Thanks to documents written on papyrus, inscriptions on stone blocks, paintings on the walls and objects found in various tombs, historians have a good idea of how the Egyptians lived.
How they dressed
Due to the hot climate, the inhabitants of Egypt needed only light clothing, which they made from white linen. Often they did not wear clothes at home. Slaves, artisans and children usually went without clothes. However, the ancient Egyptians were very concerned about their appearance and maintaining cleanliness. Both men and women wore eyeliner, wore jewelry, and wore perfume.
Housing
Houses and even royal palaces were made from sun-dried bricks. Stone was used only for the construction of tombs and temples. Due to hot weather and bright light The windows in the houses were small and located high from the ground. Doors and windows were often curtained with mats to prevent flies and dust. When it was very hot, people slept right on the flat roofs.
Entertainment
Wall paintings depict women and men singing and relaxing in the lap of nature. Men compete in wrestling while hunting ducks, antelopes and hares. Board games were popular among both adults and children; many families kept pets.
Did you eat well?
The inhabitants of Egypt had enough food; they fished, including eels, and hunted ducks and geese. They also had their own diet. The main part of the Egyptian daily diet was fruits, vegetables and pork. The Egyptians developed cultivated varieties of watermelon brought from South Africa, they grew a fig tree that came to Egypt from Turkey. They learned how to make wine, beer and cheese. Cakes and cookies were baked from wheat (often with the addition of honey and herbal seasonings). The Egyptians knew more than forty different varieties of bread.
The role of religion
The fact that the Egyptians built so many large temples shows that religion was very important to them. They prayed to various gods and believed in life after death. Therefore, they preserved the bodies of the dead in the form of mummies and buried them, leaving in the crypts the food, dishes, tools and weapons necessary for the afterlife. Large and important role priests played a role in Egyptian society. Ordinary people believed that by interpreting dreams and studying the stars, priests could predict a person’s fate and even protect against the evil eye with the help of incantations and spells.
What did you do?
Most Egyptians were farmers. Free from field work for a time they helped build temples and pyramids. It was also a way to pay taxes. The work of artisans was well paid, but instead of money they were often paid in food, cloth, firewood or salt. Most women worked in the home, but were often weavers, dancers, nannies, priestesses, or workers who made perfumes and cosmetics.
How were mummies made?
The human body was cut open and the heart, lungs and other organs were removed, which were then placed in separate vessels. The brain was pulled out piece by piece with hooks through the nose and thrown away. The body was then treated with caustic soda, a natural chemical compound that dried it out and prevented decomposition. As a rule, the body was stuffed with cloth and wrapped in bandages, and then buried in a coffin, which in turn was placed in a stone sarcophagus. This whole procedure took about seventy days.
Job
The people of Egypt worked ten days in a row, and then they had two days to rest. In addition, they had 65 days off per year, which were intended for various ceremonies and celebrations. Egyptians canceled work on funerals or birthdays. The work was mainly carried out when it was cool outside, “in two shifts” - in the morning and in the evening. In the midday heat, people rested and slept.
The Egyptians are among the peoples whose achievements amaze scientists and historians. Their civilization was one of the most powerful and at the same time remains mysterious to this day. Many secrets have not been revealed, however, thanks to writing, the Egyptians were able to convey modern people information about the way of life, the peculiarities of life and one’s history.
Story
Egypt is one of the ancient civilizations. The first settlements arose along the Nile River valley, rich in fertile lands. The emergence of states dates back to the 4th millennium BC. Gradually, two powerful states emerged, which are commonly called Upper and Lower Egypt. They regularly clashed with each other in military battles, and in the 3rd millennium BC. Upper Egypt managed to win, which marked the unification of the country.
Distinctive feature Ancient Egypt became the power that allowed it to achieve prosperity. At its head was a pharaoh, whose origin was deified. He not only ruled the country, but also took part in major military campaigns.
It was military campaigns that allowed the Egyptian civilization to become great. One of the most important campaigns was the conquest of the south, where there were always many slaves and gold.
