We explain what Egyptian civilization was like, its religion and architecture, as well as its characteristics and discoveries.
The Egyptian civilization was established on the banks of the Nile River in North Africa.
What is Egyptian civilization?
The Egyptian civilization was a Ancient society that developed between 3300 BC and 332 BC., in the Nile River Valley, North Africa. The wealth of its natural resources and its geographical isolation allowed it to become a very powerful civilization.
In its long history, maintained a cultural tradition that gave it unity in times of political and social crisis. In periods of state rise, the kingdom of Egypt was unified under the command of a pharaoh whose power was legitimized through religious beliefs.
The priests They decorated their temples with artistic representations and hieroglyphic writing which specialists were only able to decipher in the 19th century. The great pyramids, the tombs with rich grave goods and the beautiful temples of Egyptian cities amazed the rest of the population throughout history.
See also: Egyptian culture
Characteristics of Egyptian civilization
The main characteristics of Egyptian civilization were:
- It inhabited the valleys of the Nile River, in North Africa, between 3300 and 332 BC.
- It had a long history, marked by periods of unification and dispersion of the kingdom of Egypt.
- He organized the State around the figure of the pharaoh, who was an absolute sovereign legitimized by religious beliefs.
- Its economic organization was controlled by the State, through a system of taxation and redistribution of products and services.
- He established a polytheistic religion, whose main gods were Osiris, Isis, Horus and Seth.
- It had a hierarchical society, with privileged classes that lived off the tribute paid by the majority of the population.
- He developed a complex writing system that evolved over time.
Geographic location of the Egyptian civilization
The Egyptians called their land Kemetwhich meant “black and fertile land.”
Egyptian civilization It was established on the Nile River valley in North Africa. The Nile River rises in Lake Victoria, runs north and empties into the Mediterranean Sea, where it forms a delta. Along its course, the Nile has six waterfalls. The region between the first cataract and the delta is called Upper Egypt, and the delta region is known as Lower Egypt.
The Nile Valley is a very fertile region in the middle of the desert, and is fed by the flooding of its flow in spring. The Egyptians called this land Kemet, which meant “black and fertile land.”
History of Egyptian civilization
The origin of the Egyptian people is not known with certainty. Specialists believe that It was probably a town that came from the Arabian Peninsula and who settled in the Nile Valley. At first, the Egyptians were organized into family clans called nomos. Over time, the nomos They grew and unified their power until they formed two great kingdoms: one in Upper Egypt and another in Lower Egypt.
Specialists divide the history of ancient Egypt into large periods, in which Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt were unified or separated into several independent kingdoms:
- Tinis Archaic Period (3300-2800 BC)Upper Egypt achieved victory over Lower Egypt under the leadership of the Scorpion King (a legendary figure of whom archaeologists know little). King Nemes proclaimed himself Pharaoh of a united Egypt and established the capital in the city of Tinis, from where the first two dynasties of Pharaohs ruled.
- Old Empire of Memphis (2800-2100 BC)The Third Dynasty moved the capital to the city of Memphis and undertook extensive construction throughout the kingdom. Throughout the period, the various dynasties expanded the kingdom and incorporated new territories through conquest and trade. The Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Mycerinus built the Great Pyramids of Giza. The newly annexed territories were governed by viziers under the orders of the Pharaoh. By 2300 BC, the viziers took over power of their territories and Egypt lost its unity.
- Thebes Middle Kingdom (2100-1580 BC). The princes of Upper Egypt reunified the territory and established their capital in Thebes. However, disputes arose between the north and the south over the government and the desert people invaded different parts of the kingdom. The crisis divided the empire into different kingdoms and Egypt once again lost its unity.
- New Empire of Thebes (1580-1100 BC). The princes of Thebes managed to defeat the people of the Libyan desert and reunified Egypt. The pharaohs Amenophis II and Ramses II resumed territorial expansion and conquered territories in Asia.
- Late Sais period (1100-332 BC). New conflicts between the upper classes of military leaders and priests led to a political crisis, which was compounded by the invasion of the Assyrians. Towards the 7th century BC, Pharaoh Pasmeticus I succeeded in centralizing power again and established the capital at Sais, a city in the delta. Then the Persians invaded the kingdom and the pharaohs depended on their alliances with foreign kingdoms to maintain their independence. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, invaded Egypt, which was never again independent.
