EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

Introduction
• History covers a period between 3100 BP to 322
• Egypt means- Gift of the Nile
• Civilization based on the Nile River (Greek –
Nelios)- River Valley
• Upper Egypt (Nile Valley) occupied settled people
between 3100- 1000BCE
• 1250 BCE Lower Egypt (Nubia) & upper Egypt
were rearing & grinding wild grains
• Between 510 – 400 BCE -Sheep, goats, pigs &
cereals
 The Nile Settlement
• Upper Egypt (Nile Valley) occupied settled people
between 3100- 1000BCE
• Settlement concentrated along the Nile:
– Gave unity
– Transport & communication
– Source of flesh water
– Filled marshes, shallow lakes & canals, papyrus
paper (writing)
– Home for birds & animals
• Nile Valley towards the delta fertile triangular area at
the mouth of the Nile
 Factors contributing to Egyptian
Civilization
• Self sufficiency of Egypt: Egypt possessed enormous
quantities of stones, which served as raw materials for:
– architecture & sculpture
– Clay-pottery
– Gold- Jewellary & ornaments
• Geographical location- Egypt was closed to the outside:
– To West of the Nile Valley- Desert (Nubian Desert)
– South-Cataracts of Nile discouraged penetration
– Opening-Only Mediterranean sea
 Economic activities
• 1250 BCE Lower Egypt (Nubia) & upper Egypt
were rearing & grinding wild grains
• Between 510 – 400 BCE agricultural practices
begun to be adopted-
– Sheep, goats, pigs & cereals
• Village grew to become little towns & attracted
more people e.g.. Nagada (4000-3500 BCE)
– Pottery & painting developed
• Until dams built in 1950- Nile flooded yearly
 Economic System
• Ancient Egyptians were agriculturalists
– Crops grown- wheat, barley, cotton, beans,
onions, lettuces, cucumbers, dates
– Animals- sheep, goats, camels, cats and oxen
• Practiced irrigation using water from the Nile by
Shadoof method
– Canals & dikes were built & water was raised from
the river into canal using buckets)
– Dykes- control flooding
 Factors contributing to Egyptian
Civilization
• Self sufficiency of Egypt: Egypt possessed enormous
quantities of stones, which served as raw materials for:
– architecture & sculpture
– Clay-pottery
– Gold- Jewels & ornaments
• Geographical location- Egypt was closed to the outside:
– To West of the Nile Valley- Desert (Nubian Desert)
– South-Cataracts of Nile discouraged penetration
– Opening-Only Mediterranean sea
 Economic System
• Ancient Egyptians were agriculturalists
– Crops grown- wheat, barley, cotton, beans,
onions, lettuces, cucumbers, dates
– Animals- sheep, goats, camels, cats and oxen
• Practiced irrigation using water from the Nile by
Shadoof method (canals & dikes were built &
water was raised from the river into canal
using buckets)
 Cont…….
• Other Economic Activities
– Mining
– Industries- glass-making, dyeing & stone
carving
– Trade- Nubia for gold, silver, copper, bronze
& iron)
 Social System
• Social structure was based on class
– The Pharaoh Pharaoh family & relatives
nobles, Priests, Scribes, Soldiers, Workers,
Peasants, Foreigners & Slaves
• Pharaoh
– Head of state & representative of god on
earth
– Owned the land, mineral, human & labour
– Strong Centralized government- to ensure
that the high officials did not amass political
&economic power
– Hereditary
 Cont…..
