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  • Ancient Egypt Culture JM - F2014-1

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    Yara Ghosheh
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    The document provides an overview of daily life in ancient Egypt. It describes the population, social structure, and government which was centered around the divine pharaoh. Key aspects of society included hieroglyphic writing, a bureaucracy that administered taxes, and an economy dependent on agriculture along the Nile River. People participated in leisure activities like music, games, and festivals. Religious practices focused on temples, gods like Osiris and Amun, and ensuring prosperity in the afterlife through mummification and burial goods.

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    Ancient Egypt Culture JM_F2014-1

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    The document provides an overview of daily life in ancient Egypt. It describes the population, social structure, and government which was centered around the divine pharaoh. Key aspects of society included hieroglyphic writing, a bureaucracy that administered taxes, and an economy dependent on agriculture along the Nile River. People participated in leisure activities like music, games, and festivals. Religious practices focused on temples, gods like Osiris and Amun, and ensuring prosperity in the afterlife through mummification and burial goods.

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    16 views19 pages

    Ancient Egypt Culture JM - F2014-1

    Uploaded by

    Yara Ghosheh
    The document provides an overview of daily life in ancient Egypt. It describes the population, social structure, and government which was centered around the divine pharaoh. Key aspects of society included hieroglyphic writing, a bureaucracy that administered taxes, and an economy dependent on agriculture along the Nile River. People participated in leisure activities like music, games, and festivals. Religious practices focused on temples, gods like Osiris and Amun, and ensuring prosperity in the afterlife through mummification and burial goods.

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    of 19

    Ancient Egypt

    Culture & Society


    The Daily Life of Ancient Egypt

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 1


    Overview

     Population
     Language
     Social structure
     Divine kingship
     Arts and leisure
     Cosmology Skiffs in Nile Swamps
    Saqqara Mastaba
    6th Dynasty, 2300 BC

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 2


    Population

     Numbers
    – Old Kingdom
    • 1 - 2 million
    – Roman Empire
    • 7 million
     Immigration
    – Nubians, Asiatics,
    Greeks
    – Small numbers,
    acculturated easily
    Nubian tribute
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 3
    Language

     Afro-Asiatic Egyptian language papyrus


     Five Ancient Language Periods
    – Old Egyptian (Predynastic Old Kingdom)
    – Middle Egyptian (Middle Kingdom)
    – Late Egyptian (New Kingdom)
    – Demotic (Ptolemy to Middle Ages)
    – Coptic Egyptian (Middle Ages to 1600’s)
    • replaced by Arabic
     Hieroglyphic (picture writing)
    – evolved into demotic (cursive writing)
     Literacy
    – Grew with growth of central administration

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 4


    “doctor” scribe
    Writing

     Hallmark of administrative class Rosetta Stone


     Hieroglyphic: picture writing
    – From Old Kingdom
    – Rosetta Stone: same text in Egyptian
    hieroglyphic, Egyptian demotic, and
    Greek
    – Cursive script 2500 BC
     Records, literature, hymns &
    prayers, technical manuals
     Papyrus workshops in temples:
    copying traditional texts

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires scribe 5


    Social Structure
     Upper
    – pharaoh & court
    – high-level officials
     Middle
    – lower-level officials
    – local leaders, wealthy farmers Royal couple
    – priests & professionals
    – artisans
     Lower
    – common folk (majority)
     Slaves
    – Limited to captives, criminals
    Sulptors
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 6
    Divine Kingship
     Pharaoh son of Sun God - Re
    – Sent to maintain ma’at: divinely
    authorized order of universe
    – People’s link with gods
    – Rule ensured security, prosperity
    – Source of law, authority
     Centralized Power
    – All Egypt belongs to Pharaoh
    – Strong monarchy = strong central
    government
     Capital Cities
    – Old Kingdom: Memphis (near Cairo)
    – Middle & New Kingdom: Thebes
    (Luxor)

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 7


    Nomes and Cities
    1st nome - Saqqara

     Nomes
    – Provinces of Ancient Egypt
    – Lower Egypt: 20, Upper Egypt: 22
    – Nomarchs
    • provincial governors
    • supervised irrigation & dams, dispensed justice
     Cities
    – Pharaonic capitals
    • No archaeology: still occupied
    • Essential wealth in land & products
    – Provincial capitals
    • Religious and economic centres for region,
    frontier fortresses
    • Nubia ruled directly by viceroy of pharaoh
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 8
    Royal Bureaucracy

