Download Egyptian civilization last 3000 years.

Egyptian Civilization
Prof. Jayson Mutya Barlan, MPA
Objectives
Identify the basic features of the three major
periods of Egyptian history.
Understand how Egyptian civilization
flourished.
Geography
River Nile was a unique river, beginning in the
heart of Africa to thousand of miles
northward.
It is the longest river in the world; it floods
annually but gradually and predictable
It produced abundant harvests
Since flooding was gradual, the river was seen
life-enriching and not threatening
Civilization was rural with many small
population centers along a narrow band on
both sides of the river
The river splits into two major branches in the
end forming the delta, called the Lower Egypt
Major Periods
Manetho, an Egyptian priest and historian
who lived in the early third century B.C.E.
divided the history intro three major periods:
Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New
Kingdom.
The periods were characterized by strong
monarchical authority, competent
bureaucracy, freedom from invasion,
constructions of temples and pyramids, and
intellectual and cultural activities.
Between the periods of stability were also
weak political structures and rivalry for
leadership, invasion, decline in building
activity, and restructuring of society.
The Old Kingdom
Land was ruled by tribal chieftains (3100 B.C.E.)
Menes was the first royal king who united both the
Lower and Upper Egypt
He was called King of Upper and Lower Egypt
One of the royal crowns would be "Double Crown",
White Crown of the UE and Red Crown of LE
The Old Kingdom encompassed the 3rd
through 6th dynasties (2686 to 2181 B.C.E.)
It was an age of prosperity and splendor with
the construction of the greatest and largest
pyramids
The capital was located at Memphis, south of
Delta
Kingship was a divine institution in Egypt
Pharaoh was the most common title of a king
They possessed absolute power but ruled
according to Ma'at, a spiritual precept that
conveyed the idea of truth and justice,
especially right order and harmony
The Pharaoh did not rule alone; members of
the King's family performed administrative
tasks
By 4th dynasty, a bureaucracy was developed
A "vizier" (steward of the whole land) was
directly responsible to the king with numerous
departments such as police, justice, river
transport, public works, agriculture, and
treasury
Egypt was divided intro provinces (or nome)
22 provinces in the Upper Egypt
20 provinces in the Lower Egypt
Each nome was headed by a governor
(nomarchs)
Problems
Decline in centralized authority
There was drought caused by low levels of the
Nile River and decline in rainfall
Economic troubles brought the collapse of
the Old Kingdom (2180 - 2055 B.C.E.)
Rival dynasties were established:
Heracleopolis near Lower Egypt and Thebes
in Upper Egypt
Mentuhotep, king of Thebes defeated the
rules of Heracleopolis and reunified the whole
of Egypt -- leading to the Middle Kingdom
(2055 - 1650 B.C.E.)
The Middle Kingdom
It centered around 12th dynasty founded by
Amenemhet I, a vizier
The Middle Kingdom was regarded as the
Golden Age, an indication of stability
Nome structure was reorganized, boundaries
were made precise, and obligations of the nome
to the state were delineated
Nomarchs were confirmed as hereditary
officeholders
Pharaoh was portrayed as shepherd of its
people
Egypt expanded, conquered Lower Nubia and
sent military expeditions into Palestine and
Syria -- the beginning of imperialism
Society and Economy
Society was simple with the god-king at the
top
The king was surrounded by an upper class of
nobles and priests
They ran the government and managed their
own landed estates
Below the upper classes were merchants and
artisans; engaged in active trade; traveled to
Nubia for ivory and to Red Sea to Punt for
incense and spices
Lower classes were serfs, common people who
were bound to the land and cultivated the
estates; they paid taxes, lived in small villages
or towns; provided military service and labor
for building projects
Culture
Construction of pyramids was a measure of
skill unique to the world
It occurred during the Old Kingdom
