Ancient Egypt

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Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
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Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Egypt lasted for 3500 years
• Stability was goal and change slow and cautious
• Religion was instrumental to stability of Egypt
  (life, death, afterlife)

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The Nile the SOUL of Ancient Egypt

• Nile was the source of life and path to
  immortality
• Egyptians lived on Eastern side but buried on
  Western side
• River was symbol of passage of one life to next
  (eternity)

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Populated Areas

• There were three main areas that were populated
  in Egypt
• 1. The Nile Valley
• sole source of water for Egypt
• Predictable flooding provided rich fertile soil
• Both revered and feared (too much flooding or
  droughts)
• The Nile Delta
• Area were Nile empties into Mediterranean Sea
• Largest piece of fertile land
• Encompassed major centres of Egypt
• Faiyum
• Lake Moeris lies at end of branch of Nile is
  centre of oasis called Faiyum
• Irrigation from Nile made Faiyum the third most
  populated land

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Geographic Effects

• Fertile soil
• deserts provided protection and shelter from
  outside influences
• Access to Mediterranean increased and expanded
  trade and culture
• culture was one of stability and not rapid change
• Deserts were an important source of minerals and
  building supplies (copper, tin, gold and natron,
  the drying agent used in mummification)

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Geography

• Highlights of Ancient Egyptian History
• UNIFICATION OF EGYPT King Menes unites Upper
  and Lower Egypt and wears double crown in 3100
  BCE. Following Menes came 31 dynasties over 3000
  years.
• AGE OF PYRAMIDS Era of the Old Kingdom (2690
  BCE), Pharaohs were absolute rulers and viewed as
  a god holding absolute secular and religious
  power. Stone monuments were embodiment of
  Pharaoh's power and a medium of immortality.
  Pyramids evolved from mastabas, then Step
  Pyramids, most known are Pyramids at Giza
  (2600-2500 BCE)
• IMHOTEP Priest and Vizier, not a ruler, but
  revered and his life was recorded (architect,
  medicine, right hand to Pharaoh Djoser (2686-2613
  BCE)
• NATIONAL GOD AMON-RE Middle Kingdom Under
  Theban Kings (south), the Theban god Amon
  merged with sun god Re which became Egyptian
  national god Amon-Re
• EXODUS under the leadership of Moses, Hebrew
  slaves under the rule of Ramses II leave Egypt in
  mass migration called Exodus (end of 13th century
  BCE). Moses receives the 10 Commandments at
  Mount Sinai but never finds the Promised Land

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• Pharaohs
• 1470 BCE Reign of Hatsheput (one of four female
  Kings)
• 1350 BCE Reign of Akhenaton (Wanted to change
  religious beliefs to monotheism)
• 1334 BCE Reign of Tutankhamun (Religious
  revolution is reversed)
• 1297 BCE - Reign of Ramses II. had over 200
  wives and concubines, approximately 90 sons and
  60 daughters and reigned over 67 years. His
  reign saw massive building projects in Egypt.
  The Exodus of Jews from Egypt also occurred
  during his reign.
• 525 BCE Persians conquer Egypt
• 332 BCE Alexander the Great defeats the
  Persians and considered savior of Egypt
• 50 BCE Cleopatra VII is crowned Queen of Egypt
• 30 BCE Egypt becomes part of Roman Empire after
  death of Cleopatra VII and Mark Anthony

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Politics

• How did Pharaoh's rule?
• absolute rulers of the land
• believed to be the earthly embodiment of the god
  Horus who was the son of Amon-Re
• Therefore they had the divine right to rule
• This allowed them to move between god and their
  people
• People followed their orders because they
  believed they were from god
• No one would challenge the Kings authority and
  he could rule in relative peace

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• Maat was the goddess and symbol of equilibrium
  of the universe and the king had to rule
  according to her principles
• The throne passed on to eldest son of Principal
  Queen who was usually the eldest daughter of the
  previous king therefore the kings sister
• Pharaohs owned all the land they had a
  hierarchy of government officials to help him
  rule
• Second to the Pharaohs were the scribes who would
  record the doings of the Pharaoh

MAAT-symbol of the equilibrium of the universe
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Religion
Atum

• The Egyptians were deeply religious people
• religious roots were in the worship of nature
  deities their first gods were in animal forms
• Those responsible for creation were the most
  important gods (Atum is the creator God)
• They later developed national gods around the
  Middle Kingdom (Amon- local god of Thebes gods
  of Dead Osiris, Anubis, Horus and Thoth)

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Afterlife

• Life and death was measured in accordance to
  Maat
• Death viewed as a new beginning
• Afterlife common to all, regardless of social
  status (preparation varied as well as goods
  stored in tombs)
• 2 Common Principles 1) body preservation in a
  lifelike form2) the deceased must have items
  necessary for life in the afterworld
• Personal belongings were usually placed in the
  tomb to make the Ka more at home and to assist
  the dead in their journey into the afterlife.
• Text was read from the 'Book of the Dead' which
  was a collection of spells, charms, passwords,
  numbers and magical formulas for the use of the
  deceased in the afterlife.

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• This scene depicts what occurs after a person has
  died, according to the ancient Egyptians.
• panel of 14 judges
• ankh, the key of life
• Weighing of the heart vs Maat
• Judgment of scale
• record of the outcome

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Mummification

• Mummification focused on Egyptian belief of the
  importance of preserving the body
• Afterlife would be spent enjoying best of life
  experiences
• Body covered with natron and dried for up to 70
  days
• Body wrapped in linen coated with resins and oils
• Middle Kingdom became customary to place a mask
  over the face

• Removal of organs (lungs, stomach, intestines,
  liver) in Canopic Jars were closed with stoppers
  fashioned in the shape of four heads -- human,
  baboon, falcon, and jackal - representing the
  four protective spirits called the Four Sons of
  Horus.
• brain was sucked out of the cranial cavity and
  thrown away because the Egyptian's thought it was
  useless.

