Download From ABC-CLIO`s World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras website

9/6/2016
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras ­ Time Periods ­ Ancient Egypt
From ABC-CLIO's World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras website
https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/
TOPIC CENTER: ANCIENT EGYPT
Ancient Egypt inspires great fascination in popular culture,
evoking images of pyramids, mummies, and monumental
statues. Ancient Egypt provides the setting for many
໤ctional and artistic works, while museum exhibits of
Egyptian artifacts draw huge crowds and Egyptian styles
in໤uence modern fashions. Egypt's beginnings as a uni໤ed
state date to about 3000 BCE, and it was not until
Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BCE that native
Egyptian rule ended. Over its long history, Egyptian
civilization developed vibrant cultural traditions and left a
deep impact still felt today.
Egypt and the Nile
Egyptian civilization was based on the presence of the Nile
River, which ໤ows north from its sources in Ethiopia and
East Africa to empty into northern Egypt's delta region.
Each year, the Nile over໤owed and deposited fertile soil
onto farmland along its banks. This reliable ໤ooding made
abundant agriculture possible—Greek historian Herodotus
called Egypt "the gift of the Nile." Without the Nile,
Egyptians could not have created the food surpluses needed to maintain a stable population and culture.
Egyptians also used the Nile to travel and transport goods in boats between Egypt's north and south, which
aided economic growth and political control of the country. Because southern Egypt was geographically
closer to the river's sources, it was called Upper Egypt, while the northern region was known as Lower Egypt.
The Nile was so important that it was worshiped as a god, Hapy (or Hapi).
Civilization and Culture
Egypt's long history is divided into three periods: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New
Kingdom. Each of these kingdoms is further divided into dynasties, or groups of rulers who typically were
related to each other.
The Old Kingdom (ca. 2650–ca. 2100 BCE) is famous for the construction of spectacular pyramid tombs,
especially the step pyramid at Saqqara and the enormous pyramids on the Giza Plateau. It was also during
this period that the Great Sphinx was built at Giza. During the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000–ca. 1600 BCE),
powerful pharaohs worked to strengthen Egypt while struggling to keep invaders out. The New Kingdom (ca.
1550/1520 BCE–ca. 1075 BCE) was a time of strong centralized government and military conquest.
The majority of Egyptian men were farmers or artisans, and most women were occupied with managing
their household and raising children, while some also worked at trades such as weaving. A smaller number
of people became scribes, government o໤cials, military o໤cers, and priests.
https://ancienthistory.abc­clio.com/Topics/Display/5
1/2
9/6/2016
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras ­ Time Periods ­ Ancient Egypt
Most Egyptians' diets were relatively simple, based on bread, porridge, beer, wild game, ໤sh, and vegetables.
Wealthier Egyptians might also enjoy a variety of meats, pastries, and wine.
Typical clothing was linen dresses for women and kilts for men. Women and men alike outlined their eyes
with makeup, both for fashion and to protect the eyes from diseases, the sun's glare, and evil spirits.
Religion and Pyramids
The Egyptians worshiped many gods and goddesses—during some periods more than 1,000. The gods
embodied a range of divine powers, natural forces, or speci໤c activities. Many gods were portrayed with a
human body and an animal's head.
Most Egyptian rituals were performed by specially trained priests, who were usually devoted to the cult of a
speci໤c god. Priests maintained the temples and the statues of gods inside, which were ritually fed, bathed,
and clothed.
A fundamental part of Egyptian religion was belief in an afterlife that could be attained only if the soul
passed tests proving it was innocent of wrongdoing. Spells and rituals in the Book of the Dead assisted souls
in their afterlife journey. The Egyptians believed that the body needed to be preserved so the soul had an
earthly place to return to—for this reason the Egyptians mummi໤ed the dead.
The most famous Egyptian tombs are the three Giza pyramids, built for Old Kingdom pharaohs more than
4,000 years ago. The pyramids originally had gleaming limestone surfaces and contained the pharaohs'
mummies and possessions for the afterlife. Later royal tombs were cut into rock in the Valley of the Kings—
the most famous is the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Ancient Egypt was a culturally rich civilization that endured for about 3,000 years. Its history, art,
architecture, and religious traditions continue to create wonder and excitement about the ancient past.
Jennifer Hutchinson
COPYRIGHT 2016 ABC-CLIO, LLC
This content may be used for non-commercial, classroom purposes only.
Image Credits
Great Sphinx with pyramid in Giza, Egypt: Rabac Liviu/Dreamstime.com
Select Citation Style: MLA
MLA Citation
Hutchinson, Jennifer. "Ancient Egypt." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016,
ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/5. Accessed 6 Sept. 2016.
http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1993855?sid=1993855&cid=150&oid=0
Entry ID: 1993855
https://ancienthistory.abc­clio.com/Topics/Display/5
2/2