Political organization of Egyptian civilization
The Egyptians considered that the pharaoh’s power came from the gods.
Throughout its history, the political organization of Egyptian civilization was changing. In the periods when Egypt was unified as a great kingdom, political power was in the hands of a pharaohwho controlled all aspects of the kingdom’s administration.
Dynasties were formed (families of rulers who inherited the pharaoh’s crown) that legitimized their power in a theocratic manner. The Egyptians They considered that the pharaoh acted as a link between the gods and the people. His power had been granted by the gods and was honored religiously and ceremonially.
The pharaoh was surrounded by a court, made up of his family and his personal advisors.. The kingdom established different officials for its administration, and the nomos (provinces within the kingdom) were governed by viziers under the command of the pharaoh.
To maintain their power, the pharaohs They had an army that was mostly made up of mercenary troops (foreign professional soldiers who were paid a salary). In this way, the Pharaoh kept the Egyptian population disarmed and busy with productive tasks.
Social organization of the Egyptian civilization
Queen Nefertiti ruled Egypt between 1370 and 1331 BC.
Throughout its history, the Egyptian people were ruled by a dominant social class that lived off the taxes paid by the rest of the populationThis class included the pharaoh and his family, members of the court, noble families, groups of priests and administrative officials who had different levels of power depending on their functions.
The Egyptian State maintained some officials because of the need for their offices in the administration of the kingdom. For example, The scribes were people who knew how to read, write and count.. They were employees in palaces and temples, and were in charge of recording tax collection and managing the government’s wealth.
The majority of the population was dedicated to agriculturewhich was practiced on their small or medium-sized plots of land. The peasants had to deliver part of their production as payment to the Pharaoh, the noble families or the priests, who were the owners of all the lands in Egypt.
Besides, In the cities there were artisans and people who were dedicated to various trades: bricklayers, weavers, merchants, potters, etc. There were jobs that were considered more dignified than others. For example, sculptors who made the statues that decorated temples and palaces were more socially accepted. On the other hand, embalmers (people dedicated to the mummification of bodies) had to live in remote neighborhoods because they were considered impure.
Egyptian society had certain egalitarian features in terms of gender. Men could only marry one woman., unlike other ancient societies. Marriage was not carried out through the purchase of a wife, but through a mutually agreed upon religious ritual. In addition, women could hold political positions and at different times in history it was pharaohs who ruled Egypt.
Economy of the Egyptian civilization
The Egyptians based their economy on the collection of tributes and the redistribution of goods.
The economy of the Egyptian civilization was controlled by the State throughout its history. As the basis of production was agricultural and depended on the Nile River, The State had the need to distribute water through canals and control productive resources.
The Pharaoh was the owner of all the lands and delegated them to priests and government officials. These, in turn, assigned them to peasants to work in exchange for payment of a tribute. Agricultural production was based on wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables. In addition, they used papyrus to make paper and obtained gold, copper, amethyst and turquoise from the mountain ranges.
In turn, the Egyptian state developed a system of redistribution of property around royal palaces and temples. Through the collection of tributes from peasants and artisans, different goods and products were stored by officials and priests. A part of these goods was destined for the consumption of all those members of the state administration who depended on the government: the pharaoh, the court, priests, officials, soldiers, etc. Another part was allocated to the construction of public works. Other goods and products were stored for situations of crisis and need: in case of food shortage, the goods were redistributed among the city’s residents.
The trade of the Egyptian economy was mainly internal. The rulers of the various regions exchanged among themselves the luxury products they collected as part of paying tribute: fabrics, jewelry, ceramics, animals and slaves. Foreign trade was limited because Egypt was surrounded by deserts, mountain ranges and the Mediterranean Sea, which was not used for navigation. Over time, they developed trade routes that crossed the desert eastward to the cities of Asian Mesopotamia and westward to Carthage.
Egyptian religion
The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul, called “ka,” was immortal.
The Egyptian religion They were polytheistic, meaning they worshiped many gods.. It was established as a result of…