Having reached Nubia, located in the south, the Egyptians managed to conquer the country, which gave them access to tropical Africa with valuable timber, a variety of livestock, poultry and thousands of people who could be enslaved.
The Egyptians also moved east. There they managed to capture the Sinai Peninsula, taking copper mines, Palestine, Phenicia with important trade routes. Having established trade relations with Asia Minor, the Egyptians were able to obtain silver, which at that time was valued much higher than gold. In addition to military clashes, the Egyptians managed to conduct research of the area. The Phoenicians, who swore allegiance to the Egyptian pharaoh, were able to explore the coast of the Red Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and part of the African continent.
Regular wars could not only bring success, it was quite difficult to maintain an army, so one day Egyptian rule began to lose strength, and the lost battle of Pelusium turned out to be fateful for the entire civilization.
Life
The life of the Egyptians completely depended on the pharaoh. The origin of a person did not matter - even people from noble families obeyed the will of the ruler and had no property. Each merchant was given a charter that allowed him to dispose of livestock, house, and things that he could exchange or sell. Without this document, a person lost the right to dispose of any property. The Egyptians used money in rare cases, always drawing up contracts that indicated the amount, name of the product and specific volumes. An important part way of life the Egyptians were collectivized. Thanks to her they were able to achieve high altitudes and create architectural masterpieces. People did many things together, which allowed society to develop.
Family was considered the greatest value. A typical Egyptian did not want to leave his relatives under any circumstances, so going to war was considered a punishment. The authority of the father demanded the complete submission of the son, but for the child the mother was most important. This fact is evidenced by the records of scribes of that time. The son was obliged to honor his mother and protect her from any offense. IN otherwise he could incur the displeasure of the gods. Society, of course, relied on men - there was no matriarchy. However, the role of the woman remained great, since she was given the right to receive education and apply the acquired knowledge. Stories have reached us about the great Nefertiti, Queen Nesitanebtashu. Women often created copies of manuscripts, which have been preserved and presented in modern museums. Zuch's manuscript can be seen in British Museum. A woman was allowed to manage her own property on an equal basis with a man and to enter into transactions.
Egyptians rarely entered into forced marriages. Parents participated in choosing the bride or groom and often invited matchmakers, but the final decision was always up to the spouses. Women and men lived in harmony, asking each other for advice. The sage Ptahhotep wrote that a wife needs to be valued, fed, protected, and pleased. It is important to avoid quarrels and cruelty. A woman should thrive in a man's home.
The scribes also noted that it is impossible to command a woman; starting an argument is dangerous, since it wreaks chaos in family relationships. A true owner of the house always strives to maintain order.
Children in slave families began to work at the age of 5; only people from wealthy families could dream of toys. In rich families, children were given pets: birds, snakes.
Education
Children from free families could afford education. In the families of the pharaoh, children were educated at home. Often teaching was done by priests who assessed learning abilities and natural talents. Even a child from a poor family could afford education, and thanks to his talents, become a significant member of society. IN Ancient Egypt there were many famous warriors, priests and politicians who came from families of modest means.
Schools provided an opportunity to study writing, learn to read, and learn arithmetic. The Egyptians studied market prices and the peculiarities of agriculture. The training of warriors took place in the stables of the pharaoh, where the basics of horse riding, combat, tactics and command were certainly learned.
Girls were usually educated at home; physical punishment was not used against them. The use of corporal punishment was necessary in cases of disobedience or lack of proper concentration.
The choice of profession for the Egyptians was extremely important. Considered the most prestigious civil service, because it did not require much effort and could bring good income. In the private sector, people had to work hard. Even the entrepreneurs of that time, who had workshops, weaving and laundries, found it difficult to cope.
The most important job in Egyptian society was considered to be the work of a scribe. It's simple: a person did not have to worry about income and at the same time make a lot of effort. This view was justified by relatively good earnings and low workload. Many fathers told their sons that if they became scribes, they would never curse their craft. Every plowman languishes, but a scribe always prospers. This approach eventually became textbook.
