Egyptian Civilization PDF

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION LIFESPAN OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION- ABOUT 5000BC- 525BC, AROSE IN AFRICA CONSIDERED A BRONZE AGE CIVILIZATION - USE OF BRONZE BEGAN AROUND 3000BC. ANCIENT RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD CIVILIZATION RIVER MESOPOTAMIAN TIGRIS-EU...

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION LIFESPAN OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION- ABOUT 5000BC- 525BC, AROSE IN AFRICA CONSIDERED A BRONZE AGE CIVILIZATION - USE OF BRONZE BEGAN AROUND 3000BC. ANCIENT RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD CIVILIZATION RIVER MESOPOTAMIAN TIGRIS-EUPHARATES EGYPTIAN NILE HARAPPAN INDUS CHINESE HUANG HO  DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION CULTURE CIVILIZATION Derived from Latin word ‘cultus’ meaning Derived from Latin words ‘civilis’ meaning ‘growing or cultivation and care’ or from ‘citizen’ and ‘civitas’ meaning ‘city’ French ‘colere’ meaning ‘to till’ (as in till the ground) Sum total of people, governmental, Handed down from generation to another. economic, socio-religious and intellectual existence of art of writing, institutions; material culture, Such institutions can be either primitive or surplus production leading to intellectual advanced and material pursuits GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF EGYPTIAN civilization To the Mediterranean Sea North To the Libyan Desert West To the Red Sea East To the Cataract of River Nile South  HERODOTUS CONSIDERED EGYPT ‘a GIFT OF NILE’ REASONS: – PROVIDED SAFETY – SERVED AS LIFELINE ANNUAL FLOODS ADDED TO SOIL FERTILTY SURPLUS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION FACILITATED URBANISATION POLITICAL ORGANISATION TRADE WITH EUROPE AND ASIA NATIONAL WATERWAY AND TRANSPORTATION MINES NEAR RIVER INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY FACILITATED BY USE OF PAPYRUS SOFT SOIL NEAR RIVER HELPED IN BRICK BUILDING – AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES HELPED DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRY AND ASTRONOMY – FLOODING AND RECEDING MADE LIFE POSSIBLE AND CONVEYED MESSAGE OF DEATH AND REJUVENATION STAGES OF EVOLUTION OF EGYPTIAN civilization 7000-5000 BC : Prehistoric Age Settlement of mankind in villages began Agriculture practised Manufacture of fine stone tools and weapons Domestication of animals Art of writing not perfected About 5000 BC : Historical Period I - Predynastic Period Neolithic Age merging with Age of Metals at the end Records of history became more coherent Four river valley civilizations dawned, including Egyptian civilization Invention of writing and use of metals such as copper in Egypt (5000 BC) Organisation of large political units Agricultural surplus, trade and commerce flourished 3400 BC Onwards: Historical Period II – Dynastic Period Evolution of 30 dynasties All features of a civilization SOURCES OF EGYPTIAN civilization (OLD KINGDOM) 1. Buildings 1. Religious and Archaeological Literary Historical texts Pyramids Temples 2. Literary and Tombs mathematical Royal Palaces works Sphinx 3. Scientific works Memorials 4. Letters 2. Paintings 5. Accounts and 6. Public and Engravings private works 3. Statues 7. The Old Testament 4. Weapons 8. Accounts of 5. Ornaments Herodotus 6. Other 9. Accounts of artefacts Manetho 8. Rosetta Stone HISTORY OF EGYPT PREDYNASTIC EGYPT (BEFORE 3400 BC) Stone and copper Cultivation of barley began Linen garments Pottery Introduction of plough Writing Invention of papyrus and ink Animal worship First calendar, perhaps of the world( 4241 BC) Many political units merged into two – Upper(Southern) Egypt and Lower(Northern) Egypt: First Unification of Egypt DYNASTIC EGYPT (3400 BC onwards) Upper and Lower Egypt became one- Second Unification of Egypt 30 dynasties First ruler -Menes Copper, bronze Potter’s wheel perfected Surplus production Trade, military expeditions, mining, art and architecture, literature New forms of writing Geometry, astronomy and organised religion  DYNASTIC PERIOD Dynasties I-XXX divided as follows:- Early Dynastic Period : Dynasties I (3100-2890 BC) and II (2890-2686 BC) Dynastic Period- Dynasties III to XXX Old Kingdom or Age of Pyramids : Dynasties III to VI (2686-2181 BC) ? Transitional Period or Feudal Age : Dynasties VII to X Middle Kingdom or Classical Age : Dynasties XI and XII (at times, dynasty XIII included too) Rule of Hyksos: 1780-1580 BC New Kingdom or The Imperial Age : Dynasties XVIII to XX Third Intermediate Phase : Dynasties XXI to XXV Late Period : Dynasty XXVI to XXX followed by dynasty XXXI *525 BC- First Persian Conquest. Nevertheless Egyptian culture continued *343 BC- Egypt annexed by Persian Empire *332 BC- Alexander the Great conquered Egypt *30 BC – Romans conquered Egypt DYNASTIC PERIOD BEGAN WITH UNIFICATION OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT BRONZE AGEs IN ANCIENT EGYPT Old Kingdom- Early Bronze Age Middle Kingdom – Middle Bronze Age New Kingdom – Late Bronze Age SUMMARY Egyptian civilization : 5000 BC-525 BC Egypt: Bronze Age River Valley civilization Egypt: A Gift of Nile Egyptian civilization divided into Predynastic and Dynastic Periods Dynastic Period- Three kingdoms(Old, Middle and New) with Intermediate Periods and 30 dynasties in all Old Kingdom/Age of Pyramids(2686BC- 2181 BC ?) All elements of Egyptian civilization found genesis in the Old Kingdom of Egyptian civilization.  Prepared by : Dr Divya Kumar Assistant Professor Department of History Patna Women’s College Patna University