• Scribes
– Highest servants of the government
– Responsible for art of writing- Papyrus paper
– Planning the pyramids
– Inherited profession
• Foreigners- refugees or people deported
–Syrians, Phoenicians, Greeks
• Slaves-
– Paid taxes according to the proportion of
crops & animals
 Religion
• Most religious people
• Polytheists- worship of many gods (Gods represented
animals)
• Examples of gods
• Osiris (god of judgment)
• Osiri initially had been a good ruler and teacher of
agricultural arts and he had kept order
• His success had aroused the anger of Set, a
brother, who killed him and cut him to pieces
• AMun-Re (Chief god in charge of heavens)
• light, life and continued stability to the state
whose earthly representative was the king
 Cont……
– Horus
– Anubis (god of Mummification)
– Isis
– Khepri- God of creation
• Believed in life after death
– Embalming of the dead body (body was washed and
purified, body organs were removed and stored in a
jar and then preserved with natron for 40 days)
– Believed that the body had two parts the “ Ka” &
“Ba”
– The Ka was soul
– Ka”, the soul that was expected to return afterwards
and enjoy material comforts on earth
• Embalming and burial patterns depended on
individuals social status
• Focal point of political & religious life in Egypt
was the Pharaoh who commanded wealth,
resources and people
• Considered to be a falcon god, Horus in human
form
• Pharaoh was a living god on earth & became one
with Osiris after death
• Mediator between god and men
• Power that achieved integration between human
& gods, nature & society and ensured peace &
prosperity
 Political System: Government & Kingdom
• Period & Dynasty Dates (BCE)
• Early Dynasty(1-2) 3100 – 2700
• Old Kingdom (3-6) 2700- 2200
• Intermediate Pd (7-10) 2200 – 2050
• Middle Kingdom (11-12) 2050 – 1800
• Intermediate Pd (13-17) 1800 – 1570
• New Kingdom (18-20) 1570-1085
• Pd of decay & foreign 1085 - 322
domination
• Dynasties- families of kings
• Hereditary
• Consolidation had begun as early as 4000-
3500BCE
• Divided into small nomes-challenge to the unity
• Conflict (Valley & Delta) over the Nile and land
• Hence each needed to develop a strong leadership
for protection such as a leader was to fuse the
different “Nomes” or agricultural district as base
• Pharaoh was the official- King of upper and lower
• Nile influenced the way of life of the Egyptian life
– Strong government was needed to control the
irrigation system
• Unification- Alliance among, Pharaoh, priests and
temples
• Carry out the will of god-king- Egyptians
established an elaborate political system
 Early Dynasties
• Aha Menes (Narmer) of Thinis unified (UE)
3200
• Conquered his neighbors defeated the LE
• United the new region with new capital city of
Menes in UP (Modern Cairo)
• 1st Dynasty – Dynasty is a ruling family
• Unification- Alliance among, Pharaoh, priests and
temples
• Carry out the will of god-king- Egyptians
established an elaborate political system
• Pharaoh, chief administrative officer/Vizier (chief
judge, superintendent public works),
• Provincial administration- nomarchs
• Scribes
• 1st & 2nd lasted for 300yrs- two dynasties
helped establish a model of governance
– Religion
– And Social Organization
– Writing was developed- Hieroglyphics
– Craft and learning
• After the two dynasties, Egypt history
was divided into 3 chronological
segments-kingdoms
• (old, Middle and New)
 Old Kingdom
• Established by King Zoser
– Instituted royal absolute and grandiose structures
– 1st pyramids were built
– Power of Pharaoh was unlimited no separation
(politics & religion)- chief priest
– No standing army or national militia
 Old Kingdom
• Had a premier- Imhotep who as an architect,
physician, writer and priest
– Reputed to be founder of modern science
– Due to this Egyptians elevated him to a godlike
status
• Designed pyramids (architect)
• Started using bricks
• Weaved a society with no standing army and
maintain peace through avoiding quarrels hence
helped maintain a cohesive theocratic state
• 4th Dynasty- Snefru (2650) was imperialistic,
militaristic and extravagant
• Snefru- no royal blood and usurped power but
married into royalty hence the legitimate standing
• Invaded- Syria, Nubia, and made Egypt an imperial
power
• Inaugurate massive construction-gods, pyramids
and fortresses of defense
• Smaller pyramids fro queen and noble members
also existed
 5th & 6th Dynasty
• Imperialistic
• Madre contact with Somali coast (Punt) for
trading purposes
• 6th- Egyptian kings invaded Palestine under
General UNI and dynasty came to an end after
the death of Pepi II
