EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
• Egypt , in North- East Africa, is situated on either side
of River Nile.
• One of the oldest civilization which developed from 5500
B.C.-30 B.C.
• Two major kingdoms developed around River Nile in
5500 B.C.- Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt
• Called ‘Gift of Nile’
• Due to its fertile land, hunter man Became farmers
• Division of labor, which allows the development of
government and religion and creates social classes.
• Around 3200 BCE, Egypt was brought together under
one ruler—King Narmer. This is recognized as the
beginning of the Egyptian civilization.
 Egyptian Society
• Egyptian life depended on what social class you were a
part of.
• At the top of society was the Pharaoh.
• Below the Pharaoh was the royal court (Pharaoh's
family), high priests, government officials, and scribes
and nobles (rich land owners).
• Below them were doctors and engineers, craftsman
• Farmers and unskilled workers at the bottom.
• Egyptians did use some slaves
• The lives of the peasants and artisans was carefully
regulated: their movement was limited and they were
taxed heavily.
• No codes of law were needed since the pharaoh was the
direct source of all law.
 Society

• Egyptians believed in many Gods, so they were

polytheistic.
• The Egyptian king was the absolute ruler, and
owner of all the land, water, people.
• Egyptians would call their kings “pharaoh”.
• Egyptian people believed the pharaoh was a
living God.
• They worked for pharaoh and obeyed their king
• Pharaoh established a dynasty
• Governed his kingdom through his family,
appointed officials and religious leaders.
 Religion and Rituals
• The most well-known ritual was mummification.
• Egyptians believed in life after death,
• They took great care to bury their dead
• Anyone could be mummified if they had enough money.
• First they removed the organs. Then they removed as much
moisture from the body as possible using a salt called natron to
preserve the body and then wrapped it in linen cloth.
• The body was placed in a sarcophagus, which is similar to a coffin.
• The pharaoh and some nobles had their bodies preserved in a
process of mummification . Their tombs were decorated with
paintings, food was provided at burial and after, So departed would
have pleasant time after death
• Some tombs even included full sized sailing vessels for the voyage to
heaven and beyond. At first, only pharaohs were thought to achieve
eternal life, however, nobles were eventually included, and finally all
Egyptians could hope for immortality
 Architecture
• Ancient arts and architectures of Egypt were built of stone.
• They built ramps for workers that were working on the piece
of architecture so that they can reach the top and so that
artist can design the top of the architectural buildings.
• As soon as a pharaoh was named, his tomb was being built.
The quality of the tomb depended on the time that a pharaoh
ruled.
• The longer their reign, the fancier their tomb.
• The square and plumb line were important tools back then
because of the way the buildings were structured.
• Egyptians went on to create one of the most advanced
civilizations that included some of the world’s most amazing
art and architecture—the art of building structures or
buildings.
 Art
• The art of Egypt reflects every aspect of their lives.
• Drawings of everyday life,, models of people and
animals, glass figures and containers, jewellery made
form gold and semi-precious stones.
• The drawings show the kind of work the civilians did
daily. Their art is very bright using blue, red, orange
and white to make pictures that tell the life of
individuals.
• Sculptures were important in Egypt. They were made
for kings, queens scribes, animals, and gods and
goddesses.
• They also did pottery which was made of ceramic and
clay and were glazed with minerals used to make beads,
amulets, pendants and etc.
 Relief and Paintings
• Egyptians decorated the tomb walls with reliefs or painted scenes
• Mural decoration showed the performance of important ceremonies and
royal deeds.
• Walls were painted when the ground was mud brick or stone of poor
quality and in relief when the walls were in good stone.
• Painting and drawing formed the basis of what was to be carved in relief,
and the finished carving was itself commonly painted.
• In tombs the mural decorations might be left unfinished, being only
partly sketched or partly carved by the time of the burial.
• Uncompleted scenes reveal clearly the methods of laying out walls for
decoration.
• The prepared wall was marked out with red guidelines.
• Outlines were corrected in black, and paint was applied usually in
tempera, with pigments being mostly mineral-based.
Egyptian Dancing
The gods Osiris, Anubis, and
Horus, from a tomb painting.
Painting with Hieroglyphic
Script
 Predynastic Period
• Predynastic Period(6000-2925BC) denotes the period
preceded by 1st Dynasty in Egypt
• Pottery of a fine red polished ware with blackened tops
already shows distinctive Egyptian shapes. Copper was
worked into small ornaments, and beads of steatite
(soapstone) show traces of primitive glazing.
