Ancient Egyptian Civilization.docx

Ancient Egyptian Civilization.docx

《Ancient Egyptian Civilization.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Ancient Egyptian Civilization.docx（14页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AncientEgyptianCivilization

AncientEgyptianCivilization

MainEvents

ThecourseoftheancientEgyptiancivilization,startingwiththepre-dynasticperiodtillthePtolemaicperiod,hasaseriesofeventsthathighlightit.Thedynasticperiod,beingthemainchunkofancientEgyptianhistory,providessomeofthemostinterestinginsightsintotheancientEgyptiancivilization.

AncientEgyptianhistoryisdividedinto31dynasties,whicharethenfurthersubdividedintothreemainkingdomswithintermediateperiodsinbetween.Clickheretoseethetimeline.

ThePre-dynasticPeriod（approx.5500-3100BC）

Duringthisperiodthenomadictribesofhunter-gatherersthatwerescatteredalloverthecountrywerestartedsettlingdownneartheNile.Thesesettlementsweredividedintonomes（provinces）.

ThemaindivisioninEgyptwasthatoftheUpperandLowerEgyptians（thetwolands）.Thetwowereverydifferent.

Ataround3100BC,thedynasticperiodbeganwiththereignofKingNarmer.Hemanagedtounify（throughbattle）theprovincesandthetwolands,andEgyptbecameasinglestate.

ThiswastherealbeginningoftheancientEgyptiancivilization.

EarlyDynasticPeriod（approx.3150-2686BC）

Thiswasasortofsteppingstoneperiod,wheretheEgyptiansstartedsettlingintotheideaofaunifiedEgypt.Itonlylasted2dynastiesandwascalled"theArchaicperiod".

ThisperiodwaswhentheadministrativecapitalofEgyptbecameMemphis.Itisalsowhenelaboratetombsbecamepopular.

Thearchitecture,religiousbeliefsandartoftheancientEgyptiancivilizationbecamemoreprominentduringthisperiod.

TheOldKingdom（approx.2686-2181BC）

Thisperiodwasallaboutpyramids.Infact,it'scalled"TheAgeofthePyramids".ItwasatimeofwealthandprogressfortheEgyptians.

DuringthethirddynastyKingDjoserbuildstheStepPyramidinSaqqara-thefirstpyramideverbuilt.ThefamousImhotepwasthearchitecturalengineerforthisbigproject.

TheGreatPyramidofGiza,Egypt'smainlandmarkandtheonlysurvivingancientwonderoftheworld,wasbuiltbyKingKhufuinthe4thdynasty.

Therewerealsootherbeautifulpyramidsbuiltduringthisdynasty,suchastheRedPyramidandtheBentPyramidinDahshur.

ThefunerarytextscalledthePyramidTexts,whichprovideuswithmuchinformationabouttheancientEgyptianreligiousbeliefs,wereformedinthisperiod.

Bytheendofthisperiod,thenobleshadgainedmorepowerandwealththantheroyalfamilyitself.Civilwarsweakenedthekingdom.Butwhatfinallyendedthisdynasticperiodwasthedrought,whichbroughtaboutfamineanddisease.

TheFirstIntermediatePeriod（approx.2181–2040BC）

Egypt'sversionoftheDarkAges,itwasatimeofchaosandfamine.

Thepoorwhowerehitworstwithfamineanddiseasebegantoriseupagainstthekings.Therewasanarchyandunrestallover,withplunderingandvandalizingofthemonuments.

Therulebecamedivided,andconflictsbetweenthekingdomsbegan,untilfinallyattheendofthisperiodtheThebankingMenuhotepconquersandunifiesEgyptagain.

TheMiddleKingdom（approx.2040–1782BC）

Afterthere-unificationofEgyptwithThebesasthecapital,muchofthepowerwasstillnotentirelyinthehandsofthePharaohs.Thekingdependedonthelocalgovernorstoconscriptsoldiersfromtheirprovincestopulltogetheranarmy.

Thenduringthe12thdynasty,Egypt'sarmywasstrongenoughtobeginaseriesofinvasionstoexpandtheterritory.Theywouldbuildfortressesinthenewareastosecurethem.

ThemiddlekingdomalsosawarisetotradeconnectionswithNubia.

AlargemigrationofforeignsettlersfromAssyriahappenedduringthisperiod,whichgaverisetomanychangesintheancientEgyptiancivilization...

...italsogaverisetotheHyksos.

AsachildI'dplay"EgyptiansandHyksos",muchlikeAmericanchildrenalongtimeagousedtoplay"CowboysandIndians".Neitherofwhichisvery"politicallycorrect"ifImaysaysomyself!

Butthankfullykidshavenowstoppedthosekindsofgamesandarenowplayingpeacefulplaystation:

-）

（Don'tgetmewrong,Iloveplaystation!

）

TheSecondIntermediatePeriod（approx.1782–1570BC）

Division,onceagain!

Doesiteveryend?

SonowtheSyriansandPalestiniansthathadmigratedgainedpowerandgaverisetotheHyksoskings.AndthenevenwhentheHyksosallowedEgyptianstobekings,theywereonlypuppetrulersandhadtodoasthey’retold.

Oneofthosepuppetkingshoweverwasnotvery"puppet-y"atall.HeandmostEgyptianshadhadenoughoftheseimmigrantstakingover!

SohecalledforththeEgyptianstowaragainsttheHyksosKingApopis.