Cloth
The most common material for sewing clothes was white linen. Belts were made of leather, and sandals were made of reeds. Historians note that for several centuries, the clothing of men and women was very revealing. People were not embarrassed by their bodies, considering nudity natural. From clothes villager only loincloths were used. Among noble Egyptian women, completely transparent dresses, connected with straps, were common. The most common color was white, sometimes they wore red and yellow flowers. Pharaohs wore skirts and large crowns. Later, cloaks and tunics appeared. Contrary to popular belief, the pharaohs did not constantly update their clothing. It was often washed using clay as soap.
The Egyptians did not like shoes. It was rarely worn even by members of the nobility. She was only needed for long journey or trips to the mountains. Greeks and Romans on final stage the existence of Egyptian civilization brought closed shoes. The sandals worn by the Egyptians were made from papyrus. It was forbidden to wear shoes in the house. Even the pharaohs walked barefoot, followed by shoe bearers. Compliance funeral rite meant leaving shoes in the set of things that would be needed for the afterlife. Surprisingly, the statues of gods always remained the most luxuriously dressed in Egypt. Their fingers were decorated with plates of pure gold, gold bracelets were fastened on their legs and arms, even their nails were covered with lapis lazuli. It is believed that false nails were invented in Ancient Egypt.
The Egyptians themselves also loved jewelry. They gave them mystical meaning. Rings remained favorite jewelry: straw, glass and gold. The rings depicted gods and goddesses and scarab beetles.
The Egyptians paid a lot of attention to their hair. In a hot climate, they had to constantly cut their hair, but Egyptian men loved beards and mustaches, so they used false haircuts. At some point, thin and neat tufted beards came into fashion and were worn even by women. Among them was Queen Hatshepsut.
Hair was difficult to maintain as most Egyptians had coarse hair. That's why people cut their hair short, preferring to use sheep's wool wigs. Women used hairpins, ribbons, and wore tiaras. Even modern fashion indulges the Egyptians by popularizing the famous foxtrot hairstyles.
Almost all Egyptians washed regularly. Even the poor had access to ponds with clean water. After bathing, ointments and oils were always used to make the body smell fragrant. Women and men dyed their hair black to hide gray hair. The beauty of the body was perceived as something sacred and important, so every Egyptian paid a lot of attention to it.
Culture
Ancient Egypt gave the world a great heritage. The minds of Egyptologists and historians are still haunted by the ancient Egyptian pantheon of gods, led by the supreme deity personifying the sun, Ra. It was with him that the pharaoh was identified.
The Egyptians believed in the immortality of the soul, so during burial rites they took with them those things that, in their opinion, should certainly be useful in the afterlife. The greatest tombs were the pyramids, where the tombs of rulers were located.
- Totemism was elevated to a cult, as evidenced by the heads of gods in the form of animals. The Egyptians revered lions, bulls, cows, ibis, and scarab beetles. The Egyptians were one of the first peoples to spread writing thanks to the invention of papyrus.
- The Egyptians were the first to discover beekeeping.
- They were the first to master the construction and processing of stone on a large scale.
- Hieroglyphic writing, the counting system, mummification - all these are also the merits of the ancient Egyptians.
- The culture of Ancient Egypt is most appreciated for its architecture. The Egyptians primarily focused on the creation of tombs, attaching importance to the afterlife. Over time, the Egyptians began to master sculpture, including portraiture. Many statues have been well preserved to this day. During the Middle Kingdom, they began to actively improve weapons, improving the technology of metal smelting. Glass production was established, and the irrigation system was improved to increase the efficiency of farming.
- The Egyptians were interested in medicine, anatomy, mathematics, and astronomy. Herodotus, known throughout the world, said that it was Egypt that began to teach us geometry.
- The Egyptians could well predict solar and lunar eclipses. They were the first to realize the influence of the Moon on the tide cycle.
According to many scholars, Egyptian solar calendar considered perfect among other civilizations. During the New Kingdom, the Egyptians were able to improve mummification by learning to embalm bodies, perfect relief and ornament, and make literature multi-genre. The heyday of poetry and painting occurred during the reign of Akhenaten.
