Download Notes Ancient Egypt - Mr. Meier`s Daily Class Info

EGYPTIAN NOTES
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Africa
Egypt - 95% desert – like all of Atlantic Coast (Maine to Florida) w/ only Maryland being inhabited
Nile River longest river (4160 miles)
o Source = Lake Victoria
flows S  N
predictable flooding (Sirius – star), summer, wind blows from N  S
o Provides stability to Egypt (unlike Tigris/Euphrates in Mesopotamia)
Nile provided everything to Egyptians [Hapy  god of Nile – caused Nile to flood – had body of a
human with fleshy chest and “full” belly to represent bountiful food the Nile provides]
Nile is broken up by “Cataracts” (rapids)
Egyptian Civilization built along 750 mile stretch of Nile
“Black” Land (fertile)
“Red” Land (desert)
Desert provided a natural barrier for protection
Herodotus – “Egypt is the gift of the Nile”
12,000 B.C.
hunters-gatherers in Egypt
6,000 B.C.
farming developed
Ancient Egypt divided into 3 periods:
1)Old Kingdom (most peaceful)
2)Middle Kingdom
3)New Kingdom
3250 B.C.
“Scorpion King” – 1st to begin process of unifying Egypt
3100 B.C.
King Narmer [Menes] (“Catfish King”) first to unite Upper and Lower Egypt
► “Narmer Palette” [evidence of Narmer defeating his enemy and taking control of
Upper and Lower Egypt] – wore a “white” and “red” crown to symbolize the
unification
 Founded 1st dynasty
► series of rulers in same family
 Established capital at Memphis
 These leaders became known as PHARAOHS
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name not used until New Kingdom
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responsible for all good things in Egypt – esp. Nile flooding
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”Great House” originally used to describe royal palace
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had power since the beginning of time
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leaders had political and religious power (Theocracy)
 United States wants “separation of church and state
Thought
to be
divine
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
Pharaohs established Bureaucracy (system of government)
~Vizier (asst. principle) – carry out orders, collect taxes
~provincial governors = NOMARCH
~scribes (records)
~overseers (supervise farming)
~to help Egypt run more efficiently it was divided into
NOMES [agricultural villages] with a NOMARCH
[governor] for each nome
**Nomarchs tended to build land / power that at
times rivaled pharaohs
Pharaoh’s were considered gods
• took form of Horus
o “Protector of Egypt”
• were seen as human
• expected to behave morally (follow MAAT)
MAAT
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goddess – had feather in headdress which would be used to weigh soul
guiding principle in Egyptian society
truth, justice, balance, order, right living, etc…
pharaohs were divinely sent to maintain Maat
Egyptians obeyed the Pharaoh to prevent upsetting the pharaoh and other gods
• if gods were upset this could upset MAAT
• by obeying pharaoh’s – they were helping maintain cosmic order
o if things went bad – citizens were offending divinity and weakening the universal structure
o If MAAT is disturbed life becomes unbalanced and ultimately the Nile could flood poorly
AFTERLIFE
depended on type of life you had lived
• only pharaohs felt to have afterlife
o this changed during the Middle and New Kingdoms
• afterlife was a continuation of the “good life”
Egyptians felt pharaohs continued to rule Egypt after death
o “Ka” eternal spirit of pharaoh
o “Ka” cannot live without the body
o Egyptians began “Mummifying” bodies to preserve a home for the “Ka”
o when pharaohs die they become “Osiris” (god of the underworld) and new pharaoh
becomes “Horus” (protector of Egypt)
Pharaohs carry ANKH
• symbol for life – giving of the gift of life to the deceased (very popular in paintings)
• Sign of life
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MUMMIFICATION
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
Anubis (god of embalming process)
bacteria causes a body to decay quickly had to remove all liquid from body
brains taken out - felt brains served no purpose
cut made in side and organs removed – heart left in [home of ka]
o heart = center of intelligence/magical part of the body
When body reached tomb – priest would perform “The Opening of the Mouth”
• Spell #23 – priest would touch the mummy’s mouth to enable to regain their senses
• restored a person’s faculties – eat/drink/move around
• Egyptians feared dying abroad because they knew they would not receive this rite and their afterlife
would be in jeopardy
Journey to the Afterlife
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underworld below the earth = DUAT
parts of it were full of perils – snakes/lakes of fire/executioners
priests used “Book of the Dead” (Coffin texts [inscribed on coffin], Pyramid texts [inscribed on
wall]) to cleanse soul and guide soul through the afterlife [Travel Guide for Underworld] – Passport
through the dangers – provide provisions to ensure happiness / success
spells counteracted dangers
 if recited correctly – could pass through underworld unharmed
 Deluxe Version – Richer people
 “Generic” Version – for poorer people
 Took a whole night
”Solar Bark” – boat in which Ra (sun god) and the deceased pharaoh traveled through the underworld
On way to see Osiris through underworld, the deceased had to pass through 7 great halls each supervised
by 3 gods
• unless names could be given for each god, journey was over
• not knowing names would be like arriving in a foreign country without a “passport”
Deceased pharaoh is required to defend himself
• He first addresses Osiris reciting a “declaration of innocence” which is a denial of various
evildoings. “I have not oppressed dependents.” “I have not caused anyone to go hungry.” “I have
not caused anyone to weep.” “I have not diminished the food offerings in the temples…I have not
taken the cakes set aside for the blessed.” “I am pure.”
