Egypt

Old Kingdom/ Middle Kingdom / New Kingdom/ Overview of Cultural, and Economic Aspects of Egyptian Life / Family life and education / Food Housing / Economics and Occupations / Other Cultural Activities and Characteristics / Religion

Egypt

The White Nile originates at Lake Victoria in Uganda. It joins the Blue Nile from Ethiopia at Khartoum. Between Khartoum and the Mediterranean Sea the course is interrupted by six set of rapids, the last being at Aswan. The ancient Egyptians called these rapids, cataracts, and believed that the Nile spring from an underground sea at the island of Elephantine near the First Cataract. The Nile River is the longest river in the world, stretching for 4,187 miles. The Nile flows from south to north and is formed by three major tributaries: the White Nile, the Blue Nile and the Atbara. The Blue Nile has its source in the highlands of the African country of Ethiopia, by Lake Tana. The runoff from spring rain and melting snow caused the annual summer flood of the Nile that the Egyptians depended on for water to irrigate their crops, and deposit fertile top soil. Just north of Khartoum the combined White and Blue Nile meet their final major tributary, the Atbara which also has its source in the Ethiopian highlands. Because of the building of the Aswan Dam, in one generation, thousands of years of life along the Nile River have been permanently altered.
The civilization was divided into lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt started at Aswan and was a narrow, more arid land bordered by high cliffs and the desert. Lower Egypt included the rich plain of Faiyum and the Delta where the river widened out and emptied into the sea. Tucked into the desert with the Mediterranean as a northern border, Egypt was easily defensible. Lower Egypt is known as Northern Egypt because it is downriver along the Nile.
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt stretching from just south of modern-day Cairo to the Nile Delta at Alexandria. Lower Egypt's landscape is dominated by the Nile delta at Alexandria. The deltal region is well watered, crisscrossed by channels and canals. There are marshy areas and the mosquitoes can be very annoying. The climate is milder than the climate in Upper Egypt. Temperatures are less extreme and there is more rainfall in this area. The Lower Egyptians' dialect and customs historically varied from those of the Upper Egyptians. Even in modern times, Lower Egypt is much more industrialized, and influenced by trade and commerce with the rest of the world.
Upper Egypt is known as Southern Egypt because it is upstream, closer to the source of the Nile. Upper Egypt is a narrow strip of land that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan to the area south of modern-day Cairo. Historically, Upper Egypt's land was more isolated from activities to the north.
While developing into a civilization, the Egypitians had to harness the Nile. They learned to determine the seasons of the year by the behavior of the river. The first season was Inudation, a time of flooding from June thgough September. At this time the peasants hauled stone for the Pharaoh for his building projects. The next season was Emergence when men caught and hoarded the fast-receding waters and planted in the mud. Usually the soil remained wet until February while the crops grew. During the last season, Drought, the men harvested and threshed. Then in June the whole cycle repeated itself.
Egyptian civilization began in Lower Egypt. A major characteristic of the Middle and New Kingdom is the movement of power to Upper Egypt and the constant struggle of the dynasties to keep the two kingdoms united.

Index

Egyptian Civilization is divided into Kingdoms with each kingdom containing many dynasties with many pharaohs. Chronology of Pharaohs The Old Kingdom

From 2686 BC to 2181 BC the kings of the Old Kingdom had absolute power and were considered gods on earth. Great feats were accomplished during this kingdom. During the reign 90 years reign of Pepi II, the last ruler of the Sixth Dynasty , the power of the centralized government had been distributed to district governors. Upon his death peace and prosperity turned to disorder and hardship. For almost 200 years an unstable feudal rule existed. Finally, a strong family united Egypt under the 12^th Dynasty and moved the control of government to Thebes.