Pyramids were not built in isolation but as part
of the larger complex dedicated to the dead,
hence city of the dead
Large pyramid -- for the king
Smaller pyramid -- for the king's family
Mastabas (rectangular structures with flat
roofs) -- tombs for the pharaoh's noble
officials
The rooms were furnished and stocked with
numerous supplies like chairs, boats, chests,
weapons, games, dishes, and variety of foods
They practiced mummification
Spiritual Life
Egyptians has no word for religion because it
was an inseparable element of the world order
Pharaoh was the divine being whose function
was to maintain its stability
They possessed number of gods associated
with heavenly bodies and natural forces
Art and Writing
Arts were seen in wall paintings, statues of
gods and kings in temples; mural scenes and
sculptured figures were also found in tombs
Writing emerged during the first two dynasties;
the Greeks labeled it as hieroglyphics (priestcarvings)
Hieroglyphs were signs that depicted objects
and had a sacred value; they were developed
into an alphabet
They were initially curved in stone and later on
papyrus (paper made from papyrus reed that
grew along the Nile)
Chronology of Dynasties
Early Dynasty
1-2
3100-2686
Old Kingdom
3-6
2686-2181
First Intermediate Period
7-10
2180-2055
Middle Kingdom
11-12
2055-1650
Second Intermediate Period
13-17
1650-1550
New Kingdom
18-20
1550-1070
Postempire Egypt
21-31
1070-30
Egypt entered into another period of
instability and marked the end of the Middle
Kingdom
Hyksos (people from the delta region)
initiated the second disorder in the history of
Egypt by the 17th century B.C.E.
They taught Egyptians how to make bronze
for agricultural tools and weapons
Hyksos brought new aspects of warfare in
Egypt including the horse-drawn war chariot,
a heavier sword, and the compound bow
Eventually, Egyptians used these weapons to
throw off Hyksos
Egyptian Empire
Pharaoh Ahmose I overthrown Hyksos
He reunited Egypt and founded the 18th
dynasty in New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C.E.)
He developed a more professional army
Viziers were chosen only from ranks of military
commanders
Egypt became the most powerful state in the
ancient Near East
Thutmosuss I (1524-1518 B.C.E.) conquered the
African Kingdom of Nubia
Thutmosuss III (1480-1450 B.C.E.)led 17 military
campaigns into Canaan and Phoenicia but allowed
local natives princes to rule
Egypt pursued an active political and diplomatic
policy
The Egyptian imperial state reached its height
during the reign of Amenhotep III, greatgrandson of Thurmosis III.
Magnificent buildings and temples were
constructed at Karnak and Luxor and the 70foot-high statues of Amenhotep III along the
Nile.
The reign of Amenhotep III was challenged by
Hittites
Amenhotep IV failed to deal with the threat
due to religious upheaval that he initiated in
Egypt.
Amenhotep IV as Akhenaten
He introduced worship of Aton, god of sun
disk, as the chief god
He changed his name to Akhenaten (Servant
of Aton) and closed the temples of other
gods and ordered to lessen the power of the
priesthood dedicated to the god Amon-Re at
Thebes
He replaced the capital Thebes with
Akhetaten ("Horizon of Athen")
Akhenaten's attempt at religious change failed
His preoccupation with religion caused him to
ignore foreign affairs that brought the loss of
both Syria and Canaan
Tutankhamun (1347-1338 B.C.E.)
Akhenaten was succeeded after his death by
Tutankhamun and returned the government to
Thebes and restored the old gods
The 18th dynasty ended when vizier Horemhab
assumed the kingship in 1333 B.C.E.
The End of the Empire
The 19th dynasty restored Egyptian power
under Ramesses II (1279-1213 B.C.E.)
Canaan was controlled again but the 20th
dynasty expired in 1070 B.C.E.
Egypt was then dominated by Libyans,
Nubians, Assyrians, Persians, and Macedonians
The Hittite Empire
Spread around 1600 B.C.E
Hittite empire was only established only after 200
years
Suppiluliumus I (1370-1330 B.C.E.) was the
strongest ruler, who established control from
Western Turkey to northern Syria
The ruler was known as the Great King