• Characterized by chaos- declined as power and
many claimants to the throne Arose (7th
dynasty – 70 pharaohs in 70 days)
• Con: initially stable, progressive became
imperialistic and collapsed
 Reasons for collapse
• Shortage of money: grandiose pyramids,
fortresses and temples not correspondence to
national income
• Climatic change: change in climate which led to
crop failure
• Insubordination of governors who later usurped
power of the central government
• Rise of local war lords who destabilized the
government of Zoser which continued until
2050 when order was restored-11th dynasty
 Middle Kingdom (Golden/Classical
Age)
• Started 11th dynasty
• 12 dynasty marked the reduction of nobles through the
establishment of central government
» Create alliance with middles class thereby
undercutting the power of the nobles
» Alliance kept the nobility in check, laying
foundation for prosperity
• Bureaucratic officials, merchants, artisans and framers
were encouraged to advance thus helping revive the
economy,
• Achievements:
– Developed public works e.g. extensive drainage &
irrigation projects replaced building of pyramids
– Social justice and military intelligence
– Democratization of religion- emphasis on moral
conduct rather than ritual based on wealth
– Emphasize on good moral conduct and
opportunities open to all classes
• 12th dynasty was a period of prosperity
– Followed by chaos and created an opening for
foreign domination
– Nobles revolted against being reduced in status
which had incapacitated them
• 1n 1750- Hyksos (rulers of foreign land)
invaded Egypt from Asia
– Military advantage- bow, arrows, horses and war
chariots
– The division among the Egyptians made it easier for
Hyksos to conquer and put Egypt under foreign rule
– Forced Egyptians to unite against foreign tyranny,
taught Egyptians new war techniques
– Resistance begun in Thebes
 New Kingdom
• Period of more absolute rule, creation of
professional army
• Military power formed the basis of Pharaoh rule
• Ahmose I- defeated the Hyksos (enslaved them or
dead by 1560
• Founded the 18th dynasty- also new kingdom
• Cities of Thebes and Akhetatou became show case
for Egypt
• Egyptian became imperialistic and militaristic
invaded Palestine, Syria, and Nubia and demanded
tributes
 New Kingdom
• Increased trade during his era to Asia, Europe and
Africa
• Politically the 18th c dynasty (New Kingdom) was
marked by rise of three rulers
• Politically the 18th c dynasty (New Kingdom) was
marked by rise of three rulers
•Queen Hatshepsut
•Thutmose III
•Amunhotep III
• Achievements Queen Hatshepsut
• She was regent of her stepson, crowned herself
Queen claming to be the son of god Amun
• Ruled for two decades
• Sent ships to Punt for incense
• Picked wise advisers and generals to conquer land
• Erected monuments and temples for god-Amun
• Succeed by stepson Thutmose III
• 18th dynasty was also marked by the cult of Aton-
link to Amenhotep II and more so with his son
Amenhotep IV
– Built temples for god Amun
– Built large monuments
– Introduced the cult of Aton (Atonism)-
monotheism
– Attack and destruction of the old religious
systems
– Amenhotep changed his name to Akhenaton
• The 18th dynasty was followed by a period of
Foreign domination- Pinki- a people originating
from Napata in Sudan
– Established their throne for 60 years after which
Egypt was invaded by foreigners- Romans,
Greeks and Persians
• 30 AD- invaded by the Romans
– Roman regarded the region as the precious
property of Rome due to its fertility
– Largest trading and industrial centre
• 65 AD- Coptic Christian era
• 640 AD- Islamic era
• Modern Egypt- 1882 colonized by the British -
1952
 Contribution
• Agriculture- along the Nile Valley (5000BC)
• Urbanization- started in Egypt with the agricultural
community
• Making of paper-papyrus later copied by the
Greeks and the Romans, Arabs and Byzantine
• Medicine\mummification (embalming of the dead)
which involved chemistry, physics and surgery
• Psychology- derived form Greek word Psychic-
mind, which means the same in Egypt
• Craftsmanship- back-tan of leather, clothes and
glass making
• Jewellery- ornaments and beads and pearls
• Feminism movement
• Bureaucracy and hierarchy
• Mathematics- used for measuring huge buildings-
areas of triangles & volumes of pyramids, cylinders
& hemispheres
• Astronomy- calendar divided into 4 segments of 12
months each of 30 days and each year added 5
days-
• Architecture- pyramids
• Literature- hieroglyphic scripts
• Religion- gave to the world a number of gods and
goddesses
• Alphabets- 24 symbols each representing a single
consonant