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Ancient Egypt is a society that began around 40,000 years ago, dating back to around
3000 B.C. Ancient Egypt was commonly called 'the black land' because of the dark soil deposited
by the Nile flood waters. Water, at that time, was a vital part of the civilization.1 The Egyptian
people were very interesting people. Religion was important and a very large part of life for the
early Egyptians. They worshiped a lot of Gods and Goddesses, most of the gods were represented
by different animals. The Egyptians traveled from place to place, mostly by following the water. The
Nile River was like the main highway.2 Most of the people were covered by desert. Not just the
people, but the land itself was split into two sections, upper and lower Egypt. Egypt is a civilization
with a history of many wars and violence, it is one of the oldest and most interesting civilization.
When did Ancient Egypt begin? Ancient Egypt began1 when people came to live there
around 40, 000 years ago. Egypt was eventually under one ruler, called ‘the Pharaoh’, which was
around 3000 B.C. Egypt time was separated into six different time periods, called Old Kingdom
Egypt, First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom Egypt, Second Intermediate Period, New
Kingdom Egypt and Third Intermediate Period.
Old Kingdom Egypt – Old Kingdom Egypt was around 3000 B.C when the Pharaohs
became great power over their subjects.
First Intermediate Period – This period occurred around 2600 B.C when lower people thought that
the Pharaohs had too much power. The pharaohs eventually started losing power, becoming
dependent on the government officials and the organizations started collapsing.
Middle Kingdom Egypt – The Middle Kingdom time was around when there were wars going on
between Upper and Lower Egypt. Around 2000 B.C, Upper Egypt won and reunified the Country.
Second Intermediate Period – Took place around 1786 and had key events in the country’s history.
This is when the Hyskos invaded Egypt, lasting for about a hundred years, before rulers from
Thebes began to take over northern Egypt.
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2
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n1p34_Oliver.html
http://www.wsd1.org/earlgrey/ancient.htm
New Kingdom Egypt - A new period had began under the 18th dynasty. Queens were gained a lot
of power, and in 1490 BC, Hatshepsut, became Pharaoh herself. In 1303 BC a family of Pharaohs
took over, becoming the 19th Egyptian dynasty. Then there was the 20th dynasty Pharaohs,
around 1200 B.C. They were called Rameses, and The Hittites were destroyed.
Third Intermediate Period - After the Ramses all died in 1085 BC, Egypt fell apart. It was like that
until 525 B.C, when West Asian empire, the Persians, conquered Egypt and succeeded in ruling it.
Persian Rule – The Persians ruled Egypt, successfully fighting off the Libyans. That was until
about 404 B.C when Egypt became independent when the Persians became week and Dynasties
28, 29 and 30 were established. The Persians ended up coming back and conquered Egypt again
in 341 B.C. This also didn’t last long, because in 332 B.C, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt as
part of his takeover of the Persian Empire.
Greek Rule – Alexander the Great, with his Greek army, conquered Egypt in 332 B.C. This was
another key event in Ancient Egypt history. Egyptians thought that he would make them an
independent country again, but he didn’t, instead making it part of his own empire. Alexander died
in 323 B.C, and so is general Ptolemy took over Egypt himself. This lasted until the Roman
Augustus conquered.
Roman Rule – In 50 B.C, the time around Julius Ceaser, the Greek kings of Egypt were much
weaker then the Romans. Julius was assinated in 44 B.C., and in 30 B.C the Romans took over
Egypt. Egypt stayed this way for a while, with a Roman-style government, until about 700 A.D
when the Arabs conquered.
Islamic Egypt – The Arabs established a new empire centered on Syria as part of the new religion.
They conquered Egypt as well, again under rule of West Asia. They later were conquered by the
Sunni Ayyubids, and then the Mamluks. Around 1500, Egypt became part of the Islamic Ottoman
Empire, which held Egypt until modern times.2
2
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/history/history.htm
Egypt is located in Northern Africa, beside the country of Libya and North of Sudan. The
capital city of Egypt is Cairo. Egypt consists of atleast 136 cities. Ancient Egypt used to be
classified as Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. The desert, also called ‘The Red Land’ covers over
90% of Egypt. The Nile river runs straight through Egypt.3
It was during the Early Dynastic Period that the divine kingship became well established as
Egypt's form of government. With it, an entire culture that would remain virtually unchanged for the
next 3000 or more years.4 The government was based on the Court, Top Officials, Diplomats, High
Priests and the Kings.3 Kings were also called Pharaohs who were thought to be Gods.4 The
Ancient Egyptians did not group their rulers according to such criteria, they have developed the
idea of dynasties throughout their history.5 A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,
stock, or group.6 It is said that when you approach any King, you were suppose to kiss the ground
by his feet.7 The Egyptian sign of life, Ankh, indicates that the king or god holding it has the power
to give life or take it away from lesser mortals.8
The Egyptians believed in magic and from that they developed a funerary cult. They
thought this cult ensured their survival forever. They hated the thought that one day their world
might stop existing.9 They believed after a persons "physical" death, key elements lived on. Ka, the
body's double, could bring the body back to life. Ba, is the head of the dead and the body of a
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cities.htm ; http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html ;
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n1p34_Oliver.html ; http://www.kingtutone.com/pharaohs/ramses2/
2 http://www.ancient-egypt.org
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5 http://www.ancient-egypt.org/
6 www.dictionary.reference.com
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Hawk. Finally the shadow and the name of the person had an eternal existence.10 When preparing
someone for a tomb, a cut would be made in their left side and they would remove the lungs, liver,