     Writing records
    – Land, labour, products, people
    – Taxes up to 50%
     Administration
    – Palace, bureaucracy, army
    – Built & maintained temples, monuments
    to pharaoh
     Simple geography of Nile lands easy
    to administer
     State monopoly over key sectors of
    economy
    – Some local private enterprise

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 9


    Bedouins

    The Imperial Military

     Old & Middle Kingdoms


    – Limited contact with other civilizations
    • Defense against desert raiders
    – Small standing army of professional
    soldiers
    • Local militia when needed
     New Kingdom
    – Expanded Empire
    • Nubia,
    Nubia Middle East
    – Trade, not territory
    • Access to resources e.g. Lebanese cedar

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires Egypt’s Kingdoms 10


    The Army of Egypt
     Weapons
    – Striking weapons
    • club, mace, axe, sword, spear
    – Throwing weapons
    • javelin, bow, slingshot
    – Shield, helmet, armour
    – chariot after Hyksos invasion
     New Kingdom Army
    – Mercenaries
    – Nobility as officers
    – Use of specialized forces: sappers (military
    engineers), trenchers, shock troops
    – Rewards for excellence: land, slaves, social
    position
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 11
    Shipping and Trade

     Ships
    – River boats
    – Seafaring traders
    – Naval vessels
     Trade Routes
    – Nubia: gold
    – Sinai: copper, gems
    – Canaan: cedar
    – Punt:
    Punt ostrich eggs, ivory
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 12
    Artisans

     Carpenters
    – cabinet making, furniture
     Sculptors
     Stonemasons Chair for
    King Tut
    – tomb & temple complexes
     Goldsmiths
    – jewellry, funeral masks
     Weavers
    – linens
    Funeral mask of
     Potters Psusennes 21st dynasty

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 13


    Nefertari playing Senet

    Leisure
    garden with
     Zoos & parks fish pond
    – gardens in house courtyard
    – animals & birds
     Hunting & fishing
    – royal leopard hunts
     Games
    – ball, board
    – sports
    – toys
     Banquets
    – games, music, dancing

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 14


    Music

     Strings
    – Harps, lyres, lutes
     Percussion
    – Drums, rattles,
    cymbals
     Wind
    – Flutes, trumpets, oboes
     Vocal music

    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 15


    Cosmology

     Religion rooted in landscape of Nile


    – Vision of cosmic order
    – Recurrent cycles, periodic renewal
     Pharaoh as Chief Priest
    – Temples, gifts to gods, tomb monuments
    – Required great wealth
    • Continuity of divine kingship
    • Ensure renewal of life Menkaure and goddesses
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 16
    Amen

    Gods of Ancient Egypt

    1. Amen (Amon)
    – Creation deity of Thebes
    2. Anubis
    – Jackal head, conductor of souls
    3. Isis Anubis
    – Mother goddess of fertility & Isis
    nature
    4. Re (Ra)
    – creator, sun god
    5. Osiris
    – god of dead, underworld
    Osiris Re
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 17
    Temple of Amon
    - Luxor

    Ritual
     Temple Cults
    – God statue in inner room
    – Priests serve daily needs
     Festivals
    – Boat litter carried god statue in public
     Household Altars
    – Offerings to
    • Bes, god of marriage & family
    • Local gods
    • Family ancestors
     Magic
    – Amulets : An amulet (Latin amuletum) can be any object whose
    most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect its owner from
    danger or harm.

    Bes
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 18
    Obsession with Afterlife
    canopic jar

     Death as hazardous journey to


    afterlife
    – Book of the Dead: ritual & prayer to
    protect soul
    – Weighing of deceased’s heart
    – Shabti: figurine servant as companion
    (also ushabti)
     Mummification
    – Organs removed to canopic jars
    – Body dried in natron
    • Naturally occurring
    • Salt & sodium carbonate
    – Sarcophagus: decorated casket in tomb
    Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen
    Nov 4, 2022 GNED002 - Ancient Empires 19
    shabti

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