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Hieroglyphics
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• History of Writing 1) pictograms (sun sun)
  2) ideograms (sun sun, daylight, warmth,
  light)3) phonograms symbols that suggest a
  particular sound related ideas and also sound
  (Sun sun, son, Sunday)
• Each hieroglyph found in pyramids and tombs often
  symbolized more than one consonant. Not only
  that, but actual Egyptian hieroglyphs were a
  combination of sound-signs, pictograms, and
  ideograms.

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• New Kingdom 700 hieroglyphs in common usage,
  while rest were phonograms
• 100 were strictly visual, while rest were
  phonograms
• Eventually scribes adapted hieroglyphic symbols
• By 700 BCE, script was refined to the demotic (or
  popular script) was used for secular matters such
  as letters, accounts and record keeping

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Rosetta Stone

• What is the Rosetta Stone?
• The Rosetta Stone is a stone with writing on it
  in two languages (Egyptian and Greek), using
  three scripts (hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek).
  It was carved in 196 BCE.
• Why is it in three different scripts?
• The Rosetta Stone is written in three scripts
  (hieroglyphs for religious documents demotic-
  common script of Egypt Greek- language of the
  rulers of Egypt at that time)
• The Rosetta Stone was written in all three
  scripts so that the priests, government officials
  and rulers of Egypt could read what it said.
• When was the Rosetta Stone found?
• The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 by French
  soldiers who were rebuilding a fort in Egypt (in
  a small village in Delta called Rosetta (Rashid)
• What does the Rosetta Stone say?
• The Rosetta Stone is a text written by a group of
  priests in Egypt to honour the Egyptian pharaoh.
  It lists all of the things that the pharaoh had
  done that were good for the priests and the
  people of Egypt.

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Art

• In Egyptian art, the translation of information
  was more
• important than realism. In creating Egyptian wall
  art,
• several rules must be followed.
• Rule 1 Profile Head in profile. Side view of
  eye and eyebrow. Eye never looks straight ahead
• Rule 2 Colour Men painted in red ochre. Women
  painted in yellow ochre
• Rule 3 Stance Hips have a three-quarter turn.
  Chest and shoulders shown at their full width.
  Both feet, legs, arms and hands must be shown
• Rule 4 Scale Size of figures reflects social
  status. Men are larger than women of equal
  status. Wives and children often in crouching
  position, with arms around the calves of the
  father
• Rule 5 Proportions Hands and feet are often
  large compared to the rest of the body

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Legal Traditions

• Law was governed by religious principle of Maat
• Represented truth, righteousness and justice
  balance and order
• Laws were applied equally to all classes,
  specifically protected the family (children and
  wives)
• Punishments could be quite severe (minor crimes
  had 100 lashed rapist were castrated corrupt
  officials had their hands amputated crimes that
  resulted in a death sentence could have choice
  devoured by a crocodile, suicide, burning alive)

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Social Roles

• Role of Men
• Head of the family
• Men could have numerous wives but economically
  men had only 1 wife
• Labourers, craftsmen
• Jobs were hereditary
• Jobs
• Labour required for construction projects and was
  mostly filled by poor, serfs
• Stability of Egypt thrived as skilled trades
  were passed from father to son
• Children always learned the trade from parents
  seldom could choose occupation

• Role of Women
• Well treated and had considerable legal
  rightscompared to other civilizations
• Same legal rights as men (land, property,
  divorce)
• Left women to be economically independent
• Primary role was in domestic life
• Common title for a married women in ancient Egypt
  was nebet per meaning the lady of the house
• Bear and raise children

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Education

• Contributed to stability and continuity of Egypt
• All children, regardless of social class,
  received some education
• Followed a moral and ethical guide
• Goal for education was to ensure youth exhibited
  self control and good manners
• At 14, young boys followed fathers in jobs, and
  girls learned from mothers in the household
• Children of priests were schooled more formally
• Literacy was stressed for government jobs
• Education respected for creating a well rounded
  individual

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Map of Ancient Trade Routes From Mesopotamia to
Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea
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Economy

• Wealth
• Agriculture made up most of Egypts wealth
  grain, vegetables, fruit, cattle, goats, pigs and
  fowl
• Abundance of food supplies (not royal treasury)
  was the measure of Egypts wealth full
  granaries, plenty of wildlife and fish, and
  thriving herds were the signs of prosperous
  times. These were the images used in the tombs
  of the Pharoahs to illustrate the wealth of their
  reigns
• Economy
• Simple economy based on food production and
  minerals from desert
• Prosperity and stability were dependent on
  abundant harvests and ability to manage food
  supplies
• Because of their access to the Mediterranean
  their routes extended as far as Northern Europe,
  subtropical Africa and the Near East
• Trading was done by bartering goods
• Taxes, salaries and loans were all paid entirely
  on goods
• Grain, oil and wheat were used as the base of the
  bartering system
• The extensive trading made Egypt a powerful
  influence on culture, art, ideas and technology
  with the other areas
• For example our current calendar was taken from
  the Romans who had borrowed it from the Egyptians
• Trade eventually grew and expanded, bringing new
  ideas and goods into Egyptian society