Housing
Initially, the Egyptians built houses from papyrus wood, using its stems. They tied them with ropes and dug them into the ground to give strength to the structure. With the production of clay, bricks began to appear. By mixing dirt and earth with water, the Egyptians were able to get good, by the standards of that time construction material. The sun did the rest of the work, drying the stones. With the advent of the Middle Kingdom, firing technology became available to the Egyptians. Many houses are still in excellent condition, which is explained by strict adherence to construction standards.
The nobility lived in brick houses, richly decorated with curtains. The high position of the owner of the house was evidenced by the plaster and beautiful paintings with which all the rooms were decorated. Each yard had a swimming pool and a garden. The house could have several bedrooms, a reception room, a restroom, a storage room and a place for ablution. Separate rooms were provided for women.
The dwellings of the poor were in the shape of a block, in which square windows were cut out. The houses were located close to each other, forming narrow alleys. The floor in such a dwelling was made of earth, and there was only one room. It is rare to find several passages, although some had housing with a bedroom, kitchen, storage room and even a cellar. The altar, located in the living room, remained an indispensable attribute of the home.
Housing construction was influenced by progress, and improved technology allowed the Egyptians to create houses that admire many builders around the world today. Their prototypes are used in fiction and cinema.
Food
The Egyptians had a varied diet, but they were directly dependent on the Nile. During periods of low or excessive flooding, lean months occurred. First of all, provisions were stocked up for the pharaohs, so the population had to save food. Lean times provoked robberies: people did not hesitate to break into temples, attacking guards, and were ready to do anything to get food.
In fruitful years, the happiness of the Egyptians knew no bounds. It is known that during the reign of the Ramses, most people ate a varied diet, as evidenced by the rich reserves in the tombs of the pharaohs themselves. This is confirmed by hieroglyphs deciphered by Egyptologists.
Archaeologist Anthony Harris wrote that Ramses the Third was distinguished by unprecedented generosity, treating temple servants and making offerings to the gods.
The most popular product in Ancient Egypt was meat. Tombs often depict animals being led to slaughter. The meat of the bull Joa was considered the best. Once fattened, they could reach enormous sizes. Some animals grew so large that they could barely walk. The quality of livestock inspection was very strict, so the safety of the products was not in doubt.
Hunting made it possible to catch antelopes and gazelles, which were later domesticated. The development of livestock farming ceased over time, giving way to cattle breeding.
Wild animals were not only eaten, but also sacrificed. For example, oryxes - large antelopes, were mainly presented as sacrifices to the gods.
The Egyptian people used more often poultry. The Harris Papyrus indicates that in total, almost 20 thousand quails were counted during the period of record keeping.
The Egyptians used many hunting devices. They caught hippos with harpoons, birds with nets, and fish with tops.
A significant product was flour, which was made from barley, spelled or wheat. Mostly women were engaged in grain procurement. Processing was carried out using mills. Flour served as the basis for making bread. It is not difficult to guess that barley served not only as a basis for baking, but also for beer. It was the national drink of all Egypt, served in taverns and consumed at home.
According to Herodotus, the Egyptians loved to eat fish raw, although sometimes they resorted to drying and salting it. Food was often cooked over an open fire using various seasonings. By laying meat on flatbreads, the Egyptians received foods that are well known to modern residents. Central Asia dishes. Ancient Egyptian recipes are detailed on stone slabs found during archaeological excavations. However, most of the cooking instructions have not yet been deciphered. It is known, however, that the Egyptians were very fond of sweet pastries. The filling could be:
- fruits
- milk
- oil.
Historians note that the cuisine of the ancient Egyptians was high in calories - rendered fat was often added to the dish.
The civilization of Ancient Egypt showed the whole world that collectivization can lead to prosperity. The Egyptians are one of the peoples whose influence is difficult to overestimate. These days there are many facts that surprise even skeptics. For example, relatively recently it became known that the Egyptians were the first to invent batteries capable of generating electricity. Modern Egypt is a problematic country. For a long time Living off tourism, the Arabs who occupied it found themselves in a difficult situation due to civil crises and a weak economy. Ancient Egypt has disappeared forever, but the memory of its former greatness will live on for a long time.
