EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION References: World History: Patterns of Interaction and Panapanahon Kasaysayan ng Daigdig

Egyptian Civilization’s highlights  Farming  Creation of Jewelries and pots  Economics

Farming

 Farming in Egypt was very essential because it provided people food.  Ancient Egyptian farmers usually planted barley, wheat, and vegetables in the area near the Nile River.  The Nile River, the longest river in the world, provided water for Egyptian farmers.

Egypt as the Gift of the Nile

 July- rainy season in east central Africa.  In this month, Nile River normally rises and spills over its banks- leaving behind a fertile strip of land around October.  The rising and spilling over of the Nile River actually remarks the start of a productive farming and harvest.

Nile River  The phrase: Egypt the Gift of the Nile is coined by ancient Greek historian, Herodotus  Egyptians valued the Nile River for its use in making their lands fertile.  Because of the river’s significant role in the lives of Egyptian people, the latter regarded the former as a god. In fact, Egyptians worshipped it as a god of life.

Nile River

 The Nile River was also instrumental in the Egyptian Trade.  Some of the objects Egypt had imported were cedar (Phoenicia and Lebanon), Ostrich feathers and gold (Ethiopia).

Egyptian Trade and the Exchange of Cultures  3,200 BC Egypt and Mesopotamia were trade partners. Egyptians were in search of GOLD, IVORY, CATTLE, and GRANITE BLOCKS for their massive temples and tombs. Mesopotamia apparently had an abundant supply of such materials. Other than this kind of exchange, Egypt and Mesopotamia shared ideas with each other as well. Some ideas of Mesopotamia in the early development of cities were borrowed by the Egyptians.  System of writing is an example. (Sumer: Cuneiform) However, Mesopotamian influence over the Egyptians didn’t last long.

Union of Egypt as a Kingdom  Firstly, let’s identify the four social classes which emerged in the ancient Egyptian civilization:  Nobility  Soldiers/Warriors  Common people  Slaves

 500 BC (even earlier, as suggested by other scholars) Egypt was composed of many farming villages.  And each farming village had its own rituals, gods, and chieftain.  3,200 BC the villages of Egypt were under the rule of two separate kingdoms- the Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.

 One distinction between the two Egyptian kingdoms is the crown of their respective kings. Lower Egypt King wore red crown Upper Egypt King wore a tall white crown shaped like a bowling pin.

Who is Menes?

 Menes – pronounced as MEE-neez, is a strong-willed of Upper Egypt who’s said to have united all of Egypt.  The double crown, from the red and white crowns, became suymbol for his united kingdom.  His capital was found in Memphis and was said to have started the Egyptian dynasty.  This would consist of 31 dynasties and span over 2,600 years.

PHARAOHS

Pharaoh  Hari ng Ehipto  Pharaohs were, to Egyptians, gods-as splendid and powerful as the gods of heavens.  Not only did he serve as the head of government, the Pharaoh also headed religion, army, and justice.  THEOCRACY- in this type of government, the ruler is being thought of as a divine figure as well.  Egyptians believed that the pharaoh bore full responsibility for the kingdom’s well being.  Said to have caused the sun to rise, the Nile to flood, and the crops to grow.

Assignment #1 Egyptian Kings  Is Menes a fictional king of the united Egypt? Explain your answer in 3-5 sentences.  Who are Snefru and Khufu/ Cheops?  Menkaure?  Amenemhet III?  Hyksos Period?  Ahmose?  Thutmose?  Hatshepsut?  Thutmose III?  Amenhotep IV?

Pyramids  This immense structure served as the “resting place after death”.  Egyptians believed that their king ruled even after his death.  Ka (kah)- is the eternal spirit of the pharaoh which continued to take part in the governing of Egypt.

The Great Pyramid of Giza  It is the largest of all Egyptian pyramids.  It includes the following:  King’s chamber  Airshaft  Grand gallery  Queen’s chamber  Ascending passage  Escape passage  And an unfinished chamber

 The pyramids are very impressive that many people from around the globe come and witness their majestic beauty.  Who were the pyramid builders?  The ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, claimed that the pharaohs worked an army of laborers to death.  Some scholars would refute his claim, stating that it was actually the peasants who provided most of the labor.  In return of their service, the country provided the workers with food and housing during this period.

Egyptian Culture  POLYTHEISTIC  Belief in many gods. Ra Sun god Horus God of Light

 Iris was also an important Egyptian goddess. She was regarded as the ideal mother and wife.  Osiris, on the other hand, was known as the powerful god of the dead.

Osiris, Judge of Dead’s deeds  Test for purity and truth Osiris Heart Eternal LifeSouls devoured (Heart must be no heavier than a feather)

Mummification

 It is the Egyptians’ way of preserving a dead person’s body.  Egyptians would normally embalm and dry the corpse to prevent it from decaying.  Why do you think Egyptians mummified their dead?

Herodotus’ description of mummifying the dead  1 st – Drawing out of the brains through the nostrils with an iron hook.  2 nd – Using sharp stone, they would cut a side of the body and take out all the bowels.  3 rd - Fill the body with pure myrrh, cassia, and other perfumes.  4 th - sewing up of the body.  5 th - steep the dead body in natron (mineral salt), leaving it for 70 days  6 th and last- Wash the corpse and wrap the whole body in bandages of waxen cloth BOOK OF THE DEAD- is a collection of texts which contained declaration intended to prove the soul was mostly of eternal life.

HIEROGLYPHICS  Term from the Greek words hieros and gluphe meaning “sacred carving.”  Crude pictographs- earliest form of writing in Egypt, but scribes quickly developed a more flexible writing system.  Hierogyliphics Stone and clay Stalks of papyrus reed (which were abundant in Nile)

Assignment #2  What is the significance of the Rosetta Stone in the early Egyptian civilization?