Ancient Egypt
Introduction
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place that is now the country Egypt. This civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3100 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Menes (often identified with Narmer).
Geography
The geography of ancient Egypt was dominated, as is today, by the combination of lack of rainfall and the Nile River's fertile waters. The Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt "the gift of the Nile", since the kingdom owed its survival to the annual flooding of the Nile and the resulting depositing of fertile silt.
History
The history of ancient Egypt occurred as a series of stable kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age.
Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods
The Predynastic Period of Ancient Egypt (prior to 3100 BC) is traditionally the period between the Early Neolithic and the beginning of the Pharaonic monarchy starting with King Narmer. The dates of the Predynastic period were first defined before widespread archaeological excavation of Egypt took place, and recent finds indicating very gradual Predynastic development have led to controversy over when exactly the Predynastic period ended.
Old Kingdom
The Old Kingdom is the period spanning c. 2686–2181 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid builders of the Fourth Dynasty—King Sneferu perfected the art of pyramid-building and the pyramids of Giza were constructed under the kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
Middle Kingdom
The Middle Kingdom of Egypt (also known as The Period of Reunification) is the period in the history of ancient Egypt following a period of political division known as the First Intermediate Period. The Middle Kingdom lasted from around 2050 BC to around 1710 BC, stretching from the reunification of Egypt under the reign of Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Twelfth Dynasty.
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt.
Society
The society of ancient Egypt was divided into various social classes, from the royal family and nobility to servants and slaves. The Pharaoh was at the top of the social hierarchy, followed by the nobility, the scribes and priests, the middle class (comprising merchants, artisans, and farmers), and finally, the lower class (comprising unskilled laborers and slaves).
Culture
The culture of ancient Egypt is renowned for its colossal pyramids, temples, and monumental tombs. Yet, it was also a society rich in the humanities, including the visual and performing arts, architecture, and a complex writing system known as hieroglyphics.
Religion
Religion in ancient Egypt was fully integrated into the people's daily lives. The gods were present at one's birth, throughout one's life, in the transition from earthly life to the eternal, and continued their care for the soul in the afterlife of the Field of Reeds.
Legacy
The legacy of ancient Egypt, with names like Ramses, Nefertiti and Tutankhamun and places such as the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, echoes in art, literature and popular culture. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, he was regarded by the Egyptians as a liberator and was proclaimed the son of Amun, a supreme god in Ancient Egypt.