• New clays were exploited, and fine buff-coloured wares
were decorated in dark red pigment with scenes of
ships, figures, and a wide variety of symbols.
• The working of hard stones also began in earnest in the
later Predynastic period.
• Craftsmen were devoted to the fashioning of fine vessels
based on existing pottery forms and to the making of
jewelry incorporating semiprecious stones.
Jar with boat designs
3450–3350 BC
 Sculpture
• Sculpture were of the human form,
carving of small animal figures and
making of schist (slate) palettes
• The Hunters and Battlefield palettes
show sophisticated two-dimensional
representation.
• The basic techniques of two-dimensional
art—drawing and painting—are
exemplified in Upper Egyptian rock
drawings and in the painted tomb
Female figure 3500–3400 BC
 Dynastic Period
• Dynastic Period (2975-2575 BC) emerged
when Upper and Lower Egypt was united
by King Narmer
• The conquest was dramatically
characterised in scenes shown on the
Narmer Palette
• Scenes of animals, boats, and hunting
(the common subjects of rock drawings)
were more finely executed in paint in the
tomb, and additional themes, probably of
conquest, are found in dynastic art.
 Narmer Palette
• The Narmer Palette is significantly Egyptian archaelogical
find dating around 3100 BC
• The tablet depicted unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
under King Narmer
• The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of siltstone of
about 64 cm high.
• Its size, weight and the fact that it was decorated on both
sides show that it was a ceremonial, commemorative rather
than an actual cosmetic palette intended for daily use
• Engravings on the plate represented the story of great king’s
victory over his enemies and how the God encouraged and
approved his actions
 Narmer Palette
• On the front, Narmer is associated with the
divine strength of the bull and is seen
wearing the White crown of Upper Egypt
• Below him, two men wrestle with entwined
beasts which are often interpreted as
representing Upper and Lower Egypt.
• The reverse side shows the king's victory over
his enemies while the gods look on
approvingly.
• The king is wearing Red Crown of lower Egypt
• All these scenes are carved in low-raised
relief with incredible skill.
Narmer Palette [Two Sides]
 Mastaba
• In very remote times Egyptians didn't
build pyramids, but they did build a
burial building called a Mastaba.
• Mastaba, Arabic word meaning bench
built of mud brick or, later, stone
• The top is flat and the sides slope over a
grave or burial chamber deep under the
ground
• A deep shaft descended to the
underground burial chamber.
Mastaba of Seshemnefer IV at Giza
 The Old Kingdom
• The Old Kingdom lasted from 2686 B.C.-2181B.C.
• It includes 3rd dynasty to 6th dynasty
• During this period kingdom was divided intio states called
provinces called nomes
• During the Old Kingdom, the king of Egypt (not called the
Pharaoh until the New Kingdom) became a living god, who
ruled absolutely and could demand the services and wealth of
his subjects.
• King Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty of the Old
Kingdom, the royal capital of Egypt was moved to Memphis.
• His temple was one of the first pyramids
• It was a step pyramid and started the tradition of building
pyramids as burial ground for Pharaohs
• For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as
“the Age of the Pyramids.”
Djoser pyramid: Step pyramid
of Djoser at Saqqara.
 Pyramids of Giza
• Pyramids Of Giza and the Sphinx were built for Pharaoh during this time
• The Great Pyramid is the largest of three pyramids in the Giza complex—
probably the most recognizable feature of the ancient Egyptian civilization.
• It was built between 2580 and 2560 BC, having been commissioned by King
Khufu, one of the most powerful pharaohs from the fourth dynasty.
• Originally 481 feet high and 756 feet long on each side.
• Khufu was made up of 2.3 million stone blocks averaging 2.5 tons each.
• It is thought to have taken 20 years and tens of thousands of skilled builders
to construct the monument.
• The Giza complex also houses workers' camps and cemeteries, indicating
they were paid laborers rather than slave laborers.
• The pyramid contains three main chambers—the Queen's Chamber, the
King's Chamber and a subterranean chamber.
• It also has a Grand Gallery—a 153-foot-long corridor with a steep incline
that connects it the other rooms.
Pyramids Of Giza
 Sphinx
• A Sphinx is a mythological creature with the body of a
lion and the head of a person. In Ancient Egypt a lot of
times the head was that of a Pharaoh or a god.
