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Ancient Egypt - 3300-30BC
The scope of Egypt's history can be difficult to comprehend. Its history spans some five millenniums and encompasses the origin of civilization, the rise of the Greeks and Romans, the establishment of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, the colonial era when first France and then the English ruled the country, and finally, a return to independence.
An Ancient Egyptian civilization thrived along the Nile River in north-eastern Africa for more than 3,000 years, from about 3300 to 30 BC, making it the longest-living civilisation of the ancient world. Technically, the ancient Egyptians only inhabited the valley and delta of the Nile (known as Upper Egypt), and it was the seasonal flooding of the Nile that enabled the Egyptians to develop a successful economy based on agriculture.
Egyptian civilisation history is split into Pre-Dynastic, Dynastic and Post-Dynastic, with the dynasties being provided by the families of rulers and kings that governed Egypt throughout its predominance.
Pre-Dynastic BC)
Evidence of human habitation has been discovered before 8000 BC in an area in the southwestern corner of Egypt, but by 4000 BC there were settlements in Upper Egypt at locations such as Hierakonpolis (ancient Nekhen), Naqada, and Abydos.
By 3500 BC, the settlement of Hierakonpolis, located on the west bank of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, had become a central site of Predynastic culture.
The Late Predynastic Period BC) resulted in the earliest know hieroglyphics and the foundation of the Egyptian state.
Early Dynastic Period BC) (1st -3rd Dynasties) resulted in the creation of the capital city of Memphis, development of a complex society, the rise of the state, and the first pyramid - the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, was built.
The Old Kingdom BC) (4th-8th Dynasties)It was in this land that two of the Seven Wonders of the World was found: the pyramids at Giza and the lighthouse at Alexandria. The ancient Egyptians produced a vast body of written records, including ethical and moralistic treatises, instructional texts, religious and magical scrolls, evocative love poetry, epic stories, and ribald tales. They possessed a sophisticated understanding of mathematics and the principles of architecture, enabling them to introduce to the world large stone buildings before 2500 BC.
1st Intermediate Period (2125-1975BC) (9th-11th Dynasties) led to Egypt being split into two smaller states, ruled from Memphis in the north and Thebes in the south.
The Middle Kingdom (1975-1640BC) (11th-14th Dynasties) resulted in Egypt being reunited, with the prime city being Memphis in the north and the Classical period of art and literature.
The 2nd Intermediate Period (1630-1520BC) (15th-17th Dynasties) - Hyksos kings sieze power in the north, and the Theban 17th Dyn in the south.
The New Kingdom (1539-1075BC) (18th-20th Dynasties).
The Egyptian empire now stretched into the Near East and Nubia, elaborate tombs were built in the Valley of the Kings. This era saw the introduction of a monotheistic religion, and featured Tutankhamun (his mask is at the top of the window) and Ramesses II, plus the first woman pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
The 3rd Intermediate Period (1075-715BC) (21st-25th Dynasties)
This was a period of great disunity within Egypt. The Libyans settled in Egypt, followed by the Nubians conquering Egypt.
The Late Period (715-332BC) (20th-30th Dynasties)
Egypt was conquered briefly by the Assyrians and Persians, but became independent again from 404-343 BC.
The Greco-Roman Period (332BC-395AD)
In 332 BC, the Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, succeeded in conquering Egypt and annexed it to his Hellenistic empire. When he died in 323 BC, his friend and general, Ptolemy, became satrap or governor, of Egypt. In 305 BC he took the title of king of Egypt, thus founding the Ptolemaic dynasty of pharaohs. This line of Hellenistic rulers held power for almost 300 years. Cleopatra VII, the last of them, committed suicide after the Romans defeated her forces at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next year, Egypt was made part of the Roman Empire. This period also saw the carving of the Rosetta Stone in 196BC.
Ancient Egypt's accomplishments
Ancient Egypt's accomplishments number many and varied. The variety of plants that grew and were cultivated could be used for many purposes, including food, clothing, and shelter. The river was also the source of fish, and a fishing industry was established early on. Mud from the river's banks was the raw material for a well-established pottery industry as well as for the bricks used in house construction. To navigate the Nile, the Egyptians learned to build all sorts of boats. The land provided a wide variety of minerals, including several types of stone, semiprecious gems, salts, and metals such as gold, copper, and, to a lesser extent - silver. The Egyptians quarried, mined, and processed these resources and trade with other countries provided products not found in Egypt.
Science and Technology
The Egyptians created a calendar at a very early stage, based on their observations of the movements of the Sun and the stars. They used their calendar for many purposes including the recording of historical events and royal decrees and the scheduling of festivals and other activities. Perhaps representing one of the first attempts at making a calendar are the remnants of stone circles from around 8000 BC in the southwestern corner of modern Egypt.
Art and Culture
The ancient Egyptians produced a large body of creative works in areas such as music, literature, painting, sculpture, drama, and architecture. Often the purpose of their artistic output was not recreation or cultural enrichment, but the communication of some sort of message or theme.
Paintings, carvings, and other representations of figures in two dimensions appear on the walls of temples, tombs, coffins and sarcophagi, as well as on papyri, textiles and cartonnage (form-fitting coffins made of a papier-mâché-like substance).
Sculptures served a variety of purposes. Carved statues of deities were worshiped in temples. The actual worship took place after appropriate rituals were completed. The rituals were believed to animate the image and insure that the deity had taken up residence in the statue. Statues of royal persons and ordinary people were also produced.
Musical instruments were included in several burials, and musicians accompanying ritual dancers are often depicted on the walls of tombs and some temples. Some scenes of musicians and dancers represent entertainment at parties, while others portray religious activity. Musical instruments used in ancient Egypt include trumpets, flutes, harps, and various percussion instruments.
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