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Ancient Egypt
Culture & Society
The Daily Life of Ancient Egypt
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Overview
 Population
 Language
 Social structure
 Divine kingship
 Arts and leisure
 Cosmology
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Skiffs in Nile Swamps
Saqqara Mastaba
6th Dynasty, 2300 BC
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Population
 Numbers
– Old Kingdom
• 1 - 2 million
– Roman Empire
• 7 million
 Immigration
– Nubians, Asiatics,
Greeks
– Small numbers,
acculturated easily
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Nubian tribute
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Language
 Afro-Asiatic Egyptian language
 Five Ancient Language Periods
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–
–
–
–
papyrus
Old Egyptian (Predynastic Old Kingdom)
Middle Egyptian (Middle Kingdom)
Late Egyptian (New Kingdom)
Demotic (Ptolemy to Middle Ages)
Coptic Egyptian (Middle Ages to 1600’s)
• replaced by Arabic
 Hieroglyphic (picture writing)
– evolved into demotic (cursive writing)
 Literacy
– Grew with growth of central administration
“doctor”
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scribe
Writing
 Hallmark of administrative class
 Hieroglyphic: picture writing
Rosetta Stone
– From Old Kingdom
– Rosetta Stone: same text in Egyptian
hieroglyphic, Egyptian demotic, and
Greek
– Cursive script 2500 BC
 Records, literature, hymns &
prayers, technical manuals
 Papyrus workshops in temples:
copying traditional texts
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scribe
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Social Structure
 Upper
– pharaoh & court
– high-level officials
 Middle
–
–
–
–
lower-level officials
local leaders, wealthy farmers
priests & professionals
artisans
Royal couple
 Lower
– common folk (majority)
 Slaves
– Limited to captives, criminals
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Sulptors
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Divine Kingship
 Pharaoh son of Sun God - Re
– Sent to maintain ma’at: divinely
authorized order of universe
– People’s link with gods
– Rule ensured security, prosperity
– Source of law, authority
 Centralized Power
– All Egypt belongs to Pharaoh
– Strong monarchy = strong central
government
 Capital Cities
– Old Kingdom: Memphis (near Cairo)
– Middle & New Kingdom: Thebes
(Luxor)
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Nomes and Cities
1st nome - Saqqara
 Nomes
– Provinces of Ancient Egypt
– Lower Egypt: 20, Upper Egypt: 22
– Nomarchs
• provincial governors
• supervised irrigation & dams, dispensed justice
 Cities
– Pharaonic capitals
• No archaeology: still occupied
• Essential wealth in land & products
– Provincial capitals
• Religious and economic centres for region,
frontier fortresses
• Nubia ruled directly by viceroy of pharaoh
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Royal Bureaucracy
 Writing records
– Land, labour, products, people
– Taxes up to 50%
 Administration
– Palace, bureaucracy, army
– Built & maintained temples,
monuments to pharaoh
 Simple geography of Nile lands
easy to administer
 State monopoly over key sectors of
economy
– Some local private enterprise
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Bedouins
The Imperial Military
 Old & Middle Kingdoms
– Limited contact with other civilizations
• Defense against desert raiders
– Small standing army of professional
soldiers
• Local militia when needed
 New Kingdom
– Expanded Empire
• Nubia, Middle East
– Trade, not territory
• Access to resources e.g. Lebanese cedar
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Egypt’s Kingdoms
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The Army of Egypt
 Weapons
– Striking weapons
• club, mace, axe, sword, spear
– Throwing weapons
• javelin, bow, slingshot
– Shield, helmet, armour
– chariot after Hyksos invasion
 New Kingdom Army
– Mercenaries
– Nobility as officers
– Use of specialized forces: sappers (military
engineers), trenchers, shock troops
– Rewards for excellence: land, slaves,
social position
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Shipping and Trade
 Ships
– River boats
– Seafaring traders
– Naval vessels
 Trade Routes
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–
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Nubia: gold
Sinai: copper, gems
Canaan: cedar
Punt: ostrich eggs, ivory
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Artisans
 Carpenters
– cabinet making, furniture
 Sculptors
 Stonemasons
Chair for
King Tut
– tomb & temple complexes
 Goldsmiths
– jewellry, funeral masks
 Weavers
– linens
 Potters
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Funeral mask of
Psusennes 21st dynasty
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Nefertari playing Senet
Leisure
 Zoos & parks
– gardens in house courtyard
– animals & birds
garden with
fish pond
 Hunting & fishing
– royal leopard hunts
 Games
– ball, board
– sports
– toys
 Banquets
– games, music, dancing
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Music
 Strings
– Harps, lyres, lutes
 Percussion
– Drums, rattles,
cymbals
 Wind
– Flutes, trumpets,
oboes
 Vocal music
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Cosmology
 Religion rooted in landscape of Nile
– Vision of cosmic order
– Recurrent cycles, periodic renewal
 Pharaoh as Chief Priest
– Temples, gifts to gods, tomb monuments
– Required great wealth
• Continuity of divine kingship
• Ensure renewal of life
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Menkaure and goddesses
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Amen
Gods of Ancient Egypt
1.
Amen (Amon)
–
2.
Anubis
–
3.
Mother goddess of fertility &
nature
Anubis
Isis
Re (Ra)
–
5.
Jackal head, conductor of souls
Isis
–
4.
Creation deity of Thebes
creator, sun god
Osiris
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god of dead, underworld
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Osiris
Re
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Temple of Amon
- Luxor
Ritual
 Temple Cults
– God statue in inner room
– Priests serve daily needs
 Festivals
– Boat litter carried god statue in public
 Household Altars
– Offerings to
• Bes, god of marriage & family
• Local gods
• Family ancestors
 Magic
– Amulets : An amulet (Latin amuletum) can be any object
whose most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect
its owner from danger or harm.
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Bes
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Obsession with Afterlife
canopic jar
 Death as hazardous journey to
afterlife
– Book of the Dead: ritual & prayer
to protect soul
– Weighing of deceased’s heart
– Shabti: figurine servant as
companion (also ushabti)
 Mummification
– Organs removed to canopic jars
– Body dried in natron
• Naturally occurring
• Salt & sodium carbonate
– Sarcophagus: decorated casket in
Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen
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shabti