The Middle Kingdom Index

With the Middle Kingdom from 2133BC to 1786 BC came an overhaul of the bureaucracy and education. The myth of a god king was replaced by the concept of a "good king." The duties of divinity fell to the god Amon (or Amen) who was given precedence over all other gods and goddesses. Trade with some foreign lands increased and sometimes caused the Pharaohs fight with bordering civilizations. The defense of Egypt was emphasized and Canals were dug at the First Cataract or waterfall of the Nile. Large armies were formed, fortresses built and the administration was divided into three strong geographical sections controlled by separate officials. These became king like or monarchy positions. Because of the stability yet continued interaction with other cultures, this was a period of change and creativity. This became known as the golden age in the arts.

The New Kingdom Index

The New Kingdom from `1567BC to 1085 BC was characterized by a new role for women and territorial expansion. Women achieved high status and political advancement in the New Kingdom. Queen Hatshepsut was a powerful queen who, after the death of the husband the king, then pushing aside her son, first acting as his regent then naming herself pharaoh, became one of the greatest pharaohs in Egyptian history. She pushed for trade and reform, both of which increased during her reign. Several architectural developments including a magnificent temple in the Valley of the Kings, and many new educational facilities were created and established. Her step son, Thutmose eventually became pharaoh and destroyed many of her accomplishments. His empire did grow but through force and military conquest.
The last major change during the New Kingdom was within the religion. Amenhotep IV, who later changed his name to Akenaten in honor of the sun, Aten, tried to reshape the polytheistic religion of the Egyptians to that of worship of his one god, Aten. He and his wife Queen Nefertiti established a new capital, changing from Thebes to Memphis and area today known as Tell El-Amarna. This reduced the power of the priest which angered them. After his death the capital was moved back to Thebes by his son-in-law, King Tutankhamon.

Overview of Cultural, and Economic Aspects of Egyptian Life The Egyptian Civilization was in its formative stages after 10,000 BC. Historians mark its beginning with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Menes (or Narmer) and his successors. It lasted from 3100 BC until the Roman occupation when many unique cultural practices changed to become more Roman and later Arabic. The last true and official pharaoh of Egypt is often considered to be Cleopatra. After her death in 27BC, Egypt became part of the Roman Empire and the pharaohs were subject to Roman rule. During these 3000 years life changed. Following is a general description of cultural and religious characteristics that were maintained throughout the civilization. Characteristics like social roles often evolved into other shapes and forms. Family Life and Education Index

In the ancient Egyptian family the father was the breadwinner while his wife, though rarely seen in public, held a strong position in society. She often held property, transacted business, and was the guardian of her husband's property and name. In the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, husband and wife were equal though wives lived in separate quarters with their children.
Children were the focus of family life. They were allowed to attend most adult functions and took an active part in family businesses. Girls learned matters of running a household; record-keeping, organizing the many containers and great jars of foodstuffs and materials, and supervising the house slaves.

Boys, beginning at age 4, went to school for 10-12 years. Some were sent to local scribes to learn reading an writing. Scribes also taught young boys good manners, respect for parents, honesty, humility and self-control. Scribes were highly regarded in ancient Egyptian civilization.
Another group that was highly regarded were the priests. This was an occupation of high influence. The priests were trained in temple schools by other priests. They married, lived everyday lives and spent only a certain amount of time away from their families.

Food and Housing

Most Egyptians were peasants and lived in small simple homes made of reeds and mud framed with wood. Clay bricks were made with a mixture of sand, mud and straw, then dried in the sun and used for the walls. Reeds and grasses were used for the roofs. Other Egyptians lived in larger homes built back to back and opened directly into the streets. These houses had one central room where most of the family gathered. They usually ate together in this central room.
Beer and bread were the main staples of the ancient Egyptians. Unbaked bread dough was fermented in a mixture of water and honey. The liquid was drunk by everyone and the dough was baked. Other foods supplemented their diet such as Cattle, sheep and goats for meat and dairy products. Vegetables, such as radishes, cucumber, beans and lettuce were grown. Honey was used as a sweetener and meals were supplemented with dates and wine. Peasants sat on the floor to eat while nobility and wealthy families had a food stand set before each member.

