Egypt: The Old Kingdom PDF

Egypt: The Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom c. 2649 – 2150 BCE An era of prosperity Relative stability Strong centralized rule The Great Pyramids were built Egyptian kings known as pharaohs were worshipped as “gods on earth” Pharaoh The pharaoh was seen as a semi-divine fig...

Egypt: The Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom c. 2649 – 2150 BCE An era of prosperity Relative stability Strong centralized rule The Great Pyramids were built Egyptian kings known as pharaohs were worshipped as “gods on earth” Pharaoh The pharaoh was seen as a semi-divine figure who acted as a mediator between the gods and his subjects – Central idea to life, politics, and religion Oversaw elaborate religious rituals that underlined his links with the gods Absolute ruler over the land – Everything in Egypt was owned by the pharaoh and given to the people as a gift Believed to be the earthly embodiment of the god Horus Egyptians believed that the pharaoh influenced the flooding of the Nile and the victory of the army The pharaoh was the upholder of a justice order that aimed to reflect the cosmic order Upheld the principles of ma’at which included justice and mercy The pharaoh ruled from Memphis – the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom Government The pharaoh headed a vast, highly organized government Had an army of advisors and officials to run the country Chief official was called the vizier - there was one for both Upper and Lower Egypt Under the viziers was a large bureaucracy that administered all aspects of Egyptian society The kingdom of Egypt was divided into 42 provinces or nomes Each nome had a governor that was appointed by the pharaoh These governors had considerable power in their respective nomes which would grow throughout the Old Kingdom This growing power contributed to the end of the Old Kingdom when the pharaohs lost control of these governors 1 Mac’s History Society Egyptian society was clearly divided At the top was the royal family, nobles, government officials, and priests At the bottom were the farmers, peasants and slaves Evidence shows that regular Egyptians still had surplus goods after they paid taxes and that they were able to sell in local markets Trade was carried out through the barter system as widespread coinage would not be used until the time of the Romans During the Old Kingdom, Egypt began to form trading relationships with other lands in modern- day Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Sudan This was done both to keep its own borders safe as well as to bring in resources from other lands such as cedar wood Religion During the Old Kingdom the cult of the sun became powerful and the god Ra (or Re) became one of the most important deities to the Egyptians The sun was seen by the Egyptians to be the giver of all life Ra’s chief cult center was Heliopolis and from here Ra’s worshippers sought to promote their god Ra would become incorporated into the pharaoh’s names Ra is often associated with Horus: at times believed to be rivals, at others combined into one god In some myths, Isis schemed against Ra to replace him with her son Horus on the throne of Egypt In later mythology Ra and Horus were combined into one deity known as Ra-Horakhty Egyptian ideas on the afterlife developed further during the Old Kingdom It was believed that a person’s spirit lived on in the body after death This was reflected in the Osiris myth in which the god was resurrected by Isis before becoming the god of the afterlife If the body was preserved, an Egyptian could be judged by Osiris and join him in the afterlife Pyramids During the Old Kingdom, pharaohs would build larger and larger tombs which would evolve into the construction of the pyramids The building of these massive structures could only be done by a civilization that was stable, wealthy, and highly organized The development of pyramids began with structures known as mastabas – a rectangular, flat- roofed structure built with mud bricks or stones Built during the Early Dynastic Period as the tombs of the pharaohs The idea to stack one mastaba on top of another to create the first step pyramid came from a man named Imhotep – vizier of the Pharaoh Djoser Imhotep Imhotep c. 2650-2600 BCE – his name means “one who comes in peace Considered the world’s first genius Imhotep was the first non-ruler in history whose life was recorded and passed down through history The design of the step pyramid established the Old Kingdom as an era or remarkable achievement It remains the oldest surviving building made from cut blocks of stone 2 Mac’s History  The pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty, inspired by Imhotep’s design, would push the boundaries of what was possible further and build the Great Pyramids of Giza Inside the step Pyramid, Imhotep immortalized in stone every aspect of life within the royal palace Furniture, straw baskets, metal pots, stories and exploits of the Pharaoh, his family, and Imhotep were all sculpted in stone “The Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, the first after the King of Upper Egypt, administrator of the great palace, hereditary lord, the High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep the builder, the sculptor, and maker of stone vases.” Inscription on a statue of Imhotep in the royal funeral complex Imhotep’s genius extended beyond architecture Founder of the Egyptian system of medicine – regarded as the best in the ancient world for centuries Imhotep was revered upon his death and later worshiped as a god in Egypt and as far away as Greece Pyramids The first ‘true’ pyramid was created during the 4th dynasty which saw the Old Kingdom reach its apex Sneferu, first pharaoh of the 4th dynasty, would build three pyramids before perfecting the ‘true’ pyramid First attempted to fill in the step pyramid at Medium but this collapsed under the added weight Second attempt resulted in the Bent Pyramid when architects realized the angle was too steep The third attempt was a success and the Red Pyramid would be history’s first ‘true’ pyramid Khufu, son of Sneferu, would build the largest pyramid in Egypt’s history The Great Pyramid was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one that remains Was the tallest structure built by humans for almost 4000 years Originally the Great Pyramid was covered in smooth limestone that would have shone white in the distance The limestone has since crumbled away and what is visible is the underlying stepped core structure Before the Egyptians laid the first stone, precise measurements were taken using the stars as guides One controversial theory suggests that all three pyramids of Giza – of which Khufu’s is the largest and oldest – are aligned with the Constellation of Orion Exact mathematical calculations were needed to ensure the structural integrity of the pyramid Estimated that 2.3 million blocks were used in the building of the Great Pyramid, most were quarried close by The largest stones are in the King’s chamber, weigh between 20 and 80 tons and were transported from 500 miles away Pyramids were more than just tombs – they were part of great mortuary temple complexes where the pharaohs became gods The tomb was dedicated to the worship of the pharaoh The move towards the ‘true’ pyramid was an attempt by the Egyptians to emulate the rays of the sun which the pharaoh would ascend on a solar barque (mythical boat) to join the god Ra Historians now believe that the pyramids were built by skilled craftsmen and laborers, not slaves 3 Mac’s History  Every summer royal officials would head up and down the Nile selecting able-bodied men for the task of building the pharaoh’s tomb Egyptians believed they owed everything to the pharaoh, and this was a way to repay him These men would be well provided for – paid in food and drink, clothing and housing, even skilled training for their children Egyptologists generally believe that the Great Pyramid took between 10 to 20 years to build with an average workforce of 14,000 men that may have reached 40,000 at the height of the project A series of ramps and sleds were used to pull the massive stones into place – it is believed 1000 tons of stone was moved a day End of the Old Kingdom The reasons for the collapse Old Kingdom are unclear and there are many theories Local governors had become too powerful and ruled their nomes as independent regions There is evidence that suggests Egypt experienced drought and/or flooding during this period – this would have undermined the pharaoh’s power even more The First Intermediary Period lasted from c. 2181 BCE – 2055 BCE and was a period of unrest and instability 4 Mac’s History