Ancient Egyptian Agriculture
Agriculture was the foundation of the ancient Egyptian economy and vital to the lives of the people of the land. Agricultural practices began in the Delta Region of northern Egyptand the fertile basin known as the Faiyum in the Predynastic Period in Egypt (c. 6000 – c. 3150 BCE), but there is evidence of agricultural use and overuse of the land dating back to […]
Isis | The Goddess of Fertility
Isis was the ancient Egyptian goddess of marriage, fertility, motherhood, magic and medicine. Many myths and legends exist about Isis in Egypt and Egyptian literature uses several names and titles for this goddess. Worship of Isis, her temples and her cult spread through Egypt and parts of Europe. Names, Titles & Roles Isis is the “Goddess […]
Animal Husbandry, Crops, & Products in egypt
The Egyptians maintained a largely vegetarian diet. Meat was expensive, could not last long as there was no concept of refrigeration, and so was primarily reserved for nobility, the wealthy, and for festivals and special occasions. Animals used for meat included cattle, lambs, sheep, goats, poultry, and for the nobles, antelope killed in the hunt. […]
New Kingdom of Egypt
The New Kingdom (c. 1570- c.1069 BCE) is the era in Egyptian history following the disunity of the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1782-1570 BCE) and preceding the dissolution of the central government at the start of the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069-c. 525 BCE). This is the time of Imperial Egypt when it extended its reach beyond the former borders to create an empire. It is […]
Neglecting Egypt’s Allies
The pharaoh as a servant of the gods, and identified with a certain god (most often Horus), was common practice in ancient Egyptian culture, but no one before Akhenaten had proclaimed himself an actual god incarnate. As a god, he seems to have felt that the affairs of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to […]
Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
The Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069-525 BCE) is the era following the New Kingdom of Egypt (c. 1570-c.1069 BCE) and preceding the Late Period (c.525-332 BCE). Egyptian history was divided into eras of ‘kingdoms’ and ‘intermediate periods’ by Egyptologists of the late 19th century CE to clarify the study of the country’s history, but these designations were not used by the […]
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
When we think of ancient Egyptians, the image that most readily pops into our minds is hordes of workers labouring to build a colossal pyramid, while whip-wielding overseers brutally urge them onwards. Alternatively, we imagine Egyptian priests chanting invocations as they conspired to resurrect a mummy. Happily, the reality for ancient Egyptians was quite different. […]
Ancient Egyptian Government
The government of ancient Egypt was a theocratic monarchy as the king ruled by a mandate from the gods, initially was seen as an intermediary between human beings and the divine, and was supposed to represent the gods’ will through the laws passed and policies approved. A central government in Egypt is evident by c. 3150 BCE […]
The Nile River in Ancient Egypt
The Nile River has certainly played a critical role in the history of ancient Egypt. Famous as the longest river in the world, the river got its name from the Greek word Neilos, which means valley. The Nile floods the lands in Egypt, leaving behind black sediment. That’s why the ancient Egyptians named the river Ar, meaning […]
Ancient Egypt’s Social Pyramid
The Pharaoh High government officials like the vizier (the pharaoh’s right hand man), the chief treasurer and the army general Priests and nobles (who serve as lesser government officials) Soldiers and scribes (who write down important events and calculate taxes) Craftsmen and merchants Farmers and unskilled workers Slaves Often, people from a single level would live in […]