Economics and Occupations Index

Farming was the way of life for men and women of the peasant class. They followed the cycle of the Nile which controlled their lives. Other people were artisans crafting pottery, furniture, jewelry, and other beautiful work for the upper class. Not much furniture was found in a peasant's home but their was great demand from the nobles who had tables, chairs, beds, stools, and chests. Storerooms held earthware jars of all sizes, sealed with the scarab seal to guard against tampering. Linens were kept in large handwoven baskets and hand-carved chests.
Tomb workers were always needed to build rock cut tombs of the pharaohs. Many of the peasants assisted during the off growing season but their were some permanent workers who often were slaves, criminals or violent people. They were walled off in prison like places. Farmers, though were happy to do this work because they were taken good care of and fed well. They were also satisfied in the knowledge they were getting in the good favor of their king.
Other occupations included professional magicians, wrestlers, dancers, singers, acrobats and storytellers. The entertainment of the upper class was a full time job. Members of the ruling classes enjoyed outside sports as well such as swimming, hunting, fishing, fowling, and chasing crocodiles and hippopotami. One game relates to the Nile in that people in boats climb poles and try to knock the other people off into the Nile. Along with adult games were children games. They played with toy animals, dolls and leather balls. They collected amulets and charms that were carried in small bundles on belts at their waists or worn as necklaces. These were to bring good luck or protection. They also enjoyed other games such as Senet; Hounds and Jackals, and Nine Men's Morris.

Other Cultural Activities and Characteristics The Egyptians spent a great deal of time making themselves attractive. First, they bathed in baking soda and water. Then large amounts of perfumed oils were applied to protect their bodies from the sun and hot arid air. Women formed perfumed wax balls which they placed in little hats on their heads. As the heat of the day softened the was, little rivulets of oil ran down their necks and backs. This oil kept their bodies moist. A metallic substance was mixed with sheep fat and brushed around the eyes of both men and women, serving both as decoration and as protection against the sun's glare.
Women used rouge on their cheeks and henna (a small shrub) on their hands. These were all prized possessions and kept in small decorated jars, another job of the craftsman. Wigs were worn by both men and women. They were made of braided linen strips set with beeswax. Women often wore false braids to fill out their own hair. It is hard to determine clothing patterns as most of the paintings were of upper classes but these people wore straight linen dresses with should bands. Later these became fuller. Men wore kilts with their upper bodies bare. Jewelry was wore by both men and women. Footware, when wore, was made of woven rushes or leather. Religion Index

Temple were the homes of the gods. Each one housed a specific god, who was enshrined in the sanctuary. On orders of the pharaohs, these temples were build on the East Bank of the Nile, one temple often taking many years to complete. One pharaoh might start the building and another continue and maybe finish it. Added to the original structure maybe gateways, courtyards, large halls with many columns. The Temple of Luxor at Karnak was built in this way by Amenhotep III and Ramese II.
Priest, or overseers, collected taxes, tended to the daily feeding and clothing of the god - statues, and supervised the god's lands and crops. They determined the amount of taxes to be paid by measuring the depth of the Nile. The theory was that if the water level was high more crops would grow therefore the taxes should be high. If low, less crops and less taxes.
These priest demanded vast quantities of land, goods and treasure. The pharaohs and their nobles conceded to these demands which eventually decreased their power and status. The priests grew wealthy and achieved tremendous power, enjoying a comfortable family life.
The Egyptians revered their gods and spent a great deal of time making offerings and praying to their favorites. Festival time was an exciting opportunity for the Egyptian people to view the god-statues to whom they prayed every day. Temples were sacred and, therefore, off limits to the peasants. During festivals, priests carried god-statues through the streets, up and down the Nile in barges, and staged great feasts and merriment.

Once a year the statue Isis, in the Temple of the goddess Hathor at Dendera, left its small sanctuary to be taken upstream to the Temple of Seti I at Abydos. Here she was spiritually reunited with her husband Osiris. His head was reputed to be buried at Abydos, making the Temple a shrine to which Egyptian pilgrims traveled yearly.

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