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Ancient Egypt was a significant player on the world stage because of its strategic position at the major crossroads of African and Asia. Divided into southern Upper Egypt (the floodplain, the high desert, the low desert, the Nile river) and northern Lower Egypt (the sparsely settled delta region), Egyptians always shared common linguistics, beliefs, traditions and idealized cultural paradigms which they continually strove to preserve throughout their history. Flowing from South to North the Nile was the longest river in the world. The Nile was their source of sustenance and primary means of travel. The river teemed with fish and when it flooded each year it revitalized the land. The Egyptians journeyed on the Nile in cargo, funerary, passenger and navy boats. Saqqara was the site of the first step pyramids. The first "true" funerary complex pyramids were not built until the Fourth Dynasty. The First Dynasty began when King Menes ruled over a united Lower and Upper Egypt. The kings of the first three dynasties were living embodiments of the god Horus. Afterwards, they bore the title of Re, the sun god. The Egyptians had several different types of calendars: agricultural based on the seasons (inundation, coming forth afterwards, harvesting) with four thirty day months and five epagomenal days for the birthdays of Osiris, Horus, Seth, Isis and Nephthys; astronomical based on Sirius (the rising of the star along with the Sun) and moon based (for rituals and events honoring the deities). Most of the knowledge of ancient Egyptian Culture comes from archaeological findings. Examination of funerary objects, tomb paintings and inscriptions suggested that as a culture the Egyptians were inordinately concerned with ensuring that their eternal life was as agreeable as their daily life.
The continuance of the personality in the afterlife was of paramount importance so the body was mummified, placed in a tomb and given regular food offerings. Their basic social unit was the family with the father being responsible for economics and the mother for the household. Although most children had toys, much of their time was spent helping their parents in the fields or apprenticing to their craftsman fathers. Those with "well to do" parents trained to be military officers and scribes. Egyptian clothing was plain but everyone wore jewelry, especially amulets made from gold, copper, amethyst, garnet, jasper and other minerals. Cosmetics were popular with the Egyptians, particularly black and green eyepaint. Because of the popularity of kohl eye makeup with the Egyptians, there were numerous small kohl pots in a variety of shapes and designs, the most common being that of the monkey. Also depicted were deities such a Taweret, a protective goddess of pregnant women who also guarded households. Wooden stools were the most common furnishing in homes and clay vessels, bowls, mugs and jugs were prevalent. Basic food staples included bread, beer, fruits, grains, vegetables, eggs, meat, fish and fowl. Monkeys were a favorite household pet and paintings in the tombs depicted pet monkeys, wearing decorative collars, either amusing their owners with their tricks or bringing them ripe fruit.
From the time of the Old Kingdom,
numerous scribes travelled around with their pens, pigments and water pots.
Inscriptions and scenes on coffins and the wall of tombs protected the dead
while they undertook the perilous journey to the underworld.
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Egypt Egyptian Background Beliefs ArticlesAgricultural Calendar, Amulets Talismans, Amun, Ankh, Anubis, Anubis Depiction, Apis, Astronomical Calendar, Ba, Bastet, Bennu, Bes, Book of the Dead, Canopic Jars, Coffins, Demotic Writing, Dendera Temple, Early Dynastic Period, Egyptian Traditions, Embalming, First Intermediate Period, Four Canopic Jars, Four Mummification Steps, Geb, Great Pyramid, Hathōr, Hźket, Hermes, Heryaf, Hieratic Writing, Hieroglyphics, Hieroglyphic Writing, Horūs, Horūs Depiction, Isīs, Isīs Temple, Ka, Kohl Pots, Late Period, Lower Egypt, Maat, Maat Depiction, Middle Kingdom Period, Moon Calendar, Mummification, Mummy, Mummy Mask, Mythology Storytelling, Natron, Nefertum, Neith, Nekhbet, Neolithic Period, Nephthys, New Kingdom Period, Nine Dynastic Periods, Nun, Nut, Nut Depiction, Obelisk Old Kingdom Period, Orion Alignment, Osirīs, Osirīs Depiction, Papyrus, Ptah, Ptolemaic Period, Ra, Ramesseum, Renenutet, Renpet, Saqqara, Sarcophagus, Satis, Scarab, Scribes, Second Intermediate Period, Sekhmet, Sennutem Tomb Chamber, Seraphis, Seraphis Depiction, Serquet, Sesat, Seth, Shabtis, Shu, Sobek, Sokar, Sothis, Sphinx, Sphinx Starlore, Spiritual Beliefs, Step Pyramids, Tatźnen, Taweret, Tefnut, Third Intermediate Period, Thoth, Thoth Depiction, Three Great Pyramids, Upper Egypt, Weighing of the Heart, Wepwawet, Writing |
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