Lecture2edited
- 1. Lecture 2: Egyptian Civilization, 10,000 – 1100 BCE
- 2. Time Periods Predynastic period: 10,000 – 3000 BCE Old Kingdom: 3000-2200 BCE Middle Kingdom: 2040-1785 BCE New Kingdom: 1600-1100BCE
- 3. Overview: Predynastic period Nile River: agriculturally prosperous 5000-4000 BCE: Emergence of small towns Same transition to agriculture, rise in trade
- 4. Old Kingdom (3000-2200 BCE) Overview 2 kingdoms - Upper + Lower Egypt (King Menes - Narmer) Highly organized, centralized theocracy Advances in art, architecture, literature, medicine, and technological skills Capital city of Memphis
- 5. Political Structure Hierarchy: Kings, court officials, provincial governors, city mayors Kings Religious, social, + political life Divine figures of authority, half-divine Maintained order by caring for temples
- 6. Priests Main duty: act of behalf of King in temple Elite families: hereditary power Wealthy: massive estates Advised kings Collected taxes, organized building projects, administered justice
- 7. Peasants and Artisans Carefully regulated lives: movements limited, taxed heavily Majority of population (80%) Agricultural work or domestic servants for elite. Flooding season: large building projects
- 8. Egyptian Writing Overview Script independent of cuneiform Hieroglyphics ("sacred carvings") Mostly with pen and ink on fine paper (papyrus)
- 9. Role of the Scribe Trained in hieroglyph writing Records of king’s possessions, food production Years of schooling Knowledge = privileged status
- 10. Egyptian Religion Overview : Polytheistic Each region: own patron deity Beliefs + rituals: life after death Egyptian religion centralized Function of temple: religious
- 11. The Gods Re, the sun God Creator of universe Most important deity of Old Kingdom Kings: "sons of Re" Course through sky + underworld = daily pattern for King’s life, death, and resurrection.
- 12. Representation of the Gods Early representations: Gods as animals, eg. falcon, vulture, cobra, dog, cat or crocodile. Animals possessed religious significance. Later representations : Human (anthropomorphism), often retained animal's head or body.
- 13. Burial Tombs: The Pyramids Overview : Construction: 2680-2400 BCE (replaced with rock-cut tombs) 4-sided, stone Purpose : Burial tombs for Kings First pyramid : Saqqara: King Djoser 6 steps: ladder to heaven Increasingly lavish
- 14. 2600 BCE: Great Pyramid at Giza Built by King Khufu (or Cheops) Largest human-made structure in ancient world Symbol of greatness of Old Kingdom
- 15. Features of Burial Tombs Supplies for journey into afterlife: every day + valuable luxury items Paintings on walls of tombs: spiritual purpose Walls of chamber: hieroglyphics
- 16. Mummification Practice: According to Herodotus, most refined method of mummification: “… first of all they draw out the brain through the nostrils with an iron hook….then they make an incision in the flank with a sharp Ethiopian stone through which they extract all the internal organs…” Purpose : Slowly dry a dead body, prevent it from rotting. Preserving body in death kept soul alive Ka : Indestructible vital principle. Left body at death: ka , on its return, would not find body decomposed
- 17. *Religious beliefs = Basis of Egyptian life* Examples: Medicine : Magical utterances: disease attributed to gods. Astronomy : for correct time to perform religious rites + sacrifices. Literature : Earliest examples - religious themes. Government : King as divine monarch - intermediary between gods + man.
- 18. The Middle Kingdom (2040-1785 BCE) Old Kingdom collapsed: economic decline, drought, deterioration of Kings 2200-2040 BCE: First Immediate Period, anarchy + civil war 2040 BCE: Mentuhotep II, Middle Kingdom
- 19. Characteristics of Middle Kingdom Power of the Kings waned Tombs less extravagant Bureaucracy open to literate More public-work projects; more concern for ordinary people 2. Renewed interest in foreign policy - trading + military
- 20. Osiris, God of the Dead Local deity in Lower Egypt First intermediate period: replaced Re as most popular deity Judged the dead before Osiris Osiris weighed heart - true confession? Promise of immortality: religious democratization
- 21. Importance of the Afterlife Optimistic worldview : Afterlife possible for all Death = continuation of one's life on earth with proper burial, prayer, and ritual Pyramid Texts : earliest known writings about resurrection Book of the Dead : spells, incantations, prayers, hymns, + rituals to attain immortality
- 22. New Kingdom (1600-1100BCE) Expulsion of Hyksos from Egypt (1550 BCE): King Ahmose I overthrew Wealth, military success, + splendor Temple building + elaborate tombs Pyramids discontinued. Rock-cut tombs in Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens at Thebes Creation of deity Amun-Re
- 23. Territorial Expansion After Hyksos rule: more interest in foreign policy Permanent army Army + chariot warfare technology = territorial expansion Southern Palestine conquered under King Thutmose I (1504-1492 BCE)
- 24. Dynamic Leaders of New Kingdom Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE) First female pharaoh Temple at Deir el Bahri in Thebes Policies of peace; also military expeditions, mining, agriculture Man in art: aware of unusual position
- 25. Thutmose III (1458-1425 BCE) Son of Hatshepsut Reign of military glory Amenhotep III (1412-1375 BCE) Height of new Egyptian imperial state Construction of magnificent new buildings + temples
- 26. Religious Revolution of the Amarna Period Growth in power of priests of Amon Amenhotep IV (1367-1350 BCE) Resistant to priesthood Aten, the sun, as universal and the only God Changed name: Akhenaton (“one useful to Aten") Significance: First instance of Monotheism in Egypt
- 27. Capital from Thebes to the north Closed temples, forbade festivals to other Gods, attacked traditional beliefs Response? Lost support of priests and people Successor Tutankhamon (1347-1339 BCE) restored old traditions, capital back to Thebes
- 28. Age of Ramesses II (1279-1213 BCE) Regained control of Palestine Monuments at Pi-Ramesse, Memphis, Abydos, Thebes, + Abu Simbel 1269 BCE: Treaty with Hittites By 1100 BCE: New Kingdom expired
- 29. Rivals to Egyptian Civilization Hittite Empire Anatolia by 1650 BCE Powerful, wealthy, multiethnic Trade + communication in International Bronze Age Territorial expansion Conflict with Egypt: Battle of Kadesh 1274 BCE Eternal treaty: diplomatic peace
- 30. Lecture 2: What do you need to know? Old Kingdom Political structure, particularly power of kings Emergence of hieroglyphics and importance of scribes Egyptian Religion: what were the defining characteristics? How is this evident in social practices (burial tombs, mummification) Middle Kingdom What transformations took place? New Kingdom Military success Important leaders Religious revolution: under who? What was it? Results?