Download Anc ient Egypt By: Alyx, Alexus, Quin, and Kyle Our group (Alexus

Ancient
Egypt
By: Alyx, Alexus, Quin, and Kyle
Our group (Alexus, Alyx, Kyle, and Quin) decided to do Ancient Egypt as our time travel
agency project because the people of that time shaped humanity into what it is now. We also
found their occupations extremely interesting, and not only that, they even shaped one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They are an overall noteworthy race. Each of us were
assigned to do our own part of the project so the work could be easier on us, Alyx was assigned
to study the food, fashion, and location of the Ancient Egyptians. Kyle had delt with the religion,
and government. Quin studied the warfare, occupations and entertainment. Finally, Alexus
searched when the Egyption society ended, began, key events, its peak, and its worst.
Occupations
Within Egypt, most jobs of the common people could be organized into eight groups:
Scribes: They could hold positions in the army, government, and education. They would record
anything and everything and could be compared to a modern day computer printer in the sense of
how fast some of them could write. There was also considerable money to be made by scribes
who created the documents which were buried with high-ranking Egyptians.
Priests: Because the Pharaoh could obviously not perform ceremonies at all the temples
throughout Egypt, he appointed high priests to carry out the sacred rituals and practices at each
temple. The job of a priest was often inherited from another member of a family when they died.
They enjoyed great power and wealth in Egyptian society. The priests' duties were to care for
the gods and attend to their needs. They also performed funeral ceremonies, teaching school,
supervising artists and workers, and advising people on problems.
Servants: They were considered one of the lowest classes of Egyptian society. They worked for
wealthy families and in palaces, cleaning and cooking. Slaves could also be used to do these
jobs.
Engineers and Architects: They planned all of the major projects and building programs in
Egypt, including the pyramids and monuments.
Builders and Artists: The many building projects of Ancient Egypt made it necessary for many
builders to be employed. If not enough workers could be found, the kings were entitled to force
as many of their subjects as they wanted to work on these projects. Slaves could also be forced to
help with the building. Artists would be hired to decorate the homes and tombs of their wealthy
employers.
Soldiers: Positions in the Egyptian military gave ordinary people the ability to rise in society.
The most common rank in the army was foot soldier but they could also get the prestigious rank
of charioteer.
The Entertainers: Entertainers were usually actors, acrobats and dancers that worked for
wealthy Egyptians and at festivals.
Manual Labourers: There were many different types of manual labour besides builder, who had
jobs on farms. There were also jobs for weavers, metal workers, boatmen, fishermen, fowlers,
potters, carpenters, upholsterers, tailors, shoe-makers, glass-blowers, boat-builders, wig-makers,
and embalmers.
Warfare
Before the invasion of the Hyksos in their 15th Dynasty (1674-1567 BCE), Egypt didn’t
even have a proper army. For a very long time, all that the Egyptian army consisted of was foot
soldiers, palace guards, and men that guarded ships. Until it was needed, this was the body of
their military. Before the invasion, there was little fighting in Egypt; warfare consisted of
campaigns sent out to unify the country. Smaller disputes usually involved the enlistment of
foreign mercenaries or volunteers. Because of their strong religious beliefs, Egyptians were
reluctant to leave their country to fight in case they were unable to give one of their fallen
soldiers a proper burial.
When the Hyksos invaded Lower Egypt, they introduced that area to weapons and
armour never before seen that close to the Nile. This included chariots - a kind of horse-drawn
carriage that had two riders; one held the reigns and a shield while the other had a spear and a
composite bow (also a weapon introduced by the Hyksos) - along with other hand-to-hand
combat weapons.
At the starting of the 18th dynasty (around 1550 BCE) Ahmose I, The Theban king of
Upper Egypt launched a military campaign the Hyksos that made them retreat to southern
Palestine. Then, after years of battle, Lower Egypt came under Ahmose I’s control and all of
Egypt was reunited as one kingdom (Louise Park, 6).
The occupation of the Hyksos had its benefits. The Egyptians gained many new weapons
of war and new tactics that helped them win future wars. Ironically, some of these things were
employed by the Egyptians to drive the Hyksos out of their homeland.
The mighty Egyptian Empire lasted for about 1500 after that until it was finally taken
over by the Romans and had been declared as a Roman province (Clayton, 217).