KingSeqenenreTaodiedinbattlewithheadwounds.Hisson,Kamose,tookoverandmanagedtotakebackmostofEgypt.ButthenKamosediedyoungandhisbrotherAhmoseIcontinuedbattlingtheHyksosuntiltheyleftcompletely.

Thissignalstheendofthisturbulentintermediateperiod,andthestartofaluxurioustimeinancientEgyptiancivilization.

TheNewKingdom（approx.1570–1070BC）

Aftersomanywarsandsomuchchaos,theancientEgyptiansthoughtitwouldbesmarttohaveafull-timearmy.Insteadofconscriptingmenwhentheyneededthemtheywouldhavewell-trained,fully-armedsoldiersreadytofight.

Theyalsoreinforcedtheirbordersandevenexpandedthem.

Withthischangeplusafewothersmartmoves,theNewKingdomgaverisetoanEgyptianempire.

Someofthemostfamouspharaohscomefromthisperiod,suchasRamesesII（pictureontheleft）andKingTut.AlsothemysteriousNefertitiwasfromtheNewKingdomtoo.

AnotherdrasticchangeinancientEgyptiancivilizationthattookplaceduringtheNewKingdomwastheintroductionofatypeofearlymonotheism.

KingAkhenatenflippedeverythingupsidedownwhenhechangedthereligionofEgyptfromworshippinghundredsofgodstojustone...thesundiscAten.NottoomanyEgyptianswerehappywiththis.

OneofthemostimportantbattlesoftheNewKingdomwasthebattleofKadesh.TheancientEgyptiansfoughttheHittitesforyearsovercontrolofthearea,whichhadanessentialtraderouteoftheneareast.

OtherbattlestookplaceintheNewKingdomwithancientLibyansandtheSeaPeople.ButtheEgyptiansdidwellbothonlandandonsea.

EventhoughtheNewKingdomhadmadeagreatempireandmostofthebattleshadbeenwon,theancientEgyptiancivilizationbegantoberiddledwithdivision,invasionsandeconomicproblems.AncientEgyptstartedtodeclineandslowlyfadeaway.

TheThirdIntermediatePeriod（approx.1080–525BC）

ThetroublebeganwhenonceagainEgyptfelltodividedrule.Economicproblemsweakenedtheunificationandkingsfromdifferentregionsfought-thisexposedEgypttoforeigninvasions.

Sureenough,NubiaeventuallyconqueredadividednorthernEgypt.Andtomakemattersworse,theAssyrianswerealsoexpandingintheneareast.

TheAssyriansendedtheNubiandynastiesandtheirkingbecamethekingofaonceagainunifiedEgypt.TheAssyrianschosetodoastheHyksosdid,andenlistedEgyptiansaspuppetkings.

ButthentheAssyrianempirebeganfalling,asempiresusuallydo.

Whowastheretopickupthepieces?

Another,verypowerfulempire-thePersian.

Thismarksthestartofthelateperiod,thelastofthedynasticperiods.

TheLatePeriod（approx.525–332BC）

ThePersiandynastiessawarevoltfromtheEgyptians.AndalthoughthereweremomentswhentheEgyptianshadregainedcontrolofEgypt,thesewereshort-lived.Ultimately,thePersianskeptthepoweruntilthecomingofnoneotherthan...

TheEgyptianPyramids

SymbolOfAncientEgypt

TheEgyptianPyramids,thefirstthingyouthinkaboutwhenyouheartheword"Egypt"-alongwiththeEgyptianSphinxandKingTut.

Apyramidisbasicallyastructurewithtriangularsides,allofwhichmeetatthetop.Pyramidshaveeitherthree,fourorfivesides.

Sincetheweightisgreatestatthebottomandleastatthetop,thecenterofgravityofpyramidsisverylow-whichmakesforverystablebuildings.That'swhymanyoftheancientpyramidshavesurvivedtilltoday.

TheGreatPyramidofGiza,builtaround2570BC,istheonlyancientwonderoftheworldstillstanding.

OtherthantheEgyptianpyramids（whichnumberover110）therewereotherancientpyramidsbuiltinMesopotamia,Greece,Mexico,Romeandotherplaces.Andthesedaystherearemanymodernstructuresbuilttoresembletheseoldones,suchastheLuxorhotelinLasVegas.

TheoldestpyramidswerethoseofMesopotamia,notEgypt.Buttheywerebuiltwithmud-brickandnotmuchofthemsurvived.TheoldestEgyptianpyramidistheStepPyramidofKingDjoser.ThelargestnumberofpyramidsbuiltwasthatoftheNubiancivilization,over200ofthem.TheywereinspiredbytheEgyptianpyramidsandwereusedasroyaltombsalso.

Thefunctionsofpyramidsdifferedfromcivilizationtocivilization.ThoseinMexicowereusedforhumansacrifice.

Butstill,themostfamousaretheEgyptian-usedastombsforroyalty.ManyofthemwerebuiltintocomplexescontainingmortuarytemplesandsomeevenincludedpitswithburiedancientEgyptianboatsusedfortheking'sjourneyintheafterlife.

FunctionoftheEgyptianPyramids

TheancientEgyptiansfirstconstructedpyramidstouseastombsforthekingsandqueens;theirfunctionlaterchangetoberestingplacesforthesoulsofthedeceased.Pyramidbuildingwasalsolaterexpandedtoincludepyramidsbuiltfornon-royal（yetwealthy）individuals.

Theshapeofthepyramids（servingastombs）hasalottodowithreligioussymbolism.

Firstofall,theyreflecttheshapeoftheprimordialmoundofcreation"benben".Accord