Egypt Essay, Research Paper
Ancient Egypt
Between 3100 and 332 B.C was the rise and climax of one of the richest and oldest
ancient civilizations. It s lifeline was the Nile river in the Nile valley. Here, Egyptian
dynasties ruled from the first cataract of the Nile to the Mediterranean Sea. At the it s
height it ruled an empire that reached from Syria in the east to Nubia in the south.
In this report I will be covering the Archaic Period, the Old Kingdom, the Middle
Kingdom the New Kingdom and The Late Period or 3100-332 B.C.
Archaic Period: 3100 B.C to 2750 B.C
There long history began with there first King who began the first Egyptian dynasty. In
3100 B.C Pharaoh Menes united upper and lower Egypt. Making Egypt s first empire. In
doing so, he made the Egyptian double crown. It was made by putting the red crown of
Lower Egypt on top of the white crown of upper Egypt.
Menes ruled from the ancient city of Thinis near Abydos. Under his reign the first
hieroglyphic writing was made. He is also credited with making his empire
interdependent.
Old Kingdom: 2750 B.C to 2181 B.C / First Intermediate Period: 2182-2260
Little is known about Menes successors until the reign of Zoser at the end of the 3rd
dynasty. His capital was located at Memphis on the Nile s west bank. He built the
world s first pyramid and the first building of that size to be entirely made of stone. Even
though it was a pyramid it wasn t a true pyramid, but a step pyramid.
After the reign of the last king of the Sixth dynasty (the last dynasty in the old kingdom.)
Pepi II in 2181 B.C, there was a period of crisis and social upheaval known as the First
Intermediate Period. The reasons leading up to this dark time, was a series of low floods
and the result was famine during the Sixth dynasty. This undermined the stability of Egypt
and provoked rebellion.
What followed put Egypt in rapid decline. With no central power the provinces became
independent states the were often at war with each other. To make the situation worse
was a penetration of nomadic foreigners into the delta region of the Nile Valley.
Middle Kingdom: 2061-1784 B.C/Second Intermediate Period 1633-1570
B.C
The accession in 2060 B.C. of Mentuhotep II of Thebes the first pharaoh of the Middle
Kingdom, ended 90 years of conflict with a dynasty established a Herakleopolis, south of
Memphis. This strong Eleventh Dynasty ruler restored order in Egypt. He drove the
Asiatics from the delta and campaigned against the Libyans and nomadic tribes in the Sinai
and the eastern desert. Trade also expanded to Nubia, Syria and Palestine under his reign.
Mentuhotep II reigned for 50 years and was buried at Deir el-Bahri. Under the reign of
Sesostris II (1897-1878 B.C) huge irrigation works were built at the oasis at
Faiyum. Sesostris III (1878-1843) expanded Egypt s southern border to the second
cataract.
At such times of powerful rulers, Egypt was governed by an efficient administration.
Taxation provided much of the wealth and was carefully organized. A census of fields and
of all cattle was taken every two years. In addition to tax calculation and collection,
another important official function was the building up reserves of grain stocks to prevent
famine after a bad harvest. The state controlled all foreign trade and owned the mines and
quarries.
After the end of the Thirteenth Dynasty in 1633 B.C Egypt fell into another period of
decline known as the second intermediate period. During this period Egypt was divided
into four areas: the southern area ruled by 17th dynasty Theban rulers, the central area
that owed allegiance to Thebes, the 15th and 16th dynasties or the Hyksos that ruled most
of the delta and the 14th dynasty that ruled a small are in the delta.
The Hyksos identity is not known and there was no evidence that they invaded Egypt.
This suggest that there takeover was peaceful as a result of their increased population in
the delta. During the middle kingdom the Hyksos were employed by the state of Egypt to
mine in the Sinai mines and in Egypt itself. Later their population in the delta was so large
that it was larger than the Egyptian population the delta, so this was the probable cause of
there takeover.
The Hyksos rule over Egypt was very unpopular with the people of Egypt and according
to tradition Hyksos were an anarchy, who were accused of burning temple and cities. But
evidence suggest that the Hyksos respected and even adapted to the Egyptian culture and
religion. And they also made many advances in many things. One of the more important
things were the horse drawn chariots.
