The Powerful Culture of Ancient Egypt
Andrece Brady
CHIS 201 WS
Fall 2012
Clark Atlanta University
Professor Kathy Oluwajuyemi
Andrece Brady
Ancient Egypt is said to be one of the richest and most powerful long-lived nations and
cultures in the world.1 Egyptians were advanced in agriculture, technology and most think of the
great pyramids when they think of Egyptian civilization. Culture is defined as “the quality in a
person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters,
manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.”, and “the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular
social, ethnic, or age group”.2 The Pre-dynastic Period is the very beginning of Ancient Egyptian
civilization dating from 5,500 to 3,100 B.C.E., which laid the foundation for the origins of
culture, politics, and technology, making ancient Egypt the greatest and most influential
civilization.
Geography played a major role in cultural advancement for early Egyptian civilization.
Early Egyptian civilization started along the Nile where different groups of people began to settle
and live along the Nile. The Nile was important to survival of the Egyptians; the river was their
source of food and water. The development of agriculture in Egypt was due to the Nile and the
seasonal flooding that nourished the land. Every year in the month of May, the river would rise
and flood which produced fertile soil for crops and farms. Irrigation systems were developed that
allowed farms to be developed some distance from the Nile. They built dykes and canals to
control the flow of water. During the early periods of civilization ancient Egypt was a hydraulic
civilization meaning that is rose to power by controlling water and its source. The Egyptians had
pharaohs who were their kings; however they worshipped the Nile as a God and praised it during
the festival of the ‘Inundation’, which refers to the flooding of the Nile.3 The Nile-God was so
1 P. David Silverman, Searching for Ancient Egypt, (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997).
2 Goli, Shravan, Lisa Sullivan-Cross, Corbin Howes, David Wygant, Jim Conning, and Shannon Rock. Dictonary.com,
"Culture." Last modified 2012. Accessed October 25, 2012. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Culture.
3 E.A. Wallis Budge, The Dwellers of the Nile: The Life, History, Religion and Literature of the Ancient Egyptians, (New York:
Dover Publications, Inc., 1977), 104-105.
1
Andrece Brady
great and mighty to the Egyptians after all, the Nile was responsible for the sustaining of life in
Egypt. The Nile-God,
“Cannot be sculptured in stone, he cannot be brought forth from his secret place, for his
place is unknown. He is not to be found in the sanctuaries-there is no habitation large
enough to hold him-and the mind cannot conceive what his form is like. The name he
bears in the Tuat unknown; he does not make visible his form, and to attempt to imagine
what he is like is futile”4.
The Egyptians development of harvesting and growing seasons was based on their observations
of the Nile and it flooding and low seasons. Akhet was the month of ‘Inundation’, Peret was the
month of ‘Emergence’, when the waters began to recede, and was the beginning of the planting
and tilling season; and Shemu was the third month which was the month of dryness.5 Due to their
location along the Nile River, the ancient Egyptians were able to advance more quickly than
other civilizations. The Nile river helped to develop civilization, contributed to agriculture which
was required for survival, and also formed their early beliefs in gods.
The development of culture in Egypt is broken down into two pre-dynastic cultures that
are essential for understanding the Egyptian civilization. The first culture is the Badarian and the
other is Naqada. These cultures are important because they laid the foundation for funerary
practices and arts among the Egyptians. Badarian culture was identified at al-Badaria in Middle
Egypt and existed from 4400 to 4000 B.C.E. The majority of the information about the Badarian
culture comes from archaeological evidence regarding their burial rituals and arts.6 The
Badarians had funerary practices that required them to bury the dead with items they thought
would be useful to them in the afterlife. Their funerary practices demonstrate a strong belief in
life after death.
4 Ibid
5 Marie Parsons to Tour Egypt online forum,2011, 3.Egyptian Society: The Peasant-Farmer,
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/farm.htm .
6 Jason Thompson, A History of Egypt: From Earliest Times to the Present, (The American University in Cairo Press: Cairo,
2008).