stomach and intestines. They would dry out these items, wrap them in linens and store them in
canopic jars which were considered special vessels. The brain was also removed. The only item
that was left in the body was the heart.5 "Any part of the body could be used in a spell against a
person."2 Once this was completed, the body would be covered in natron a form of crystals and
packed with dry materials. These dry materials were usually leaves, sawdust. Finally they would be
wrapped in linen bandages.3
They would arrange the dead in sleeping position; knees and elbows drawn together. They
placed some of the person’s possessions in a pit and then pile sand on top. Thus the sand
would drain all the bodies' moisture, preserving it for many years. They believe the person’s spirit
would then recognize it and dwell within it. 4
Some jobs in Ancient Egypt were farming, hunting, making clothing or shoes, craftmans,
architects and Chief Priest. There was also an inspector every season. He would come around to
of all the farm landowners and collect taxes. A portion of their harvest was to be given to the
Pharaoh. It was the inspector’s job to make sure that the boundary rocks surrounding a farmers
land were in place correctly.5 Artists and craftmans increased their skills by experimenting with
more durable materials. Structures were being to be built in brick. Wood and reeds were copied in
stone, giving birth to the typical Ancient Egyptian architecture.6
Ancient Egyptian farmers grew barley and emmer wheat. These crops were made into
bread and beer. They grew a lot of vegetables and fruits but no citrus fruits. They grew grapes and
made them into wine and raisins. The people hunted duck, geese, oryx, gazelle, pigs, sheep and
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http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/explore/main.html
6 http://www.ancient-egypt.org/
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goats. These animals would be used at banquets. A leg of an ox was some of the best meat that
was served at banquets and formal occasions.6 The main food for every Ancient Egyptians
household was bread.2 Poorer people ate more fish then meat and poultry.3
What the Ancient Egyptians wore differed from banquets to normal days. Guests at
banquets often wore cones of perfumed wax on their heads. Everyday wear consisted of men
wearing kilts made of linen and woman always wore dresses with straps.4 The dresses would
be wrapped round the body and held in place by a belt. Its colour was generally off white. Clothes
were usually made out of linen and kept simple because of the hot temperatures. The clothing was
made by woman. They wore earrings and jewellery around her neck and arms, the fancy necklaces
were called "collars". When the girls wore they hair in a 'sidelock' it was a sign of youth. The
Egyptians went barefoot most of the time. Sandals were worn on special occasions or when their
feet were likely to get hurt. The sandals were tied with two thongs and some had a pointed tip, this
was often turned upwards. The sandals would be made of leather. They were rushwoven or
stitched together. They often had leather soles and straps.5
In the Old Kingdom the most remarkable change was the transition of step pyramids to
'true' pyramids. The ‘true’ pyramids had smooth surfaces. This transition was not only the result of
increasing technical skills, but of the religious views that shifted from stellar to solar. The step
pyramid symbolized a staircase to the stars. The 'true' pyramid, was considered a solar symbol and
it was a representation pertaining to the first age mound from which all life had sprung.6
Ancient Egypt was started by a king from the Upper Egypt named Menes.7 Menes was the
first pharaoh of the first empire in Egypt. He ruled during the Predynastic Era of Egypt's
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http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/explore/main.html
3 Page 48 Ancient Egypt by George Hart
4 http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/explore/main.html
5 http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/clothing.htm
6 http://www.ancient-egypt.org/
7 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_did_the_ancient_Egyptian_civilization_start
8 http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/people/menes.html
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history. When Menes aggrandizes the kingdom and its access to the first flood on the Nile, when
he developed populartrade links.
Ancient Egypt changed within a century. The Egyptians were hustled from barbarity to
civilization. In the beginning of that period they were roughly comparable to the Indians in the
Southwest. People who’s tribal codes took the place of approved government or social
organization.7
When Ramses II died, that was the end of ancient Egypt. Egypt of the Pharaohs,2 Ramses
II was married to Nefertari and had two sons and two daughters. A few years after Ramses II and
Nefertari got married her kids and her mysteriously disappeared and were never found. 3
Ramses II lived for ninety- six years and died from old age. After Ramses II died one of
his sons took place as the ruler. Every thing went down hill from there and ancient Egypt slowly
faded away and that was the end of the century.4
The downfall of Ancient Egypt took place approximately five thousand years ago.
Alexander, the famous Grecian conqueror, won Egypt when he defeated Persia and caused Egypt
to profit greatly. In the division of Alexander's empire, which followed after his death, Egypt fell to
Ptolemy; a Roman citizen of Egyptian ancestry. It’s fortunes fluctuated, while struggling for power,
which took over the various Greek kings whom Alexander had left in control of all the East. 5 Rome
first interfered in Egypt when Ptolemy asked for help against the King of Syria, this occurred about
two centuries before the days of Jesus. After that Egypt was really a kingdom of the Romans. The
Roman Emperor Augustus made Egypt a small province of his empire. Egypt became the richest of
all the provinces.6
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n1p34_Oliver.html
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3 http://www.kingtutone.com/queens/nefertari/
4 http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n1p34_Oliver.html
5 http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_htm/The_Story_of_the_Greatest_
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Nations_and_the_Worlds_Famous_Events_Vol_1/fallanci_bce.html
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http://www.wsd1.org/earlgrey/ancient.html