Of course, our article would not be complete without mentioning the secrets of the people. Therefore, we recommend watching a video about the five most interesting mysteries of Ancient Egypt.
When it comes to Ancient Egypt, most people think of pharaohs, pyramids, mummies and golden artifacts. And yet the vast majority have no the slightest idea about how ordinary people lived in this country.
1. Board games
After a hard day simple people in Ancient Egypt they also sought to relax. The most popular way to spend leisure time was Board games. Two or several players could play at once, and if there were no game boards, then the playing field was drawn directly on the ground. Favorite game was "Sene". The field was divided into 30 squares - in 3 rows of 10, in some squares symbols were drawn that denoted something good or, on the contrary, failure.
The winner was the one whose chips entered the “ afterlife» be the first, bypassing the failure cells. Sene was deeply intertwined with religion. The winner was said to be protected by the gods, and tombs were often drawn on the board to protect the deceased during the transition to the afterlife.
In the Asseb game there were 20 squares on the field. To free a piece from the “home” square, you had to roll a four or a six on the die. If a piece landed on a square held by an opponent, it was sent back to the home square. The rules of "mehen" and another game of "hounds and jackals" are unknown. The mehen board looked like a twisted snake.
2. Sense of humor
Today little is known about ancient Egyptian humor, but this does not mean that the ancients did not have it. Thus, in Thebes around 2000 BC, a carver on the wall of a tomb created an image of the deceased pharaoh's vizier. He was a very important person during his lifetime and most likely should have been depicted with a noble face.
But the artist gave the vizier a dejected look with a raised eyebrow, as if Dagi was surprised that he had died. The carving, made during the reign of Amenhotep III (1389-1349 BC), shows a scribe and a baboon (this animal was associated with Thoth, the god of writing). The baboon has very funny eyebrows.
The artists did not hold back their sarcasm when they depicted the enemies of Egypt. Memorial plaque ivory shows a captive Assyrian prince with a stupid look and bulging eyes. Tensions with the Nubians probably led the artist to make a relief showing a Nubian with exaggerated and grotesque features.
3. Arthritis
When researchers recently examined the remains of those who created and decorated the famous Valley of the Kings, they discovered something strange. Around 3,500 years ago, most of the carvers and painters who decorated the tombs of the pharaohs came from the village of Deir el-Medina. Artists usually develop problems with their hands over time. Osteoarthritis was much more common in the ankles and knees among the male remains examined.
After studying the ancient records of this village, the reason was revealed. Despite the hard work in the necropolis, people did not want to spend the night “on the bones” and every day they went to spend the night in a different place. For a week they lived in huts near the royal tombs, and the road to them led through a steep hill, which they had to climb and descend twice a day.
At the end of the week, the masters went to Deir el-Medina, to which they had to travel 2 kilometers through the hills. On Monday they returned to the necropolis again. This went on for years, and for some people, decades. In all likelihood, such long transitions led to the appearance of a disease that was not typical for this profession.
4. Diet
ABOUT culinary recipes Probably no one will ever know the ancient Egyptians. No records have been found, but you can learn about what the Egyptians ate from the art of the time. Some ingredients were consumed by all classes, but a number of foods were prohibited to commoners. For example, smoking fish was strictly the domain of priests. But the daily food of all strata of society was beer and bread.
Bread was leavened in water to create a cloudy drink that was an essential part of the diet of the lower classes. In addition to grain dishes such as porridge, the diet included meat, honey, dates, fruits and wild vegetables. The workers ate only two meals a day.
For breakfast they had bread, beer, and sometimes onions. For lunch, cooked vegetables and meat were added to this. The priests and pharaohs ate disproportionately better. In the tombs, images of banquets were found, where tables were laden with wine, gazelles baked in honey, fried poultry, fruits and desserts.
5. Teeth
The Egyptians suffered from enamel deterioration because their food was constantly exposed to sand. The problem was actually huge. A study conducted on 4,800 teeth from Egyptian tombs found that 90 percent of the teeth were very worn.
This has led to conditions such as cysts, multiple abscesses and osteoarthritis of the jaw. Needless to say, chronic toothache was a daily integral part of life in ancient Egypt. Despite famous love Egyptians to cleanliness, there is no evidence that the ancient Egyptians had developed dentistry.
