OBJECTS AS HISTORY – LECTURE 4.

The next civilization we studied was the Egyptian Civilization.

There are a few words that come into our minds when we think of this civilization –

• Slavery
• Protector of the Realm
• Mummies
• Pyramids
• After life
• River Nile
• Sphinx

We then broke down the formation of this civilization :

LOCATION – Egypt is situated in the Nile Valley, in the north east of Africa. Its origins lay in several chiefdoms in Upper Egypt, at Abydos and Hierakonpolis, which then spread northwards towards Memphis and the Mediterranean. 

ARMY – Soldiers of ancient Egyptian armies were armed with bows and arrows, spears, and round-topped shields made from stretched animal skin over wooden frames. Weapons and armour continued to improve after the adoption of bronze: shields were now made from solid wood with a bronze buckle, spears were tipped with a bronze point, and the bronze Khopesh – a hook shaped slashing weapon – was introduced. In the New Kingdom, chariots became a standard part of the army.

RELIGION – The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses. These included Ra, the sun god; Isis, the goddess of nature and magic; Horus, the god of war; and Osiris, the god of the dead. The pantheon of gods and goddesses gradually changed over time, as new gods became more important, and some less so. The rise and fall of gods and goddesses seems to have mirrored the political fortunes of the different temples and priesthoods.

AGRICULTURE – Farming in Egypt was dependent completely on the Nile River. Just a few miles away from the river, on both sides, was bone dry desert. The flooding season lasted from June to September, depositing a layer of wonderfully fertile silt on the land beside the river. As much as the flood water as possible was stored in tanks and ponds. After the flood waters had receded, the growing season lasted from October to February. Egypt receives very little rainfall, so farmers irrigated their fields with river water from the reservoirs, and from the river itself. Ditches and canals carried the water to the fields.

TRADE – Trade inside Egypt would have been greatly aided by the presence of the River Nile, and by the fact that no part of the country lay more than a few miles from this great waterway. Until modern times, for anything longer than very small distances, water transport has always been much less expensive than land transport.