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EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION 3000 B.C. – 30 B.C.

C8 - Egyptian Civilization

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Page 1: C8 - Egyptian Civilization

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

3000 B.C. – 30 B.C.

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Origin Government Society Religion Language and Writing Mathematics Astronomy Medicine Technology

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Origin

One of the world’s longest civilizations in history.

A “river civilization” like Mesopotamian. Concentrated along the middle and lower

reaches of the Nile River. At different times, extended to the

southern Levant, the Eastern desert, the Red Sea coastline, the Sinai Peninsula and the Western desert.

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Origin

The importance of the Nile - Egypt is known as the “gift of the Nile”.

The annual flooding of the Nile – fertile Nile valley.

The Nile also a unifying factor in Egyptian history.

As a major means for transportation and communication.

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Origin

Ancient Egyptians – a merging of north and East African as well as Southwest Asian peoples.

“Punt” or “Ta Neteru” (Land of the Gods) – Eritrea and Ethiopian Highlands.

Originally populated by tribes led by tribal chieftains.

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Government

Egypt was divided into two: Upper Egypt (Ta Shemau) Lower Egypt (Ta Mehu)

The history of ancient Egypt proper started around 3000 BC – Egypt as a unified state.

Centralized system of government. Menes, unified Upper and Lower Egypt,

was the first king.

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Government3 major periods in Egyptian history: Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BC) Middle Kingdom (2050 – 1652 BC) New Kingdom (1567 – 1085 BC)

These were periods of long term stability, strong monarchical authority, competent bureaucracy, freedom of invasion, much construction of temples and pyramids and intellectual and cultural activity.

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Government

In between these periods, intermediate periods.

Political chaos, foreign invasions, and a decline in building activity.

The Old Kingdom – the age of prosperity and splendor.

The construction of greatest and largest pyramids in Egyptian history.

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Government

The New Kingdom – the “golden age” of ancient Egypt. Egypt was the most powerful state in the ancient Near East.

Kingship – divine institution. The title of Egyptian king – “pharaoh”

(“great house” or “great palace”) was the most common.

All Egyptian kings, considered themselves as “King of Upper and Lower Egypt”.

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Government King had absolute power, yet to rule

according to a set of principles “Ma’at”. Ma’at – a spiritual concept; the idea of

truth and justice, right order and harmony, Egypt’s status vis-a vis foreigners.

The pharaoh – to maintain the order and harmony.

Pharaoh Ahmose I, Thutmosis III, Amenhotep, Amenhotep III, Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), Tutankhamon, Rameses II.

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Government

Centralized administration – the pharaoh ruled with massive bureaucracy (e.g. vizier).

Egypt was divided into nomes (provinces), ruled by nomarch (governors).

Collection of taxes. Scribes – to keep records. Craftsmen –

royal palaces / royal ceremonies. State-controlled workers – daily rations of

food and work.

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Government

Factors that helped the unification of ancient Egypt:

1. Divine kingship. 2. Writing system. 3. The building of pyramids. 4. River Nile.

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Society

KING

NOBLES & PRIESTS

MERCHANTS & ARTISANS

PEASANTS

SERFS

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Society

Women – equal legal rights with men. Their property and inheritance remained

in their hands after marriage. Upper class women - as priestesses and

a few queen as pharaoh. E.g. Hatshepsut was addressed as ‘His

Majesty’.

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Religion

Polytheism – the worship of gods and goddesses.

Respected and revered animals. E.g. cats (miw).

The temple – the center of Egyptian settlements; as town hall, college, library, for religious functions.

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Religion

Primary gods: Aton / Atum (Re) – the sun god, creator

of universe.(the pharaoh was the ‘son of Re’)

Anubis (Anpu), Bastet (Bast), Sekhmet, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Hathor, Nephythes, Khepri, Selkis, Edjo, etc.

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Religion

Influential priesthood – Re (Heliapolis), Ptah (Memphis), and Amon Re (Thebes).

Religious reform by Amenhotep IV – the worship of Aton, god of the sun – as the chief god.

Changed name to Akhenaton, closed temples of other gods, moved the capital from Thebes to El-Amarna.

The reform failed – abandoned after his death.

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Language and Writing

An-independent branch of the Afro-Asiatic language – closely related to Berber and Semitic languages.

Six stages: 1. Archaic Egyptian (before 3000 BC) 2. Old Egyptian (3000 – 2000 BC) 3. Middle Egyptian (2000 – 1300 BC) 4. Late Egyptian (1300 - 700 BC) 5. Demotic Egyptian (700 BC – 400 AD) 6. Coptic (300 – 1800 AD)

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Language and Writing

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Language and Writing

Hieroglyphs – the world’s earliest known writing system - partly syllabic and partly ideographic.

Hieratic – a cursive form of hieroglyphs. Demotic – of the late Egyptian stage.

“Hieroglyphs” – coined by Greeks to mean “priest-carvings” or “sacred writing”.

Usually found in temples and tombs – part of the religious functions and rituals.

Carved on stone, wooden tablets, written on papyrus.

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Language and Writing

2700 BC, Egyptians used pictograms to represent vocal sounds (vowel & consonant).

By 2000 BC, used 26 pictograms to represent 24 main vocal sounds – the world’s oldest known alphabet.

Ancient Egyptian literature, ‘Wisdom Text’ – sound advice based on traditions and worldly experience.

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Mathematics

Calculated numbers based on the power of 10.

Used simple arithmetic of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division.

Used fractions and special signs for two-thirds, three-quarters, four-fifths and five-sixths.

Geometry. Used the skills to outline pyramid bases.

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Astronomy

Own calendar (lunar months) – based on a year of 365 days, 12 months, 30 days each month, and three seasons.

The three seasons corresponded to the cycle of the Nile river and crop harvest.

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Medicine Had a highly advanced medical practice for

their time. Knowledge of anatomy and human body –

surgery, mummification and setting of bones.

The first to use splints, bandages, compresses and other surgical appliances.

Had knowledge of pharmacopoeia; herbs e.g. aloe vera, garlic, and honey.

Also used animal dung, lizard blood, swine teeth.

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Engineering

Pyramids, mastabas, sphinx, temples, palaces and obelisk.

Pyramids began during the Old Kingdom – ‘the Great Pyramid of Cheops’ – the largest of the three at Giza.

As tombs for deceased kings – to aid the spirit (ka) to ascend to heaven.

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Engineering

Mastabas – tombs surround the pyramids for deceased courtiers and families of the kings.

Temples e.g. Karnak and Luxor Temples.

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Technology Invented hydraulic cement. Brick-making – mixture of mud, sand, straw

and water. Papyrus – writing material. AL-Fayyum Irrigation – the use of the

natural lake of the Fayyum as a reservoir to store surpluses of water.

Glass-making – glass beads, jars, ornaments, etc.