Ancient Egypt

One particular area in the northeastern portion of Africa supported the development of one of the great ancient civilizations - Egypt. A prime location on the Nile and proximity to the Sahara desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and southwest Asia fostered extensive interactions with other kingdoms and empires, allowing for a vast accumulation of wealth and providing some natural protection from invaders.

Despite running through an enormous desert, the large and powerful Nile River created swaths of fertile land along its banks that attracted the earliest settlers to the region. On top of the natural vegetation that sprouts alongside bodies of water, the regular annual flooding flooding of the Nile distributed silt farther inland, allowing for large fields of various crops.

The first tribes to take up residence near the river practiced agriculture and raised animals. These independent groups each had a chief of some sort and their own religious beliefs. Around 3600 BCE, the population increased and tribes began to unite, eventually creating two kingdoms. Today, we refer to these kingdoms as Lower and Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt lay around the southern portion of the Nile, named because of its higher elevations. The river delta region, flat, and wet, was home to Lower Egypt. Since the kingdoms both straddled the river, travel between the two was common and not difficult.

Around 3000 BCE, Upper and Lower Egypt were united under one ruler called Narmer. One of his first acts as pharaoh was to establish a capital at Memphis, which was located at the former boundary separating Upper and Lower Egypt. From this location, Narmer and his successors could control both the labor and agriculture in the northern delta and the lucrative trade routes to the Middle East, which was further south. Pharaohs grew in power and riches until they were considered gods by their subjects.

The people of ancient Egypt were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped multiple gods. The types of gods they worshipped indicate what they considered to be important. Amon-Re or simply Re, was the supreme god associated with the sun. Orisis was the overseer of the afterlife. Isis, his wife, protected the physical remains of the dead. Horus was the god of kingship, the bestowed of pharaonic power. Ancient Egyptians believed that in the underworld, should would face the god Anubis to determine their worthiness. This was done by weighing their heart in balance against a feather. If their heart was lighter than the feather, they were welcomed into eternal life. If it was not, the soul was destroyed.

Because they believed the soul existed after death, Egyptians developed elaborate burial customs to try and preserve physical remains and equip the deceased for whatever lay ahead. Egyptians of higher status would often have their bodies mummified after death in an effort to prevent decay and ensure they would have a physical form to accompany their soul in the afterlife. Royals would be buried in tombs, ranging from single fortified rooms to expansive multi-chamber complexes. Ultimately, they wanted their remains to be protected and undisturbed. All Egyptian burials, regardless of social status, also involve placing goods with the deceased that would ensure their comfort in the great beyond.

It was during the Old Kingdom, specifically around 2700 BCE, that Egyptians began the custom of erecting pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs. The pyramid shape is thought by some to be a representation of the sun’s rays. The earliest of these was constructed for Djoser and was a step pyramid. Later pyramids would be much larger and require mass amounts of human labor. The largest and most famous Egyptian pyramid, located at Giza, features a series of inner tunnels and chambers. It was once encased in bright, white limestone. These outer layers were removed after an earthquake damaged the pyramid around 1303 CE, but the underlying structure has remained largely intact for thousands of years.

Over the centuries, ruling power was passed from one pharaoh to a member of their family upon their death. This system of ruling families is called a dynasty. Egypt was ruled by 30 dynasties over about 3,000 years, beginning with Narmer and ending with the Persian conquest in 380 BCE.