Whatever the nature of the Hyksos rule they where still very unpopular. However one of
the consequences of the Hyksos rule was the dramatic change in Egypt s attitudes toward
war and foreign conquest. And after a hundred years of rule, the Theban prince Seqenere
began the struggle against the Hyksos, dying in battle of fatal head wounds. His son
Kamose drove the Hyksos from Middle Egypt and took Avaris. In 1570 B.C he was
succeeded by his younger brother Ahmosis, who drove the Hyksos out of Egypt persued
them into Palestine and eliminated them in a series of campaigns.
The New Kingdom 1570-1045
After a decade of fighting Egypt was restored and Ahmosis formed the most illustrious
18th dynasty of The New Kingdom or The Empire. And once again Egypt. The founder
of this Illustrious family died in 1546 B.C.
Under a series of rulers once again controlled Syria, Palestine and Nubia. And under the
reign of Amenophis II Egypt expanded it s empire beyond the Fourth Cataract. One of
the many new lands that were conquered was Kush. And soon Egypt was depending on
Kush s mines for gold. And the capital moved to Thebes.
Egypt s power and prosperity were largely the result of the exploits of a few kings.
Thuthmosis I campaigned as far as the Euphrates and first brought Syria and Palestine
under Egyptian rule. Following the reign of Hatshepsut the widow of Tuthmosis II, her
nephew and stepson Tuthmosis III reasserted Egyptian authority over kingdoms in Asia
and came in conflict with Mitanni. Under Tuthmosis IV, a peace treaty was concluded
between these powers and sealed by dynastic marriage. Toward the end of Amenophis III
reign, the Hittites sacked Mitanni s capital and began to dominate Egypt s land in Syria.
Egyptian influence in the area collapsed.
After the reign of Horemheb (1348-1320 B.C) the 18th dynasty was over and the 19th
dynasty began. The first ruler of the new dynasty was Ramesses I. His reign of 2 years
was succeeded by his son, Seti I who did much to restore Egypt s prestige. There was
one campaign against the Libyans and he also campaigned in the east and restored
Egyptian control over Palestine. Egypt came into conflict with the Hittites in Syria, but by
the end of Seti I s reign, the two powers seemed to come to an understanding.
Seti s son Ramesses II resumed hostilities and attacked the Hittites under King Muwatallis
at Qadesh. The details of this encounter for the control of Syria are know because
Ramesses had it recorded as a great victory on several temples. In fact the result was
indecisive, and both armies suffered heavy losses.
The rest of Ramesses II s reign was fairly peaceful and prosperous. Nubia was still under
his control, although there seemed to be difficulty in the production of gold. He also
moved his capital north to Pi-Ramesse. Under his successors, Egypt fell into a period of
decline. Merneptah fought and defeated invading Libyans, who were allied with the Sea
People. In the reign of the Twentieth Dynasty pharoah Ramesses III, Egypt was once
again attaked Libyans and the Sea People. Three campaigns were fought in the Delta
before the invaders were beaten.
Although most of Ramesses III reign was prosperous and the king made many gifts to the
temples, toward the end there were problems. First there was a strike because monthly
food rations were overdue. More serious was the discovery that several of his wives and
officials in his harem were in a plot to kill him. As punishment, some of the plotters were
allowed to kill themselves, while others lived, but got there noses and ears off.
The next eight pharohs were all called Ramesses, and under them Egypt lost the what was
left of it s empire and became increasingly unstable.
The Late Period: 1045-332 B.C
This was the downfall of Egypt and was the last intermediate period. After the end of the
20th Dynasty Egypt was divided between the High Preist at Thebes and the Vizier of
lower egypt, Smendes who ruled from Tanis. And as usual, at times when Egypt was in
turmoil conquerors came. In this case the Libyans once again attacked and settled in the
delta. In 747 B.C the Nubians came to power, but it was shortlived fore the Assyrians
overran the Nubians in 667 B.C. Between the years of 663-525 B.C the Egyptians
became independent under th 26th dynasty. Then in 605 B.C The Babylonians conquered
Egypt, then in 539 B.C the Persians defeated the Babylonians and conquered Egypt. Then
finally in 332 B.C Alexander the Great of Macedonia Conquered Egypt and built his city
of Alexandria.
Conclusion
In conclusion I think Egypt is by far the least warlike civilization of it s time. I think this
because it only fighted invaders and not until the New Kingdom did it conquer foreign
lands on the large scale.
Другие работы по теме:
Nile River Essay Research Paper The Value
Nile River Essay, Research Paper The Value of the Nile These people set an economic base for the development of our civilization. It also provided another base towards the hunting for food, and fishing to survive in the dry arid climate of ancient Egypt.
