Egyptian civilization flourished along the Nile River from around 3000 BC to 30 BC. Key aspects included a centralized government led by a divine pharaoh; a society stratified into classes like nobles, peasants, and slaves; and a polytheistic religion centered around major gods like Ra, Osiris, and Horus. The Egyptians developed a hieroglyphic writing system, made advances in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and engineering through structures like the pyramids, and had technologies including brick-making and glass-working.
2. Origin
Government
Society
Religion
Language and Writing
Mathematics
Astronomy
Medicine
Technology
3. Origin
One of the world’s longest civilizations in
history.
A “river civilization” like Mesopotamian.
Concentrated along the middle and lower
reaches of the Nile River.
At different times, extended to the southern
Levant, the Eastern desert, the Red Sea
coastline, the Sinai Peninsula and the Western
desert.
4. Origin
The importance of the Nile - Egypt is known as
the “gift of the Nile”.
The annual flooding of the Nile – fertile Nile
valley.
The Nile also a unifying factor in Egyptian
history.
As a major means for transportation and
communication.
5. Origin
Ancient Egyptians – a merging of north and
East African as well as Southwest Asian
peoples.
“Punt” or “Ta Neteru” (Land of the Gods) –
Eritrea and Ethiopian Highlands.
Originally populated by tribes led by tribal
chieftains.
6. Government
Egypt was divided into two:
Upper Egypt (Ta Shemau)
Lower Egypt (Ta Mehu)
The history of ancient Egypt proper started
around 3000 BC – Egypt as a unified state.
Centralized system of government.
Menes, unified Upper and Lower Egypt, was
the first king.
7.
8. Government
3 major periods in Egyptian history:
Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BC)
Middle Kingdom (2050 – 1652 BC)
New Kingdom (1567 – 1085 BC)
These were periods of long term stability,
strong monarchical authority, competent
bureaucracy, freedom of invasion, much
construction of temples and pyramids and
intellectual and cultural activity.
9. Government
In between these periods, intermediate
periods.
Political chaos, foreign invasions, and a decline
in building activity.
The Old Kingdom – the age of prosperity and
splendor.
The construction of greatest and largest
pyramids in Egyptian history.
10. Government
The New Kingdom – the “golden age” of
ancient Egypt. Egypt was the most powerful
state in the ancient Near East.
Kingship – divine institution.
The title of Egyptian king – “pharaoh” (“great
house” or “great palace”) was the most
common.
All Egyptian kings, considered themselves as
“King of Upper and Lower Egypt”.
11. Government
King had absolute power, yet to rule according
to a set of principles “Ma’at”.
Ma’at – a spiritual concept; the idea of truth
and justice, right order and harmony, Egypt’s
status vis-a vis foreigners.
The pharaoh – to maintain the order and
harmony.
Pharaoh Ahmose I, Thutmosis III, Amenhotep,
Amenhotep III, Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton),
Tutankhamon, Rameses II.
12. Government
Centralized administration – the pharaoh ruled
with massive bureaucracy (e.g. vizier).
Egypt was divided into nomes (provinces),
ruled by nomarch (governors).
Collection of taxes.
Scribes – to keep records. Craftsmen – royal
palaces / royal ceremonies.
State-controlled workers – daily rations of food
and work.
13. Government
Factors that helped the unification of ancient
Egypt:
1. Divine kingship.
2. Writing system.
3. The building of pyramids.
4. River Nile.
15. Society
Women – equal legal rights with men.
Their property and inheritance remained in
their hands after marriage.
Upper class women - as priestesses and a few
queen as pharaoh.
E.g. Hatshepsut was addressed as ‘His
Majesty’.
16. Religion
Polytheism – the worship of gods and
goddesses.
Respected and revered animals. E.g. cats
(miw).
The temple – the center of Egyptian
settlements; as town hall, college, library, for
religious functions.
17. Religion
Primary gods:
Aton / Atum (Re) – the sun god, creator of
universe.
(the pharaoh was the ‘son of Re’)
Anubis (Anpu), Bastet (Bast), Sekhmet, Horus,
Isis, Osiris, Hathor, Nephythes, Khepri, Selkis,
Edjo, etc.
18. Religion
Influential priesthood – Re (Heliapolis), Ptah
(Memphis), and Amon Re (Thebes).
Religious reform by Amenhotep IV – the
worship of Aton, god of the sun – as the chief
god.
Changed name to Akhenaton, closed temples of
other gods, moved the capital from Thebes to
El-Amarna.
The reform failed – abandoned after his death.
19. Language and Writing
An-independent branch of the Afro-Asiatic language –
closely related to Berber and Semitic languages.
Six stages:
1. Archaic Egyptian (before 3000 BC)
2. Old Egyptian (3000 – 2000 BC)
3. Middle Egyptian (2000 – 1300 BC)
4. Late Egyptian (1300 - 700 BC)
5. Demotic Egyptian (700 BC – 400 AD)
6. Coptic (300 – 1800 AD)
21. Language and Writing
Hieroglyphs – the world’s earliest known writing
system - partly syllabic and partly ideographic.
Hieratic – a cursive form of hieroglyphs.
Demotic – of the late Egyptian stage.
“Hieroglyphs” – coined by Greeks to mean “priest-
carvings” or “sacred writing”.
Usually found in temples and tombs – part of the
religious functions and rituals.
Carved on stone, wooden tablets, written on papyrus.
22. Language and Writing
2700 BC, Egyptians used pictograms to
represent vocal sounds (vowel & consonant).
By 2000 BC, used 26 pictograms to represent
24 main vocal sounds – the world’s oldest
known alphabet.
Ancient Egyptian literature, ‘Wisdom Text’ –
sound advice based on traditions and worldly
experience.
23. Mathematics
Calculated numbers based on the power of 10.
Used simple arithmetic of addition and
subtraction, multiplication and division.
Used fractions and special signs for two-thirds,
three-quarters, four-fifths and five-sixths.
Geometry.
Used the skills to outline pyramid bases.
24. Astronomy
Own calendar (lunar months) – based on a
year of 365 days, 12 months, 30 days each
month, and three seasons.
The three seasons corresponded to the cycle of
the Nile river and crop harvest.
25. Medicine
Had a highly advanced medical practice for
their time.
Knowledge of anatomy and human body –
surgery, mummification and setting of bones.
The first to use splints, bandages, compresses
and other surgical appliances.
Had knowledge of pharmacopoeia; herbs e.g.
aloe vera, garlic, and honey.
Also used animal dung, lizard blood, swine
teeth.
26. Engineering
Pyramids, mastabas, sphinx, temples, palaces
and obelisk.
Pyramids began during the Old Kingdom – ‘the
Great Pyramid of Cheops’ – the largest of the
three at Giza.
As tombs for deceased kings – to aid the spirit
(ka) to ascend to heaven.
27. Engineering
Mastabas – tombs surround the pyramids for
deceased courtiers and families of the kings.
Temples e.g. Karnak and Luxor Temples.
28. Technology
Invented hydraulic cement.
Brick-making – mixture of mud, sand, straw
and water.
Papyrus – writing material.
AL-Fayyum Irrigation – the use of the natural
lake of the Fayyum as a reservoir to store
surpluses of water.
Glass-making – glass beads, jars, ornaments,
etc.