• The Egyptians built sphinx statues to
guard important areas such as tombs and temples.
• The most famous limestone statue is the Great Sphinx
of Giza.
• It dates from the reign of King Khafre (2575– 2465 BC)
and depicts his face.
• The sphinx was carved from a single piece of stone.
Built by the forced labor of hundreds of Pharaoh Kafre's
slaves, the sphinx was carved from one piece of
limestone. The giant chips of limestone from
the sphinx sculpture were used to build the pyramid
and tombs that the sphinx eternally guards.
Sphinx and The Great Pyramid
The First Intermediate Period
• The First Intermediate Period (2181-2040 B.C. ) was
characterized as a time of chaos and darkness and artwork
• There was absent of monumental buildings
• The quality of the artwork resulted from a lack of a strong central
government and the corresponding absence of state-mandated
art.
• The different districts were now free to develop their own vision in
the arts and create according to that vision.
• The First Intermediate Period produced a number of fine pieces
but also saw the rise of mass-produced artwork. Items which had
previously been made by a single artist were now assembled and
painted by a production crew. Amulets, coffins, ceramics, and
shabti dolls were among these crafts
 Shabti Dolls
• Shabti dolls were important funerary objects
which were buried with the deceased and were
thought to come to life in the next world and
tend to one's responsibilities.
• These were made of stone, or wood but, in the
First Intermediate Period, are mostly of wood and
mass produced to be sold cheaply.
• Shabti dolls were important items because they
would allow the soul to relax in the afterlife while
the shabti did one's work.
• Previously, only the wealthy could afford shabti
dolls, but in this era, they were available to those
of more modest means.
Shabti Dolls
 Middle Kingdom
• The Middle Kingdom of Egypt is the period in the
history of ancient Egypt stretching from the
establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end
of the Thirteenth Dynasty, between 2055 and
1650 BC
• The rulers of the Middle Kingdom, however,
encouraged the different styles of the districts
and did not mandate that all art conform to the
tastes of the nobility.
• Middle Kingdom Art is distinctive in the themes
explored and the sophistication of the technique.
• The Middle Kingdom is usually regarded as the
high point of Egyptian culture.
 Tomb of Mentuhotep
• Mentuhotep was the 11th dynasty king
• He built the tomb in South Deir el-Bahari.
• The tomb of Mentuhotep II was sculpted from the cliffs
near Thebes, which merged with the natural landscape
to create the effect of a wholly organic work.
• It was a terraced temple of an unusual form, perhaps
once topped by a pyramid.
• The burial chamber was at the end of a long tunnel
beginning in the courtyard at the rear of the temple
• The paintings, frescoes, and statuary which
accompanied the tomb also reflect a high level of
sophistication and, as always, symmetry.
The temple-tomb of King Mentuhotep II at Deir el-
Bahari
 Art
• Jewelry was also refined greatly at this time with some of the
finest pieces in Egyptian history dated to this era.
• A pendant from the reign of Senusret II (c. 1897-1878 BCE)
is fashioned of thin gold wires attached to a solid gold
backing inlaid with 372 semi-precious stones.
• The statues and busts of kings and queens are intricately
carved with a precision and beauty
• Images of the afterlife include people enjoying the simple
pleasures of life on earth like eating, drinking, and sowing
and harvesting a field.
• The detail of these scenes emphasizes the pleasures of life on
earth, which one should make the most of.
• Dog collars during this time also become more sophisticated
which suggests more leisure time for hunting and greater
attention to the ornamentation of simple daily objects.
Pendant of Senusret II
Head of Senusret III
 The New Kingdom
• The New Kingdom includes the 18th, 19th,
and 20th dynasties, and lasted from 1550 to
1069 BC.
• Some of the most famous Pharaohs of
Egyptian history ruled in the New Kingdom,
in fact it was during this time that Egyptian
kings began to be called "Pharaoh".
• Hatshepsut was a women Pharaoh. Her
tomb is an amazingly long ramp leading to a
temple that has been cut out of a mountain.
Temple of Queen Hatshepsput at
Deir-al Bahri
 Temple Architecture
• The Egyptians used post and lintel System
• To roof their halls , they put inside them rows
of square pillars or round columns
• On to of which they laid heavy stone beams
in such a way that their end joined over the
center of pillars
• Hypostyle hall of Amon Temple of Karnak is
one of the greatest stone –roofed halls of the
world (150 metres long and 53 metres wide),
containing 134 columns
Temple of Amon
• Pharaoh Akhenaten tried to start a new religious tradition
of worshipping only one God. Worshipping one God is
called monotheism.