Fashion
Ancient Egyptians were seen as slender and broad shouldered. They were long in the hands
and feet and had very muscular arms and legs. Their
facial features included a square chin, wide lips, broad
forehead, large eyes, and a nose that was somewhat short
and hooked. Although all Egyptians had the same facial
and body features does not mean that they were all the
same rank in society. Very often it was the clothing that
separated the kings from the noblemen and the poor.1
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In many instances the king had a bare body down to the waist. This showed that he was a
king who was ready to work, but in the days of the New Kingdom and Late Dynastic Period the
royal limbs were wrapped in simple robes, which at the time was the most common apparel.1
Many other residents of this time frame also bared the same types of clothing, so the one
thing that made the king distinctive was the crown he
wore on his head. There were over 20 types of crowns
worn by the Kings of Egypt but the most common
crowns were the White Crown of Upper Egypt, and the
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Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The king was to wear his
White/Red crown on special occasions depending on where his family hailed from.1
If you were not of royal family, your class was often identified by the clothes you had on
your back. In the early times wigs were in fact a very important article of the upper class
wardrobe. The Egyptians took pride in seeing that their hair was carefully groomed and combed
to not be mistaken with a barbarious foreigner, but during the hotter seasons, men generally wore
their hair cropped short or even shaved very close to the head.
It was only on special occasions that they wore their
combed and well kept wigs.1
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As for clothing the Egyptians mostly went naked.
Young princes ran around like poor children and Noblemen
would wear simple clothes in the privacy of their home or when roaming around estates. Many
times the Egyptians only dressed up if it was necessary.1
Many pictures of Early Egyptian clothing depicts colorful extravagant ensembles, but the
truth was that many of the articles of clothing that the Egyptians wore very
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dull and plain, but were decorated with an array of colorful necklaces and
bracelets. Rich or poor, the Egyptians were addicted to jewellery, but not only
that
that they were also very superstitious. The many jewels they wore added color to their
outfits
outfits but also warded off the evil spirits. If a broach
or
or pin was in the shape of the life giving Ankh, or the
eye of Horus it would not only look pretty but prevent sickness or 6
ward off the evil eye.1
To complete an ensemble the Egyptians would wear sandals of
leather or woven
papyrus. the sandals were usually of traditional design with one transverse and one longitudinal
thong. Occasionally the longer thong would be curved back from the toe to fasten against the
instep like the pointed shoes of medieval Europe.
To make every Egyptian unique was the little personal item they carried around. These
would usually include boomerangs, pins, combs, and buttons. It was the little trifles like these
that allow us to see their true quality of their civilization.1
Food
The Ancient Egyptians were simple eaters at their time. They grew many ornamental fruit
bearing trees around their villas that bared many simple and luxurious
fruits. Since the beginning of the New Kingdom apples and
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pomegranates were the most common fruits that were cultivated on
these trees followed by oranges, lemons, pears, and peaches. If you
were able to eat coconuts you were seen to have a very luxurious life.
Although the list of fruits seems small, they all sat in the shadow of
the infamous grape, a fruit that was found in every garden crawled up a pole or fastened against a
wall.1
Vegetables were also a very common food of the Early Egyptians. There was a large amount of
onions, leeks, beans, garlic, lentils, chick peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, carrots, and lettuces
grown. More suitable vegetables were stored and sun-dried for the winter season. The melons
that were grown were saved and harvested in large quantities and
were usually eaten with oil, vinegar, and salt.1
During the time of the Ancient Egyptians meat was
consumed in very large quantities. Beef was the most common
meat that was consumed. Animals like cows and oxen were
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fattened for slaughtering purposes and smaller quantities of goat
and lamb were also eaten. Besides eating beef the most common
meat came from the birds. Ducks, wild geese, pigeons, quails, and
cranes were trapped in large numbers and prepared for the table.
Fish was more commonly eaten among the poor, either fresh or
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dried and salted. 1
As for drinks the Egyptians had a very large variety, beer being the national drink but
wine being the most common choice for the upper classes. They mostly liked their wine sweet
often sweetened with spices, honey, or the juices from prunes or pomegranates. In the Old
Kingdom the wine they drank was red, but towards the Middle Kingdom white wine soon
became very popular, and to end a good day a meal was usually finished off by eating a
specialized cake that was made by a local baker. 1
Religion
Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses, around seven hundred different gods.
From the sun god “Ra”, A Nile god “Hapi”, to a writing god “Thoth”. Their most famous
religious beliefs were there ideas of the afterlife. They believed that everyone had a soul or spirit
that would live on after death. There were two main forms that the soul or spirit took place. The
“Ka” was a person’s double, like a twin. The Ka would live inside a person’s body until death.
The Ka would die with the person, unless provided with an exact image of the dead person. This
could be a statue, but a mummified body would work best. The “Ba” however, was able to leave
the burial site, as well as to be able to take any shape, with a human head. However, the Ba
would always return at nightfall.
Ancient Egyptian Government
Back in ancient Egypt, the government was controlled by one person known as the
pharaoh. The citizens of Egypt believed this man in power, was a god. This belief was known as
“Divine Kingship”. This gave the pharaoh almost limitless power over the subjects. The whole
government was separated into categories, including viziers (second highest in power, and most
trusted adviser), army commanders, chief treasurers, the minister of public works, and tax
collectors. As well, priests and holy men carried out the decrees of the pharaoh, and were given
preferred treatment over others. All of witch, answered directly to the one and only pharaoh.
