Science and Technology
·
They developed Egyptian
writing, medicine, and techniques for preserving the dead for thousands of
years.
·
They created a calendar that
allowed them to make accurate predictions on the yearly flooding of the Nile.
·
The ancient form of writing
that the Egyptians developed was called “Hieroglyphics”.
·
It is thought that the
Egyptians borrowed from the ancient Mesopotamians, who had created cuneiform.
·
Overtime, the Egyptians found
Hieroglyphics to be very impractical for day-to-day use, so, they created a
simplified form of Hieroglyphics known as “Hieratic writing”.
·
Hieroglyphics soon became obsolete.
·
The medicines created were made
of beer, milk, oil, plants, herbs, and animal substances.
·
Bandages, splints, and
disinfectants were used and doctors usually treated and stitched open wounds.
(11)
·
Created the clock and the 365-day
calendar that we use today.(2)
Religious Beliefs
·
The Egyptians worshipped many
gods; they believed in gods that were in control of the elements in nature.
·
These gods were basically a way
of explaining all the unanswered behaviors of nature and why things happen the
way they do.
·
The Pharaohs were believed to
be descended from the gods, which is how they have power over the Egyptians.
·
The Pharaohs acted as the
connection between his people and the gods, he was responsible for sustaining
the gods through rituals and offerings.
·
So, a lot of their resources
and slaves went to performing these rituals and to construct temples where they
could be carried out.
·
The Egyptians also believed
heavily in the existence of an afterlife and they performed many funerary
practices to ensure that their soul would survive after death.(mummification)
·
They provided tombs, grave
goods, and offerings to preserve the dead bodies.(1)
Nile River
·
In 3100 BCE the Nile River was
very important to Egypt’s growth in agriculture.
·
The Nile River flooded annually
sometime from June to September.(13)
·
Once the flood water receded,
the soil became fertile, making it ideal for planting crops.
·
Surveyors would mark out the
land with rope so that laborers could plant seeds within the marked area.
·
The grains typically grown were
barley and wheat.
·
The vegetables grown were
onions, leeks, lettuce, radishes, gourds, melons, peas, and lentils.
·
Planting took little time
because the soil was usually soft and damp from the flood.
·
Children and laborers drove
herds of animals over the saturated earth to churn up the ground and stamp in
the seeds.
·
During the growing season, the
crops were cultivated and the livestock herded to the fields to graze.
·
Even though farmers and
laborers plant and grow the crops, they only get to keep a small percentage of
the total harvest.
·
Tax collectors and the
landowners take most of the harvest.(11)
·
The floods were predictable enough
for Egyptians to plan their yearly crops around it.
·
Famine occurred when there is a
surplus or lack of flooding.
·
The ancient Egyptians learned
to control the floods from the Nile by means of irrigation.
·
In addition to being a source
of water for their crops, the Nile River was also a source of fish and a major
channel linking parts of Egypt as well as linking Egypt to its neighbors.(10)
·
As the land continued to
develop and its population increased, factors such as unity, political
stability, and expansion of the area of cultivated land became evident.
Nile Delta
·
The Nile Delta used to have 5
tributaries but was eventually reduced to 2; the other 3 tributaries have been
filled with silt.
·
The 7 branches of the Nile eventually
became 2 because of global warming that caused the sea level to rise and the
shore line to dissipate.
·
The draining of the Nile Delta
provided a cultivation area that was twice the size of the entire Nile
Valley.(5)
·
Like the Nile River, the Nile
Delta also got floods, the flood water helped fertilize the land very quickly.
·
The Nile Delta is located north
of Egypt where the Nile River reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
·
The Delta and its mouth posed
obstacles to invaders(13)
·
The Delta has the richest
farmland in Egypt, it also contains the largest cities after Cairo in
Alexandria, Tanta, Damanhur and Mansoura.(12)
Eastern Desert
·
Back when the Eastern Desert
was a bit wetter, it was more densely populated.
·
The Eastern and Western Desert
is divided by the Nile
·
During the Predyastic period,
the Egyptians mined the Eastern Desert for its rich supple of rocks and ores(4)
·
Although there were people that
came to the Eastern Desert to exploit its minerals there were no permanent
settlements in the area.
·
The rocks and minerals gathered
from the Eastern Desert was used to manufacture palettes.
·
These materials were gathered
using quarries that the Egyptians built.
·
The most valuable stone found
there is known as bekhen-stone
·
It was a type of breccia that
was used for building statues and sarcophagi and other small monuments.
·
The Eastern Desert also offered
a source of gold, copper, tin, gems, which were used to make tools and decorate
tombs.
·
Offered trading routes that
linked the Red Sea coast with the towns and cities of the Nile Valley.
·
Since they gave access to the
Nile from the East, where most of Egypt’s enemies came from, the desert routes
had to be guarded.(6)
Faiyum
·
A lakeside oasis to the west of
the Nile and is mainly an agricultural area.
·
The Middle Kingdom kings
reclaimed land by controlling the water flow along a side river channel and
directing it to irrigate extra land while lake water levels were lowered.(2)
·
During Neolithic times (5500 to
4000 BCE), two groups of people (Neolithic Fayumian and Neolithic Moerian) existed.
·
This was the time where the
first agricultural communities were developed.(3)
·
The fertility in the soil comes
from a series of irrigation canals which are spread across the depression to
supplement the natural wells and springs of the oasis.
·
The crops that are typically
grown is wheat, rice, tomatoes and a large selection of fruit and vegetables.(7)
Mediterranean Sea
·
The Mediterranean Sea served as
route for merchants and travelers
·
Allowed for trade and cultural
exchange between Egyptians, Mesopotamia, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Iberian,
Greek, Macedonian, Illyrian, Thracian, Levantine, Gallic, Roman, Albanian,
Armenian, Arabic, Berber, Jewish, Slavic and Turkish cultures.
·
2300 miles in length(9)
- ·
Some sail over the calm seas to
enlarge their territories through warfare.(8)
