Ancient Egypt: Nile, Pharaohs, and Civilization
Egypt and the Nile
Like the people of Mesopotamia, Egyptians depended on the rivers for their prosperity. The Nile was essential; without it, the civilization of Ancient Egypt could not have existed. It was easy to grow crops in the fertile soil by the riverbank. People planted barley and wheat to make beer and bread, as well as flax, from which they made linen for cloths. Once the crops were growing, the Egyptians were able to water the soil by digging irrigation channels from the Nile. The Egyptians were skilled in engineering and built special ‘Nilometers’ to measure the height of floodwaters in July to determine how much water they could use. Plowing began in October. The surrounding deserts and sea kept Egypt safe from attack.
The Pharaoh and the Government
The king of Egypt, called the Pharaoh, was all-powerful. In fact, he was considered a god by the Egyptians and had his own temple. He was the High Priest, the chief judge, and the commander-in-chief of the army. A large number of scribes (civil servants) appointed by the king ran the government. They managed the treasury, the foreign office, and the public records, visiting each farm to estimate the crop, count the animals, and collect taxes. Many ordinary Egyptians had to work for the Pharaoh, building huge palaces and temples, as well as working in the fields. Many people worked on the lands as farmers. There were also fishermen, boat owners moving goods up and down the Nile, craftsmen, and slaves. The slaves were people who had no rights and were used by the Pharaoh for building great monuments, working in copper mines, or as soldiers in the army.
Egyptian History
Egyptian history is divided into three long periods:
- The Old Empire (3100-2200 BC): The pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure are remembered for building the great pyramids.
- The Middle Empire (2100-1800 BC): The pharaohs conquered lands in Nubia (South Egypt).
- The New Empire (1600-1100 BC): The pharaohs Tutankhamun and Ramses II are important as they extended the empire through the East (Palestine and Syria).
Religion and the Afterlife
The Egyptians were very religious and believed that gods played a significant part in their lives. They also believed in life after death and thought that the dead person made a journey to the next world and continued to live a similar life there. To aid in this journey, the Egyptians tried to preserve the body of the dead person through a special technique called mummification. Tombs also contained personal objects from the dead person’s life.
Egyptian Writing
The Egyptians developed their own system of writing. They wrote on papyrus, which was made from the papyrus reeds that grew along the banks of the Nile. Hieroglyphics consisted of over 700 symbols and pictures to express ideas rather than words and were used for sacred writings.
Culture, Art, and Architecture
The Egyptians developed surgery and geometry. Monumental works were built on a grand scale, unmatched even in classical Greece and Rome. Pyramids and temples were built of stone cut from quarries.
Pyramids
When a pharaoh died, his body was embalmed and buried in a rich tomb. The mummies were surrounded by the things they believed they needed for their journey to the afterlife.
Temples
We know much about everyday life in ancient Egypt from the engravings and reliefs found on temple walls and pillars. The temples of Karnak and Luxor in Thebes, and Abu Simbel (South Egypt) are very famous. The Egyptians created many fine works of art, such as wall paintings, statues, pottery, and jewelry.