Nile River Essay Research Paper Without the
Nile River Essay, Research Paper Without the Nile, the great Egyptian back in the Ancient Times would have been nothing, except for an empire filled with sand. But the gods were with Egypt that time, and gave Egypt the only hope of surviving The Nile River. The Nile is the longest river on Earth. But now Egypt has started developing and changing, let alone mention that it is worldwide known.
Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs Essay Research Paper In
Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs Essay, Research Paper In Ancient Egypt there were over 29 Kings and Pharaohs and over 5 Queens. Some of the most famous kings and queens were: Ramses II, Ramses III, King Tut, Cleopatra, and Nefertiti.
Egypt Essay Research Paper Tutankhamen was born
Egypt Essay, Research Paper Tutankhamen was born Tutankhaten in Malkata, a palace in the south of Egypt. To this day, his parentsis unknown, but most historians believe he is the son of the old Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his chief wife, Queen Tiye. Tutankhaten was born at a time of political turmoil because Amenhotep III’s regent and successor, Tutankhaten’s older brother, Akhenhaten was a religious misbeliever whose beliefs divided the country.
Cleopatra 2 Essay Research Paper CleopatraOne of
Cleopatra 2 Essay, Research Paper Cleopatra One of the most popular pharos of Egypt has to be King Tut, The youngest ruler of Egypt. However, one of the most interesting is without-a- doubt Cleopatra. One of the intriguing parts about her was her son Ptolemy Caesar. Ptolemy Caesar, (The son of Julius Caesar), was one of main factors in the fall of Rome.
Khufu Essay Research Paper Around 2610 BC
Khufu Essay, Research Paper Around 2610 B.C., the king of Egypt, Sneferu, had his first son, Khufu. Khufu ruled from 2589-2528 B.C. While he ruled, he decided to build a great
Egypt Essay Research Paper IntroductionMany people
Egypt Essay, Research Paper Introduction Many people know about Egypt from the ancient times when there were pharaohs, queens, slaves, and pyramids. Since those days with all the pyramids, the various Gods they worshiped, and the pharaohs, times in the land of Egypt have changed. Their whole government system has changed, their religion is totally different, and women have more rights than they had back then.
Ramses Essay Research Paper 1 How was
Ramses Essay, Research Paper 1. How was Ramses design for Abu Simbel different from all the Egyptian temples that had been built before? 2. Why did Ramses move the capital of Egypt to the new city he built in the delta?
Herodotus Essay Research Paper Herodotus Essay Herodotus
Herodotus Essay, Research Paper Herodotus Essay Herodotus of Halicarnassus was born about 484 B.C. he died 60 years later. For the time he lived in this age was very old though by today’s standards it is not. The reason why his age was so outstanding was in his time the average man live for maybe half that because of the harsh living conditions.
The Pyramids Essay Research Paper The Great
The Pyramids Essay, Research Paper The Great Pyramids of Egypt The Pyramids of Egypt were built from 2700-2500 BC. It?s located in Giza, Egypt, on the West Bank of the Nile River. The pyramids are the oldest and the only one surviving of all the ancient wonders. Its believed to have taken 100,000 slave laborers and about 20 years to build the massive pyramid using about 2.3 million blocks of stone.
Ancient Near East Essay Research Paper Environment
Ancient Near East Essay, Research Paper Environment strongly affected in the Ancient Near East. In a largely rainless climate, Egypt’s high agricultural productivity depended on a long but very narrow floodplain; on average 19.2 km wide, it reached a maximum of 248 km in the Delta and was formed by the Nile’s annual flood.
Phidias Essay Research Paper Phidias
Phidias Essay, Research Paper Phidias Phidias is often considered one of the greatest ancient Greek sculpturs. As an Anthenian sculptor, he worked primarily in bronze or in gold and ivory,
Alchemy Essay Research Paper Alchemy Alchemy is
Alchemy Essay, Research Paper Alchemy Alchemy is an ancient art, practiced in the Middle ages,used to discover a substance that would transmute common or base metals into gold or silver ,and to find a way of prolonging human life.The main objective of alchemy was to discover a substance called the philosopher’s stone.This stone was thought to transform common metals such as lead into silver or gold.Another objective of alchemist was to find the “elixir of life”- a potion that would cure all diseases and prolong life.
