What Were The Outstanding Features Of Ancient Egyptian Civilization.

Outstanding Features of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization

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Outstanding Features of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization

The Neolithic age is also referred to as the New Stone Age and it extends over a long period in history that ends around 3500 BCE. It is characterized by the transition from the Stone Age to the agricultural development. New techniques of farming, stock-breeding, and irrigation were introduced. People of Egypt lived around the Nile valley. They started making weapons made of bronze for use in war. They began building strong houses and buildings, some of which are intact to date.

The First Dynasty and Emergence of Pharaohs

A dynasty refers to a series of rulers who belong to the same family. In Egypt, there were had been several dynasties, each ruled for a considerable period in the history. The first dynasty of Egypt was a period between 3400 BCE and 3000 BCE. This period starts when the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt became effective by the first Pharaoh. The Kings who ruled Egypt during the first dynasty and afterward used to prefer to be called as “Pharaohs”. A Pharaoh was an extremely powerful king because he was usually believed to be a representative of gods and held the position of the highest priest of all the temples across the civilization. Egypt had, at the time of Pharaohs, fertile soils and plenty of natural resources. The society of Egypt had gradually evolved to be very complex. They had

Pyramid Era

Pyramids were buildings that had been made as tombs of the Egyptian rulers and their consorts (husbands, wives, or the closest companions). Egyptians indulged in the tradition of building pyramids during the third dynasty around 2600 BCE, and the last pyramid they made was around 1500 BCE during the 18th dynasty. The Great Pyramids of Giza are considered to be the most monumental and magnificent buildings of the mankind, which were built as the tomb of the Pharaoh Khufu. They are said to be eternal out of their durability and endurance against the great spans and the wear and tear of time.

Capture by Hyksos and the Overthrow

The Hyksos spoke Hebrew or some other Semitic language. They were foreign invaders who first originated in Palestine and, later, they entered Egypt in the late 18th century BCE. They succeeded in occupying Egypt by the efficient use of bronze-made weapons. Their reign ended when Kamose and Ahmose, two brothers, marched against them one after the other and eventually defeated them in the capital of the Hyksos, Arvaris.

Importance of Trade by Sea and Land

Egyptians used the barter system for the exchange of goods all along their ancient history. The cash exchanges started due to the Persian influence in the 5th century. Egypt had great trade relations with Sudan. They used to trade along different routes, and the most important route was the Nile River. During the first dynasty, the kings had established trade as a strong means of earning money and the center of their business activities was the capital, Memphis. The trade was carried out at the international level with Nubia, Libya, and other regions. Some bureaucrats governed the trade activities with other countries.

Architectural Traditions

The ancient Egyptians used stones mostly in constructing the Pyramids, official buildings, temples, and tombs. They had unparalleled building skills and, therefore, the buildings made by them are the most durable in the history of mankind. They used mud bricks in building houses. The roofs had been flat supported by walls and columns. They used to inscribe writings on the walls.

Development of Pictorial Writing

The writing style used in Egypt involved the use of pictures which represented different types of things, that is, objects, ideas, actions, etc. The Egyptian writing script is known as hieroglyphs. The ancient Egyptians used to write hieroglyphs in the form of carving on the walls of their tombs and temples.