One of the Oldest and Most Magnificent Civilizations in Human History is Egypt: The Nile’s Gift
Egypt is located on the northeastern coast of Africa. Without the Nile river valley, it would have turned into a desert like the rest of North Africa.
One of the oldest and most magnificent civilizations in recorded history once thrived in this Nile Valley.
The longest-lasting Ancient Egyptian Civilization had a significant impact on the rest of humanity. Let’s start by looking at how geographical considerations contributed to the emergence of this great civilization.
Regional Considerations
This Nile River initially provided a source of sustenance for the local population at first. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek historian, referred to Egypt as “the Nile’s Gift” after recognizing how significant it was. The Nile River rises in the hills of central Africa and travels hundreds of kilometres to the north before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
Due to the regular inundation of the river, the land along its banks and close to its mouth, where a delta with a fan-like shape is formed, became fruitful.
Once North Africa’s environment changes, many hunting tribes fled their homes and settled along the Nile because the green Sahara region no longer got any rain. The region had a hot, dry environment, and the river was only able to be navigated after it crossed the grasslands.
Egyptian borders provided defence against foreign invasions, including the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the plain in the west, the Red Sea in the east, and waterfalls in the south.
Additionally, the requirements of the constructors and craftspeople were met by the availability of construction materials like stones and minerals like copper. Thus, these elements fostered the development of a great society and culture.
Agricultural Developments and Other
Hunting tribes from the plateaus moved to the Nile valley, as previously described. Many of them stopped hunting and began farming the Nile’s fertile topsoil. These guys constructed tanks, dykes, and canals to store water and irrigate the land as the river receded during the wet season.
They developed the shadoof to raise the water out of the tanks and employed other new tools for efficient agricultural work. In their agricultural endeavours, they employed oxen as well as other animals, such as wooden sickles, ploughs, and other tools.
In one year, they produced three crops. They cultivated wheat, vegetables, and flax. They eventually produced a wide range of fruits, including watermelons, lemons, dates, and figs.
Both sides of the Nile River saw a rapid expansion in the number of communities. A distinct tribe lived in each settlement, and each tribe adhered to the Hamitic race, a subrace of the Caucasian race. Every tribe had a totem or insignia that was typically an animal that was revered.
Early Egyptian History’s Division
Ancient Egypt’s long history may be broken down into three major eras: The age of the pyramids, also known as the old kingdom (3400–2700 B.C. ), the age of feudalism, also known as the middle kingdom (2500–2000 B.C. ), and the imperial age, also known as the new kingdom (1600 B.c.-1150 n.c.). The transition between one time and the next may also be marked by the presence of anarchic elements or foreign wars.
Age of Pyramids or Old Kingdom: The Egyptian pharaohs built a significant number of pyramids, giving rise to the term “era of the pyramids.” The Pharaohs’ unchallenged power is another characteristic of this period.
With the aid of priests and nobles, Pharaohs administered the nation as its heads, passing laws, collecting taxes, and exercising smart leadership. The Pharaohs were assisted in managing the regions, villages, and cities by hundreds of officials in various capacities.
The Age of Feudalism: The Pharaohs’ authority progressively waned as the nobles rose to prominence. Rival groups of nobles attempted to persuade the Pharaoh to follow their agenda, which led to significant political unrest in the nation. One of them controlled his province with the authority of a king while showing little regard for the Pharaoh. Political uncertainty persisted for almost a century (2200 B.C.-2100 B.C.).
The Imperial Age or the New Kingdom (1580 B.C.-1150 B.C.): The magnificent Pharaohs of the 18th dynasty led ancient Egypt to the pinnacles of immense power and glory. After Ahmose, Amenhotep I, whose conquests encompassed Nubia in the south and Babylonia in the east, turned the Egyptian kingdom into an empire.
Thutmose I, the following great king, also exercised control over some regions of Asia. He didn’t have a son, therefore his daughter, who later wed Thutmose III, became Queen Hatshepsut (1501- 1479 B.C.).
Historical Egyptian Society
The aristocracy, the middle class, and the slave class made up the bulk of early Egyptian society. The Pharaoh, the nobles, and the priests were members of the aristocratic class who possessed great wealth and power in Egypt. They possessed vast estates, lovely homes, priceless jewellery, excellent linens, a considerable number of slaves, and servants.
The lower classes were very envious of their beautifully furnished homes and decor. They also had power, rank, and perks.
The expansion of towns and cities in Ancient Egypt directly contributed to the establishment of the middle class. Merchants, scribes, artisans, and other professionals like doctors made up the middle class. These individuals all enjoyed basic conveniences.
The majority of the Egyptian population, which consisted of peasants, struggled to make ends meet. They put in a lot of overtime, and a sizable portion of their revenue was used to cover the cost of paying state taxes (in kind).
Financial Life Ancient Egyptians
A large portion of ancient Egyptians were farmers. They grew fruits, vegetables, flax, wheat, and other crops. They made textile products out of flax. Rolls of papyrus were employed for writing.
The ancient Egyptians discovered how to create a variety of metal objects from bronze. They acquired the skills necessary to create exquisite jewellery, glassware, and furniture.
Within days of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the world was astounded by the exquisite creations that the ancient Egyptians had made. Early Egyptians were masters in crafts like ceramics and leatherwork.
For the first time ever, they created sail-equipped boats and exported their made commodities to distant lands.
Egyptian Spirituality
Early Egyptian poetry, art, and monuments all reveal a very religious people. They worshipped the natural powers in the early days of their civilization. But throughout time, every town and city came to have a patron deity.
Monotheism: Akhnaton (1375–1358 B.C.) attempted to convert the people from worshipping a multitude of deities to the Sun-god, Aton (the sun’s disc).
He supported monotheism and had all the temples closed save from the one for the Sun God. However, the priests rejected his attempt at religious reform. His successors revived the previous tradition of polytheistic devotion after his passing.
Design and Visual Arts
The ancient Egyptians, as was already noted, were fervently religious. Temples, pyramids, and tombs were created by their aristocracy and kings. Karnak, Luxor, Philae, and Abu Simbel temples are only some of the ones renowned for their exquisite architecture.
The majority of these temples have large halls with towering roofs supported by columns of pillars that occasionally reach extremely high heights.
Paintings that portray people’s daily or religious lives can be found on the temple walls. The columns have engravings.
The tomb belonging to the young pharaoh Tutankhamen is the most well-known of them. Fortunately, this hidden tomb was located undamaged and provided an accurate view of the splendour of early Egyptian art.
The casket, which is made of gold that is a quarter inch thick and contains jewelled portraits, also contains his mummy. Brilliant murals in the other tombs close to Thebes provide an insight into the lives of early Egyptians from all classes.
On the surfaces of the temples, tombs, and obelisks, several Ancient Egyptian sculptors painted a wide variety of subjects.
The Pharaoh statues were sculpted by artists, and they are highly recognised for their “dignity and simplicity.” The Sphinx, a statue of a reclining lion with a human head, is one of the most famous structures from ancient Egypt. Its location is close to the Great Pyramid.
The Great Pyramid: The Egyptian pyramids are magnificent works of architecture. They are enormous constructions designed as royal tombs. King Zoser erected the first pyramid, which Imhotep, his vizier, had created.
Khufu, a Pharaoh of Egypt, constructed the Great Pyramid at Gizeh. Its pinnacle rises to a height of 481 feet, while its base spans an area of 13.1 acres. It is made of limestone stones, 2,300,000 of which weigh 2 tonnes each.