• He does this to assure Osiris that he has lived a reasonably decent life.
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Next he begins by addressing 42 gods and denying various faults each are pointing out
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If the deceased knows the secret names of the gods and the places of origin of Osiris, he
can please them to judge in his favor.
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
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Lastly the person addresses his heart, beseeching it not to bear witness against him. If the heart
does not confirm the person’s innocence the person is lost, but if it confirms the person’s
innocence then Horus leads the person before Osiris who assigns the person a place in heaven.
WEIGHING of the HEART of the TWO TRUTHS
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Heart [life’s DVR] was weighed by Osiris against feather of Maat (Spell #125)
o Heart is placed on scale – 42 assessor gods (one from each district in Egypt) would
interrogate the dead man accusing him of crimes – if he was deemed to have told truthful
answers – then Thoth (head of Ibis – god of wisdom) would write that he is “true of voice”
and can pass to underworld
o If heart was not heavier than feather your soul would be judged as “sin free” – and person
could continue into eternity
o If soul judged as sinner, it would be torn to pieces by the “Devourer of Souls” or “Eater of
the Dead” [hippo, croc, lion]
Early tombs were placed in Pyramids [Old Kingdom]
>grave robbing was “big business” – pyramids acted as a “beacon” – telling thieves
to “come and get it”
>tombs were later placed in the “Valley of the Kings”
>tombs were made to resemble “Mini-Worlds” which included everything the spirit would need to
survive in the afterlife
>buried facing east to see rising sun
Tombs were filled with everything the pharaoh would need to continue life in the afterlife
• TO PLEASE THE “KA”
o Pictures of hunts
o Jewelry
o Furniture
o Weapons
o Ushabtis [statues of workers]
o Mummified animals
 Cats – goddess Bast – protect against disease, spirits, rids homes of pests
 Protected graineries from rodents – saved food supply
 When cat died its owner would shave his eyebrows
 If you accidentally killed a cat – you were probably killed
PYRAMIDS – place of ascent to meet “Ra”
► originally tombs were not grand enough for the kings began to build pyramids
► also symbols of Royal Power
► +100 pyramids exist today all were built on western side of Nile
o symbolic of setting sun into underworld
1st “pyramid = Step Pyramid (Djoser)
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Largest pyramid = “Great Pyramid @ Giza” (Khufu)
► 481 feet tall
► sides are about 760 feet long
► 2.3 million stones (avg 2 ½ tons)
► Herodotus est. 100,000 workers – 20 years
► built by peasants
EGYPTIAN NOTES
**according to legend, Khufu used his daughter as a prostitute to help pay for his pyramid
*Sphinx
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*body of lion / head of King Khafre (240’ long)
guard pyramids [Great Pyramid]
Thutmose was on expedition sat down in shade of Sphinx – although he did not know it was the
Sphinx because it was covered in sand
o fell asleep and had a dream in which the Sphinx talked to Thutmose telling him that if
Thutmose would clear the sand away from him because it was choking him he would make
him king of Egypt
o Thutmose awoke and remembered the dream – he had sand removed and later he
became Thutmose III (he was not in line to become king)
Grave Robbing was a big problem with pyramids – tombs began to be put at the VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Around 2180 BC
1ST ILLNESS (after death of Pepi II) 7-10 dynasties
