Structure of Ancient Egypt HIS-110 PDF

Preview

Summary

Structure of Ancient Egyptian Culture during their peak era....

Description

1

The Structure of Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt Juan L. Rodriguez College of Education, Grand Canyon University HIS-110-0500 Dr. Jeff Perry August 1, 2021

2

1.) What environmental and other factors led to the rise of the civilization? The foremost factor in the rise of the Egyptian civilization was its proximity to waterways such as the Nile River and the Mediterranean Sea. Lower Egypt housed the regions of Ra-Kadet (Modern Alexandria), Giza, Memphis, and the Faiyum Oasis. The entire region of Lower Egypt was well watered by the Nile River Delta that funneled into the Nile River proper that cut through into Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt housed the even more ancient roots of the Egyptian civilization such as Thebes (Modern Luxor), The Valley of the Kings, and Nekhen. The Nile funneled its way through Egypt and saw the precursors to Dynastic Egypt pave their way down the Nile to start many societies and civilizations. Travel up and down the Nile was commonplace during the time in order to retain good trade relations with the rest of Egypt and to gather resources one may not find in a certain part of the country.

2.) Describe the civilization’s social hierarchy as a result of population density. What were the major social roles? The social structure of Ancient Egypt was like many other civilizations at the time. The social hierarchy of Egypt at the time could be seen as a pyramid with the gods at the highest tier (Ushistory.org, 2021). Directly under the gods would be the Pharaoh who was observed as a living embodiment of the gods and their will (Ushistory.org, 2021). Below the Pharoah were the nobles and priests that would aid the Pharoah in their work and carry the word of the gods unto the masses. Soldiers were seen to be high tier just under the nobles because of their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the civilization. Merchants, Artisans, and Scribes were viewed as middle tier within the

3

hierarchy of society because of their benefits to the economy, culture, and history of the region. Among the bottom tier of Egyptian society were the slaves and servants that aided those who held power and had a firm place in the established order.

3.) What were the major trade items of the civilization? Among the most valuable trade commodities that Egypt had to offer to the world, grain and bread was one of the most important (Mark, 2017). During the Ptolemaic era, Egypt was considered to be the “Breadbasket of Rome” because of the sheer quantity of grain that was produced there. Other sought-after items were that of papyrus. Papyrus was a material that would act as paper the be used in any artistic or logistic manner that surrounding societies craved to have (Lumen Learning, 2019). Obsidian was also a valuable asset for trade with the outside world. A volcanic, glass-like, volcanic rock was used to forge weapons, tools, and works of art (Lumen Learning, 2019). Electrum was a natural alloy of gold that included roughly 20% silver that went into the creation of jewelry and other cosmetic items that saw it become a valuable trade item (Lumen Learning, 2019). Myrrh was near the top of the list when it came to tradable assets. Myrrh was used to create incense, perfume, and other fragrances that made it very valuable (Lumen Learning, 2019).

4.) In general, what role did the leader of the civilization have? The leader of the Egyptian people was the Pharoah. The Pharoah was seen to be the living embodiment of the gods and their will and lived their lives in devotion to them and to carry out their words. Pharaohs did everything that concerned the fabric of their

4

society whether it was making laws, collecting and instituting taxes, or waging war. Not every Pharaoh had the best interests of Egypt at heart, some chose to wage war with its neighbors, some chose to alienate their citizens, some chose to even mistreat their citizens in abuse of the power bestowed upon them by their gods. Not every Pharoah was male, there have been noteworthy females to hold the title such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra. Both were observed and remembered for their kind and just ruling and took the greatest interest of Egypt into an account when making tough decisions. The role of the Pharaoh was like that of any other king but with this form of ruler was chosen by the gods themselves to deliver their message (National Geographic, 2019).

5.) How did the spread of disease affect the daily life for the commoners? Disease during the ancient eras of Egypt were not very well understood from a medical standpoint but rather, a magical and religious standpoint. If a commoner was sick, they viewed it more as a chance to atone for sins they may have committed. The majority of people who came under illness chose to call upon varying gods and goddesses to help rid them of sickness (Brazier, 2018). There were many gods that were called upon for even the most mundane and extreme of sickness such as Bes, who protected women and children during pregnancy. Many medical practitioners viewed the sick and created many works that aided in the study and recovery of people afflicted with common ailments. The Ebers papyrus was created as far back as 3400 B.C.E that contained over 700 remedies for common and serious ailments. Some of the documents were shockingly accurate when it came to human anatomy and treatments and helped practitioners do even more for the afflicted.

5

References: Brazier, Y. (2018). What was Ancient Egyptian medicine like? Medical News Today. Retrieved from. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323633 Lumen Learning. (2019). Ancient Egyptian Trade. Lumen learning. Retrieved From. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/ancientegyptian-trade/ Mark, J.J. (2017). Trade in Ancient Egypt. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved From. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1079/trade-in-ancient-egypt/ National Geographic. (2019). Pharaohs. National Geographic. Retrieved From. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pharaohs/ US History. (2021). Egyptian Social Structure. US History: Ancient Civilizations. Retrieved From. https://www.ushistory.org/civ/3b.asp...