• Pharaoh Tutankhamen also ruled during the New Kingdom-
-he is known as King Tut.
• During the 19th and 20th dynasty of the New Kingdom
many of the Pharaohs were named Ramsses.
• Ramsses II was probably the greatest Pharaohs in Egyptian
history--They call him Ramsses the Great. He had an
amazing tomb build in Abu Simbel with massive statues or
Ramsses the Great. It took over 20 years to build this
temple, which was next to the river to serve as a warning to
anyone trying to invade his kingdom.
 Abu Simbel Temple
• The Abu Simbel Temple consists of two huge temples (the Great
Temple and the Small Temple) that were carved into the
mountainside.
• The temple complex was commissioned by Ramesses II, one of
ancient Egypt’s most renowned pharaohs.
• The Abu Simbel Temple is an enormous rock temple complex
located on Egypt’s border with Sudan.
• The two temples of this complex were built in the 13th century
BC, during the reign of the great and powerful Ramesses II.
• Whilst this temple complex is known today as the Abu Simbel
Temple, it was referred to in the past as the “Temple of
Ramesses, Beloved by Amun”.
• One of the most fascinating aspects of the Abu Simbel Temple is
the inner sanctum of the Great Temple. In this sacred space,
four statues can be found – Ra, Amun, Ptah, and Ramesses
himself.
The entrance into the Great Temple of Abu
Simbel, with four statues of Ramesses II
Four statues of divinities in the
Inner Sanctum
 The dismantling and
reassembly of the Abu Simbel
Bust of Queen Nefertiti
Burial mask of Egyptian
Pharaoh Tutankhamun
 Clothing
• Clothing of Ancient Egyptian was mainly made of linen which is a textile made of
flax fibers that were spun, weaved and sewed
• Linen was then dyed with plant dyes but was most often left in its natural color.
• Men of the Old Kingdom, a period that began about 2130 BC, wore the shendyt, a
type of wraparound short skirt which they belted at the waist and were sometimes
pleated or gathered in the front.
• After these, somewhere around 1420 BC, men started wearing light tunics or
blouses with sleeves.
• Women wore more conservative clothing than men. Dresses were decorated with
beadings or feathers. Women also wore shawls, capes, or robes over the dresses.
• Egyptians were usually barefoot but, on special occasions, both genders wore the
same type of footwear - the sandals made from leather. For priestly class were
reserved sandals made of papyrus.
• Men and women of higher class shaved their heads and wore wigs made from
human and horse hair and decorated.
• Pharaohs wore half-pleated kilt wound around the body with a pleated section
drawn to the front. Pharaohs also wore, as symbols of power, leopard skins over
their shoulders and a lion’s tail hanging from their belt. On their heads they wore
the nemes headdress while the nobility wore the head cloth
Head dress
Footwear
Jewellery
Beads
• Egyptians were a very advanced civilization due to their
inventions and technology.
• Egyptians developed a writing system
called hieroglyphs that combined pictures and symbols.
• Eventually, they created an alphabet from their
symbols.
• In 1822 CE a European explorer found what is called
the Rossetta Stone--a stone with the same message
written in 3 different languages, which finally allowed
historians to translate ancient hieroglyphs.
Rosetta Stone-196 BC
 Achievements
• Egyptians developed a 365-day calendar and used a number system
based on 10.
• Egyptians figured out amazing ways to cut stone to use in their
temples and obelisks. An obelisk is a tall narrow monument that
becomes more narrow as it goes up.
• They created a writing material similar to paper called papyrus from
reeds found in Nile
• Egyptians were excellent ship builders and excelled at mathematics.
They used fractions, decimals, addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division and basic ideas of geometry.
• Egyptian art and architecture is famous and has been reused and
copied by many other civilization including Greece, Rome, and even
the United States.
 Decline
• A few different invasions in the north
weakened the empire and used up their
resources--this began the Third Intermediate
Period.
• Attacks from nearby civilizations especially
Persia, Greece, and Roman took control of
Egypt away from Egyptians.
• Rome controlled Egypt for several centuries
until Arab Muslims from the Middle East
(Southwest Asia) took control. They
discouraged they old Egyptian culture and
many Egyptians converted to Islam.