6. Grain
Trade in Ancient Egypt.
The monetary system of Ancient Egypt is not fully understood. It was previously believed that it was based on barter without any form of currency. But this conclusion was made solely from the surviving images, which showed the exchange of goods. While trade certainly existed, it could not support the commercial system of the state so extensively.
One of the main commodities was grain, which was grown on a massive scale. Excess grain was stored in a network of silos throughout Egypt and was used to pay workers who worked on large public projects. But, for example, what was to be done if someone wanted to buy a house.
After all, in in this case You can't get by with a bag of grain. The ancient Egyptians worked with a unit of value called the shat. This currency standard existed back in the Old Kingdom (2750-2150 BC), but today no one knows what it was. It is only known that one shat costs 7.5 grams of gold.
7. Family
In Ancient Egypt, a traditional family with many children was welcomed. Girls usually got married early adolescence. While examples of love marriage did occur, marriage was primarily a way of mutually assisting in existence for a man and a woman. A man was considered imperfect until he got married.
Frescoes traditionally depict men darkened from working on fresh air, and the women were pale because they were just doing housework. Egyptian wives gave birth a lot and often, so they constantly faced the dangers that childbirth threatened them with. There was no effective contraception, and midwives could do nothing if something “went wrong” during childbirth.
Infants were breastfed until they were three years old. Boys began to be trained early in working professions, and girls in childcare, cooking and sewing clothes. It was expected that the eldest son (and if he was not there, then the daughter) would take care of his elderly parents, and when the time came, give them a decent burial.
8. Gender equality
Egyptian women were not only involved in household chores; if they wished, they could work and own property. If in Ancient Rome women were not even considered citizens, then in Egypt women could live even without a male guardian. They could initiate a divorce and go to court.
Women were not forced into marriage, they could draw up and sign juristic documents and build your career. However, in most higher professions dominated by men. Only a small percentage of women became honorary priestesses, scribes, healers, and pharaohs. In fact, the first region to expand women's rights was Ancient Egypt, not the West, as many believe.
9. Disabled people
IN ancient world There was simply no talk of full-fledged medical care. And mental illness was considered so shameful that Chinese families hid weak-minded family members from the public. In Greece, they were abandoned to their fate, and they wandered the streets. In Ancient Egypt, such people had a completely different attitude.
Local moral scriptures taught respect for those with physical disabilities. Dwarfs were not considered disabled and often worked as helpers, overseers, guardians, artists and entertainers. Among the skeletons of Deir el-Medina (the village of artists in the Valley of the Kings) the remains of young man, who was born with an atrophied leg. As the examination of his remains showed, this man was by no means an outcast, but lived well and occupied high position. As for mental illnesses, the Egyptians, instead of blaming or condemning such patients, tried to adapt them to society.
10. Violence
Many works of art from this period document scenes from domestic life. And although they seem very idealistic and legal equality did occur in ancient Egyptian society, violence against women and children remained a reality. Scientists have become aware of terrifying cases. Thus, the 2000-year-old skeleton of a baby in the Dakhleh oasis had fractures of the back, pelvis, ribs and arms. Some were older than others and the bones had fused together, a classic sign of long-term physical abuse.
IN ancient city A 4,000-year-old victim was discovered at Abydos. The woman was about 35 years old when she was fatally shot in the back. An examination of her bones revealed that the woman had been exposed to physical violence. She had old and new fractures, which clearly indicate that the unfortunate woman was repeatedly kicked or hit in the ribs. There were also injuries on her arms, possibly from trying to defend herself. Since her abuser had clearly been with the woman for a very long time, he could have been her husband.
To the question How did the ancient Egyptians live? What did you eat? What did you drink? Who were they hunting? etc. specified by the author Polina Evgrafova the best answer is The main occupation of the Egyptians during this period was agriculture. Great strides have been made in the creation of irrigation systems.
The ancient Egyptians were also involved in cattle breeding (bulls, donkeys, rams, goats). In lower Egypt, agriculture was less developed than in upper Egypt, but great successes were achieved in gardening, horticulture and viticulture.