>power of pharaohs decreased – why? (bad leader, too harsh, too lenient,
poor flooding of Nile)
>agriculture declined – flooding, famine, crop failure
>power of nobles increased – power struggle with pharaohs
>immorality
Around 2050 BC
MIDDLE KINGDOM began (1st Illness ended) 11-12 dynasties
>pharaohs power increased – viewed more as a “shepherd of his people”
focusing on public works and public welfare [Old Kingdom pharaohs were
viewed as inaccessible] – decrease in noble power
>agriculture improved (a little bit not a lot)
>increase in domestic projects
o Canal from Nile to Red Sea (trade)
o Drained marshy areas to increase farmland
o Increased irrigation projects
o Stronger military - expanded some to north and south
 Sesostris II – est. 1st unified military
 Replaced militias of the nomes
>commoners begin to believe they possess eternal spirits (afterlife)
as people became more educated (probably upper classes)
religion began to emphasize “moral conduct” instead of being based on power/wealth
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
Around 1650 BC
2ND ILLNESS 13-17 dynasties
>Hyksos (Asian invaders) conquered Egypt (desert did not keep them out)
>ruled approximately 100 years
• Did allow pharaohs to remain in power – maybe Hyksos were too arrogant
– THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH RECEIVING “TRIBUTE”
EACH YEAR
>Egyptians hated the Hyksos, BUT did learn important things:
o Use of bronze
o War from horse-drawn chariots
o Better bow / arrow
o Increased nationalism
o New spinning / weaving techniques
>Hyksos helped “modernize” Egypt
Around 1550 BC
Battle of Tanis
King Ahmose I (“Adios Ahmose”) kicked Hyksos out of Egypt
>strengthened Egyptian patriotism to unify against Hyksos and weaken
power of nobles
NEW KINGDOM was established 18-20 dynasties
>became very militaristic – protection and expansion
>established “buffer states” for protection
>re-establish power in Middle East
Thutmose I – “Hammer of the Nubians”
>killed Nubian king and hung his body from the prow of his ship
Queen Hatshepsut – first female pharaoh
>she was a concubine that gave Thutmose II a son (Thutmose III) when his wife could not
>ruled for her son Thutmose [Thutmose III]
>dressed like a man – wore beard
>after death depicted like a man [may have been killed by Thutmose]
>increased trade
>strengthened economy
>avoided costly wars
Thutmose III – “Napoleon of Egypt” [viewed as national hero]
>very militaristic -- never lost a battle
>Empire reached its strongest / wealthiest
>FYI – had pierced ears
Amonhotep III – empire reached its largest size
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
Akhenaton (Amonhotep IV) – changed religion to monotheism - “Heretic King”
>claimed that Aton was only god
>changed name to Akhenaton to honor Aton
>decreased power of priests
>upset people
>Akhenaton was ignoring traditional beliefs and destroyed old gods – this would screw up the
cosmic order
>female figure – some thought “she was a guy”
huge narrow head on thin neck
potbelly – looked like he was pregnant
womanly hips
>anything associated with Akehenaton was destroyed after his death and he was removed from
the official lists of pharaohs
even his son, King Tut, was removed
Tutankamen [King Tut]
>reestablished polytheism
1922
King Tut’s Tomb discovered by Howard Carter (inside 3 coffins – gold face plate)
=>curse of King Tut (media went crazy!)
~Lord Carnarvon (sponsored expedition) – bit my mosquito – while shaving he
opened the mosquito bite – died of blood poisoning
~Lord Carnarvon’s dog died at same time Lord Carnarvon died – dog howled then
died
~lights of Cairo went out at same time Lord Carnarvon died
~Howard Carter’s canary was eaten by Cobra
Ramses II [the Great] - MASTER OF “POLITICAL SPIN”
>ruled 67 years
>100 - 150 children???