Taxation occurred under the Egyptian government. These taxes mostly happened in that
of goods and labor. Citizens could be drafted by the army, or forced into labor to pay tax. Laws
were basic, the harsher the crime, the harsher the penalty. The punishment could be as severe as
executions, and disembodiment.
Location
Ancient Egypt and present day Egypt was located on the continent of Africa. Early
Egyptians used the Nile River as their most common water and job source. The temperature there
is usually very hot and dry based on the fact that Egypt is about 90 percent desert and the other
10 percent being the grass lands along the Nile River.11
When It Started
Around 6000 BC Hunter Gathers began using the Nile River as the centre in their territories,
because the drying of the Sahara kept them coming back to the river anyways. Many people
wondered why such a desert land would host such an amazing civilization, the answer is the Nile
River. Certain times of the year the river would flood because of heavy seasonal rains, which
deposited a layer of rich soil perfect for settled agriculture. The river took upon itself two
laborious tasks, irrigating and enriching the soil, because of this it attracted early settlers from
nearby Syria, Palestine and from Libyan tribes from the west and Nubia tribes from the west.
The pre-dynastic period of Egypt was a little different, Egypt was not just one country it was
divided into Upper (Ta Shemau) and Lower Egypt (Ta Mehu). It was far away from the Egypt
we think about today, ruled by lavish Pharaohs it was not. The first steps to this Egypt, were
several battles. After these battles Egypt was finally joined as one, with King Menes, who was
the king of Upper Egypt and was responsible for the battles that joined Egypt, crowned as the
first Pharaoh. Now, Menes did not want to lose one of the two lands so he made his capital,
Memphis, in the middle where the two lands used to join. With this, the first dynasty began.
The First King of the second Dynasty, Hotepsekhemwi is said to have unified the kingdom
after some kind of turmoil, because his name means “the two powerful ones are at peace”.
Hotepsekhemwi’s name is found on the tomb of Horus Qa’a, the last king of the first dynasty, it
is the indication that Hotepsekhemwi buried Horus Qa’a and therefore is his successor.
Hotepsekhemwi also took Horus Qa’a’s name at the beginning of his reign. Overall there it is
said that the second dynasty lasted 204 years and had around seven kings. Although that number
is disputed it could be anywhere from five to nine. Compared to the first and third dynasties, the
second is weak in political, technological and cultural terms. There were few and unexceptional
from this dynasty.
The third dynasty also started the “Old Kingdom”. The Old Kingdom’s first king was Zoser,
he also started the pyramid era. This was a great indicator of the well functioning state and big
tax revenues. It is also a good indicator if the advances in technology and culture. It is said that
the Old Kingdom reached its peak with Snefru, Khufu, and Khafre, in the fourth dynasty. Those
three were said to be the best pyramid builders.
The Fifth Dynasty is the most common or well known, with all the kings in the kings list and
attested by archaeological sources. It had brought some critical changes and innovations. At the
beginning of this dynasty there is an increase of the number of high officials. This is because
high offices were no longer restricted to the royal family, as it was in the fourth dynasty.
Government and administration were also changed, which resulted in a more efficient way for
the king to rule the kingdom. With more high officials, came more documentation which makes
it easier to find out more about this dynasty then the previous ones.
In the sixth dynasty further government reforms were meant to strengthen the peoples hold on
the rest of the country. It has been said that putting local governors was the downfall of the sixth
dynasty and the Old Kingdom. It is also said that the long reign of Pepi two was also the cause of
the downfall. Even if Pepi two was unable to rule the country due to his ageing the central
administration was organised so that they could have ruled it themselves. More commonly
believed for the downfall was the climate changes, and lower inundation of the Nile River, have
a greater chance to play a large role in the downfall.
Starting into the 7-8th dynasties and the First Intermediate, some local governors still
recognized the Kings of the dynasties and the central government others started declaring
themselves kings in their own rights. Especially at Heracleapolis, a city south of the Fayum
oasis, the nomarchs were very successful in creating their own dynasty, the 9th/10th Dynasty.
Their influence extended as far south as Abydos and Dendara, where it was challenged by the
local ruler of Thebes. The local ruler of Thebes was the creator of the 11th dynasty. Other
nomarchs, who were less powerful but capable of some Independence, left their loyalty to either
the Heracleopolitan or the Theban dynasties. The rivalling dynasties waged their conflict on both
a diplomatic and military level. Also putting a part of the country in a civil war. The victory of
the Theban dynasty, Led by Mentuhotep two, was the beginning of the a new era, the Middle
Kingdom.
Food, Fashion, and Location Bibliography
Book:
1. White, Jon Ewbank Manchip.Everyday life in ancient Egypt . New York: Dorset Press, 1989.
Print.
Internet:
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Religion and Government Bibliography
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MLA formatting by BibMe.org.
Works Cited for Occupations and Warfare
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