problem.
Doctors found cures for many diseases and some of their concepts are still used today. They used CASTOR OIL as laxatives, TANNIC ACID from the acadia tree to heal burns, CORIANDER in a tea for stomach illnesses, and CUMMIN SEEDS on aching or arthritic joints and to calm a cough. They also made and used TOOLS FOR SURGICAL USE that are similar to the ones that we use today.