>amazing builder
-Abu Simbel
>built to impress southern neighbor and intimidate them from attacking
>four 70’ statues of himself outside
>inside lined with his statues
>carvings of himself and wife
>2x a year light would shine perfectly in and light up the carving of Ramses
-built temples throughout Egypt, could go nowhere and not be reminded of Ramses legacy
>considered biblical pharaoh during Exodus
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
Ramses II consumed with leaving his legacy
>in Battle of Kadesh (strategic location to expand into Middle East) against the Hittites – it was
fought to draw OR was it?
>Ramses version
-marched to meet King Muwatalli’s Hittite forces
-2 spies lied to Ramses saying the king’s forces went north (they were waiting at Kadesh)
-Hittite forces attacked and Egyptian forces fled the battle
-Ramses became enraged and put on his armor, grabbed weapons, and a horse and rode
into Muwatalli’s army to find no soldiers came with him – HE WAS ALONE with
2500 enemy chariots surrounding him
-Ramses began fighting – killing and slashing bodies, tossing them into the Orontes river –
the river was “red with Hittite blood”
-King Muwatalli acknowledged Ramses victory and turned over control of Kadesh to
Ramses
REAL STORY
-to begin with Egypt had little chance to defeat the Hittites because Egypt had Bronze and Hittites
had Iron AND Hittites had 3 man chariots
-the Hittites did break through Egyptian lines and did surround Ramses and a small group of
Egyptian soldiers
-2 things saved Ramses:
1)an additional Egyptian infantry group joined in at the last minute and saved a rout
2)Hittites did not pursue the Egyptians
>they stayed and pillaged the Egyptian camp
Hittite soldiers did not receive pay, they depended on pillaging
in their greed, the Hittite soldiers missed the opportunity to destroy to
capture and or kill Ramses and the Egyptian military
-so in the end, due to exhaustion on both sides, there the Treaty of Kadesh was signed that
allowed Ramses and his forces to retreat
viewed as first peace treaty
Ramses lied to protect his reputation – His reputation was based on 3 things
1)longevity – 66 years
2)extensive building program – erased names of other pharaohs and put his name in, built building
and statues throughout Egypt’s land – no matter where you were Ramses was “watching
you”
3)military campaigns
-he had been pharaoh for only 4 years and needed to prove himself
-Ramses pun POLITICAL SPIN on the draw, at best
-had dozens of temples and buildings inscribed with his “famous victory” – with Ramses
himself “saving the day”
-since there are no “contrary” sources – no one questioned Ramses
– Ramses felt this would hurt his legacy, so he LIED about the outcome making it seem like he had won
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY:
Life Expectancy males / females = 30 // living past 40 was rewarded with grain from the government
Marriage
very similar to our concept of marriage today
boys were to get married between 17-20 to girls that were between 12-13
-expected to have children within 1st year - 60-70% infant mortality rate
>children seen as a special blessing from the gods if lived past first year
Education
boys from wealthy families went to school from about 12-16
boys from poor families began working in the same job their fathers worked
girls lives centered around the home/family
Medicine
understood a lot due to mummification
performed surgeries
understood role of organs – except for brain/heart (had them reversed)
used “dream analysis” to find cures for illnesses
Calendar
360 days with additional 5 days added at beginning of each year
3 season – each 4 months long – each 30 days
each new season began with positioning of star – Sirius
Astrology
established a form of horoscope (Poor Man’s Almanac) for giving advice
Beauty
loved the body
>an abundance of facial hair was sign of being unclean
>used oils/creams to soften skin
>wore cones of perfumes on their heads, as they melted they ran down face/neck
>eye makeup – green / black
>lipstick
>wigs – usually made with human hair
tattoos – women – dancers and concubines
Food
fish, bread, beer, wheat, honey, peas, beans, onions, garlic, leeks, lettuce, cabbage,
turnips, figs, dates, grapes
little to no bee/pork - desert geography made it difficult to raise livestock
EGYPTIAN ACHIEVEMENTS
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Pyramids
Mummification
Medicine
Irrigation
Hieroglyphics
a. Pictographic
b. Jean Francois Champollion used Rosetta Stone (found by Napoleon’s men near Rosetta)
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EGYPTIAN NOTES
c. Papyrus
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