Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating and earliest great civilizations in all of the world’s history. Egypt’s location, situated between the African and Asian continents, made it a geographical and political power. Ancient Egyptians believed they had a distinct and superior culture. They had no desire to learn about their neighbors and were isolated. They had a fascination with their own history. The structures (pyramids, sphinx) the Egyptians built still stand today as a testament to their skill and engineering prowess. Royalty were buried in extravagant tombs, some of which are yet to be discovered. The castes of the Egyptian civilization ranged from slave to pharaoh. The country was influenced largely by the Nile River.
The ancient Egyptians were passionate gardeners and accomplished botanists. The Nile was the life-blood of Ancient Egypt. At first they used the Nile for transportation and fishing. The area around the Nile on either sides, was known as floodplains. Thus, the Egyptians began to use the area for agricultural purposes. The area outside that was known as the low desert. It was not watered by the Nile and had very little vegetation. It was used for hunting and burial grounds. There was also the high desert, which was traversed only by caravans and large groups of people in search of stone and minerals. The high desert has several oases, which the Egyptians used to grow dates and other valuable crops.
Using tomb paintings, reliefs and the items included in tombs, archaeologists were able to draw conclusions on the Egyptians’ daily life. Artifacts from the few towns that have been excavated and hundreds of documents written by the ancient Egyptians shed additional light on their life.
The nuclear family was the main social unit of ancient Egypt. The father maintained the financial aspect of the household whereas the mother was responsible for the care of the home and the upbringing of the children. The Egyptian children had some toys and spent time playing but most of their time was taken to prepare for adulthood. The children often accompanied their parents to their place of work. Male children were usually destined to become Craftsmen. Although some privileged children were educated to become scribes and army officers.
The few furnishings found in a common Egyptian home were simple in design. The most common piece of furniture was a low stool, used by all Egyptians including the Pharaoh. The stool was made from wood and was covered by wool or soft leather and had 3 or 4 legs. Most kitchens had a cylindrical, baked clay stove for cooking. Food was stored in pottery. People who could afford them had Wooden beds, tables, chairs, stools, and storage chests of all shapes and sizes. Egyptians ate only with their hands. They did however have plates. The most common foodstuffs were beer and bread
The ancient Egyptians decorated their usually unadorned clothing with elegant costume jewelry. Both sexes wore jewelry such as earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, and beaded necklaces. Their jewelry contained many minerals including amethyst, garnet, jasper, onyx, turquoise, and lapis lazuli, as well as copper, gold, and shells. Since the Egyptians were superstitious their jewelry contained good luck charms called amulets. All clothing was made of linen. The royalty was symbolized by a white linen robe. The Egyptians did not have a taboo on .
The Ancient Egyptians believed that whatever happened in the natural world was a result of the god’s attitude. These occurrences that figured prominently in their lives included the yearly flood of Nile River and the daily circuit of the sun's appearance in the east and the sluggish movement across the sky, and inevitable disappearance in the west. The ancient Egyptians formed a world view in which these events and others were attributed to the actions of multiple, related gods and goddesses.
The ancient Egyptians fantasized the world to be a far different place from what we now know today. They believed the earth was a flat platter of clay afloat on a vast sea of water from which the Nile sprung. They were very deep philosophers, and often fantasized about the afterlife.
Much of what we know today is based upon the artifacts found in burial tombs. Egyptians believed that death was the change from the corporeal body to a higher entity. Most Egyptians were buried with food and wealth if they had any. Everyone prepared for death no matter what their position in society.
In conclusion, the ancient Egyptians were a socially advanced culture, their buildings and culture live on, though they do not. It has been a pleasure researching them.