Walking Across Egypt
– Character Analasys Of Mattie Rigsbee Essay, Research Paper Walking Across Egypt Mattie Rigsbee, from Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton, is an extremely unique person. She is very bona
One Place Essay Research Paper IF I
One Place Essay, Research Paper IF I COULD VISIT ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD I WOULD GO TO THE GREAT PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT. THE PYRAMIDS AMAZE ME THE WAY THEY WERE BUILT. THE WAY THE EGYPTIANS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED
Greek Art Essay Research Paper Erin LiveseyMay
Greek Art Essay, Research Paper Erin Livesey May 7, 2000 Extra Credit “Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt” a special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art concentrates on 70 portraits painted in Egypt during the first few centuries of Roman rule. Rome controlled Egypt as it controlled much else, through a policy of calculated multiculturalism.
Untitled Essay Research Paper here ya go
Untitled Essay, Research Paper here ya go…have fun History Compare and Contrast the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi, and the book of the dead Three of the most famous writings from ancient civilizations are the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi’s code of laws, and Egypt’s Book of the Dead. At first, they seem very different, they’re from different times, regions, and religions, but they all offer a peek into what values ancient people considered important.
Greek Geography Essay Research Paper The geography
Greek Geography Essay, Research Paper The geography in Ancient Greece did affect the way the Greeks lived their day-to-day lives. Greek?s geography prevented most kinds of agriculture the opportunity to grow. Also, it forced most of the Greek city-states to develop their own customs and government. Being on the seafront of the Mediterranean Sea gave them many opportunities to make an empire.
Zues Essay Research Paper A Stranger in
Zues Essay, Research Paper A Stranger in the Valley of the Kings by: Ahmed Osman The book “Stranger in the Valley of the Kings” was an account of the pharaohs of Egypt in the Hyksos’ rain over Egypt.
The Role Of Women In Ancient Egypt
Essay, Research Paper The Role of Women in Ancient Egypt From the time of the Old Kingdom to the time of the New Kingdom, Ancient Egypt was a society dominated by men. Much of the history of Egypt is expressed through the perspective of Egyptian males. This leaves the perspective of the other half of the Egyptian population, females, unexplored.
Ancient Greece Essay Research Paper ANCIENT EGYPT
Ancient Greece Essay, Research Paper ANCIENT EGYPT Ancient Egypt – Info on pyramids, temples, king and queens and hieroglyphs. Ancient Egypt’s mysterious Language: Hieroglyphics – This site has a hieroglyph
Egypt Essay Research Paper Egypt Egypt became
Egypt Essay, Research Paper Egypt Egypt became a birthplace of civilization long before the start of written history. Egypt is an Arab nation in the northeastern corner of Africa; also it is the twelfth largest country. With 386,650 square miles, which is about the size of Texas and features the Nile River traveling through the middle thus indicating the heart of Egypt.
Ancient Mathematics Essay Research Paper Ancient MathematicsMathematics
Ancient Mathematics Essay, Research Paper Ancient Mathematics Mathematics is an essential tool in today’s society. Everything we do, in one way or another revolves around some kind of math. Everything from planning out your weekly schedule to cooking dinner involves forms of math. Math is all around us but not many people know how math came to be.
Ancient Egypt Essay Research Paper Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt Essay, Research Paper Ancient Egypt was even ancient to the ancient Egyptians themselves. It was as ancient to the ancient Greeks as the ancient Greeks are to us. 5,000 years separated us from the beginning of ancient Egypt. The history of Egypt begins with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into one United Kingdom.
Cleopatra
– Queen Of Egypt Essay, Research Paper Cleopatra – Queen of Egypt What would you be doing when you’re 17? Most teens would party, but when Cleopatra was 17, she became the Queen of Egypt. Cleopatra V11 was born in 69BC.
Attributes That Have Influences Society Essay Research
Paper Attributes That Have Influenced Western Civilization There have been major influences from ancient civilizations that have helped the development of our Western Civilization today. Two major civilizations that have maybe contributed the most to our civilization are ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Origins Of Tennis Essay Research Paper Historians
Origins Of Tennis Essay, Research Paper Historians trace the origins of tennis back to the Stone Age, when humans first used clubs to hit rocks back and forth over barricades of dirt and stone. The next sign of tennis development was in the form of handball played in ancient world of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. However, these Herculean atheletes did not have a name for this pastime.
Cleopatra Essay Research Paper When you think
Cleopatra Essay, Research Paper When you think of Cleopatra you tend to think of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile. Which isn t far from the truth. Cleopatra was queen of Egypt, which is located on the Nile River. In her lifetime she had every luxury imaginable, which she used to gain the popularity of the roman authority.