The Egyptians also engaged in fishing, flax farming, hunting and breeding. waterfowl. The Egyptians mined copper, gold, wood, various breeds stone
Weaving, papyrus production and pottery were common crafts. The Egyptians were engaged in trade - in particular, during excavations, dishes were discovered that were made on the islands of the Aegean Sea.
Due to the features geographical location Egypt of this period - the Nile served as the main route of communication, therefore great importance had river vessels and boats.
Palaces and rich houses were built of wood, reeds and mud bricks and were often surrounded brick walls. At home ordinary Egyptians were built from reeds and clay. The tombs of noble Egyptians (the rooted name is mastabas (Arabic)) were built of brick and stone and had above-ground and underground parts. The civil structures of the early kingdom are practically unknown to us.
Many small and a small number of large early Egyptian sculptures of people and animals have survived to this day. Individual sculptures amaze with their skill and precision of detail, but in general, sculptures of this period are often distinguished by the disproportion of individual parts of the body. Some successes were achieved in painting (flat images were embossed on stone). The literature of the early kingdom is practically unknown to us.
The Egyptians had a written language and used a decimal counting system. Some progress was made in astronomy, mathematics and geometry. The level of the Nile flood was measured annually.
Answer from 22 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: How did the ancient Egyptians live? What did you eat? What did you drink? Who were they hunting? etc.
Answer from cunning[guru]
They ate snakes, drank honey, hunted Jews
Answer from European[newbie]
In the era before the formation of the state, Egypt consisted of separate regions; as a result of their unification, two kingdoms arose - Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. After a long war, the Upper Egyptian kingdom won, and the two parts merged. Exact date This event is unknown, but it can be assumed that around 3000 BC. e. a single state already existed in the Nile Valley.
Stele of King Hora Waja
Stele of King Horus Waja from Abydos. I dynasty.
The beginning of the chronicle Egyptian tradition is associated with the name of King Min (Greek Menes) - the founder of the 1st dynasty, who is probably identical with Horus Akha. According to the legend preserved by Herodotus, Ming founded the capital of the united kingdom at the junction of Upper and Lower Egypt, erecting a dam to protect the city from flooding. From here it was convenient to govern both the south and north of the country. The Greeks later named this city Memphis.
Formerly kingdom
During the era of the Early Kingdom (XXX-XXVIII centuries BC), Egypt was ruled by two dynasties that originated from the Upper Egyptian city of Tina (near Abydos). Already under the kings of the First Dynasty, the Egyptians began to move beyond the borders of their country: to the south - to Nubia, to the west - to Libya, to the east - to the Sinai Peninsula. Pharaoh of the 2nd dynasty Khasekhem finally united the country into a centralized state, suppressing unrest in northern Egypt.
One of the important functions of the royal government was to organize the irrigation system in the Nile Valley and maintain it in order. Already Egypt of the Early Kingdom was characterized by high productivity Agriculture. Numerous wine vessels found in Lower Egypt testify to the flourishing art of grape cultivation. Egypt was a country of highly developed cattle breeding. The weaving craft has made significant progress. The production of papyrus intended for writing began. His invention was of exceptional importance. Promoting the widespread dissemination of writing, it outlived the ancient Egyptian civilization for a long time, influencing the culture of more later eras and becoming famous in the Greco-Roman world and in medieval Europe.
Ancient kingdom
Map of Egypt, period Ancient kingdom
Map of Egypt. Ancient kingdom.
During the period of the Old Kingdom (XXVIII-XXIII centuries BC), Egypt was a large centralized state that extended its influence to the regions of the Sinai Peninsula, southern Palestine and Nubia.
The kings waged constant wars. It is known, for example, that during the campaign to Nubia of the founder of the IV dynasty, Sneferu (XXVIII century BC), 7 thousand prisoners and 200 thousand heads of livestock were taken away, and during the campaign against the Libyans - 1,100 people. During the reign of the IV dynasty, Egypt became the sole owner of the copper mine region on the Sinai Peninsula. Trade expeditions were sent to Nubia for building stones, ivory, acacia and ebony (it was delivered to Nubia from the interior of Africa), for precious stones, incense, panther skins and exotic animals. Fragrant resins and “light gold” were brought from Punt. From Phoenician Byblos to Egypt came timber - cedar wood.
Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest on the planet. The state of Egypt still exists today. However, this article examines the Egyptian state during the early kingdom period (about 3100 - 2549 BC). The Egyptian ethnos probably emerged in the process of mixing various tribes of Northeast Africa, and perhaps a number of tribes that later lived in Western Asia also participated in it. Judging by the surviving images and skeletal remains, the ancient Egyptians were people of strong physique; with dark skin color and black smooth hair. Politically, Egypt in the Early Kingdom was a rather unstable confederation consisting of separate regions (Nomes). In the most early period During the early kingdom (before unification), there were two independent states on the territory of Egypt - upper Egypt and lower Egypt.
Nature
During the period of the early kingdom, only the Nile River valley was considered Egypt (the ancient self-name of Egypt is the Black Land (Land of Kem, Ta - Kemet)). In ancient times, the southern border of Egypt was considered to be the first of the Egyptians - the last rapids on the Nile along the river, to the south of which Nile Ethiopia (Nubia) was located. The entire life of Egyptian civilization is closely connected with the Nile. It was thanks to the fertile (rich in river silt deposits) soils in the Nile Valley that the very existence of the highly developed Egyptian civilization became possible. From the border rapids, the Nile flows through a narrow valley squeezed by mountains - this part of the country was called upper Egypt. About 300 km from the Mediterranean Sea, the valley widens, and the Nile fan-shapedly branches into several branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea - this part of the country was called lower Egypt. The ancient Greeks called it “Delta” because the Nile river system in this area is shaped like a letter. Greek alphabet D (“delta”). Lower Egypt was swampy due to its proximity to the sea and, therefore, excess moisture.
Classes
The main occupation of the Egyptians during this period was agriculture. Great strides have been made in the creation of irrigation systems. The ancient Egyptians were also involved in cattle breeding (bulls, donkeys, rams, goats). In lower Egypt, agriculture was less developed than in upper Egypt, but great successes were achieved in gardening, horticulture and viticulture. The Egyptians also engaged in fishing, flax farming, hunting and waterfowl breeding. The Egyptians mined copper, gold, wood, and various types of stone. Weaving, papyrus production and pottery were common crafts. The Egyptians were engaged in trade - in particular, during excavations, dishes were discovered that were made on the islands of the Aegean Sea.
Means of transport
Due to the peculiarities of the geographical location of Egypt in this period, the Nile served as the main route of communication, so river vessels and boats were of great importance.
Architecture
Palaces and rich houses were built from wood, reeds and mud bricks and were often surrounded by brick walls. The houses of ordinary Egyptians were built of reeds and clay. The tombs of noble Egyptians (rooted name - mastabas (Arabic)) were built of brick and stone and had above-ground and underground parts. The civil structures of the early kingdom are practically unknown to us.
Warfare
Little is known about the military affairs of the early kingdom - there is only information about the wars of upper Egypt with lower Egypt (before the unification of Egypt) and the wars of the Egyptians with other tribes (in particular with the Nubians). The numbers of captured prisoners and booty paint a picture of some fairly large-scale wars, but they must be taken with a grain of salt.
Arts and literature
Many small and a small number of large early Egyptian sculptures of people and animals have survived to this day. Individual sculptures amaze with their skill and precision of detail, but in general, sculptures of this period are often distinguished by the disproportion of individual parts of the body. Some successes were achieved in painting (flat images were embossed on stone). The literature of the early kingdom is practically unknown to us.
The science
The Egyptians had a written language and used a decimal counting system. Some progress was made in astronomy, mathematics and geometry. The level of the Nile flood was measured annually.
Religion
The religion of the Egyptians was polytheistic, but most of the gods were local patrons. A number of gods (for example, the sun god Ra) had a general Egyptian significance. There was an idea that a person had a soul - a double. The ancient Egyptians also believed in magic. The figure of the ruler was deified.