2
Andrece Brady
“In the tomb chamber several objects were spread around the body, including varying
amounts of pottery; these ceramic vessels were the main components of the tomb
equipment, holding the food offerings placed at the disposal of the deceased. To this
minimal set of grave goods were added various other items, depending on the wealth of
the of the tomb’s owner: a stone vase, provision stored in jars, chest containing precious
objects (essentially flint knives and arrows), jewels and gaming objects”.7
The items buried with the dead determined their status in society, showing that there was a social
hierarchy among the Badarians.
In the Badarian culture art was illustrated via the use of pottery and plastic goods made
during this time. Pottery and plastic goods were used for funerary practices, trade, and in day-today life. Plastic arts including the production of combs made from bone and ivory, as well as
cosmetic spoons, figurine models, and jewelry8 also became an importance of culture during this
time. The bone used for combs and other items came from animals they would hunt. Plastic art
was a great discovery of the Badarian culture. The creation of combs and spoons contributed to
the economy; and the ability to own these combs and spoons illustrated ones social status in that
society.
The Naqada culture is broken down into three periods; Naqada I (4500-3900 B.C.E.),
Naqada II(3900-3300 B.C.E.), and Naqada III(3300-3100). The Naqada culture appeared in the
south of Egypt known as Upper Egypt. Each period stood out from one another and contributed
to the advancement of the civilization. There is not much of a difference between Badarian and
Naqada I, however through Naqada I, the ancient Egyptians continued advancements of the
Badarian culture. Due to grave goods such as “vessels from Syria/Palestine, Nubia and
Mesopotamia and Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan”9 trade was essential to the Egyptian culture;
allowing Naqadians to interact and exchange goods with other cultures surrounding them. The
7 Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, (Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1992).
8 Ibid
9 Byrnes, Andrea. Andrea Byrnes, "Predynastic and Early Dynastic." Last modified 2007. Accessed October 20, 2012.
http://andreabyrnes.com/html/predynastic.html.
3
Andrece Brady
Badarian and Naqada use of pottery became popular; however in Badarian culture the pottery
was much thinner then the pottery of the Naqada; indicating that the people of Naqada used
better materials than black-top which was used by Badarians. In the Naqada culture the pottery
was also more decorative then the Badarian.
“Motifs painted on pottery indicate a symbolic belief system, with certain elements being
picked out and repeated in the same style throughout Upper Egypt. Their widespread
presence of these ceramics in graves implies the existence of a highly specialized sector
who may not have been engaged in agricultural activities but were supported by the
community in return for their products. This is in itself an expression of increasing
economic and social complexity. The motifs on the vessels are very distinctive and may
indicate a very widespread concept of belief”.10
The pottery reveals just how Egyptians became more intellectual and creative in terms of beliefs,
economy and social organization.
In the beginning of the Naqada II period features of Upper Egypt started to appear in
Lower Egypt. Soon the elements of Lower Egypt were completely replaced by those of Upper
Egypt. This indicates that Naqada I period was so successful that elements of their culture
influenced and spread to other parts of Egypt. At this time Naqadians came into contact with
many others that lived along the Nile. “This was a time of massive growth in terms of social
activity, foreign contacts, early urban development, cultural output, and territorial expansion,
when the beginning of polities or states are clearly visible and the process of unification is in its
incipient stages.”11 Egypt grew to be more unified; however prior to the unification of the north
and south there were key differences. There was a difference in dialects so Egyptians from the
north could not understand the Egyptians from the south and vise versa. “…to display major
anthropological differences: the Delta peoples were sturdy, the Naqadas slight to build; the Delta
peoples were Europeaniod, the Naqadas Hamitic; the Lower Egyptians were sedentary tillers of
10 Ibid
11 Ibid
4
Andrece Brady
the soil, the Upper Egyptians hunters and nomads.”12 Due to the cultures north and south of the
Nile merging, it lead to the improvement of the advancements already establish in the Naqada I
period. Funerary practices evolved by having fewer burials, richer burial items, emergence the
coffin and the first attempts to mummify a body. Since the burial goods were richer they evolved
the coffin. The coffins began to have more compartments to hold the goods and according to
your status in society determined the size and design of ones coffin. Also here are there first
attempts of wrapping the body, which was an attempt to preserve the royalty. Arts and
settlements patterns evolved as well. During this time they still practiced pottery but used
different materials and began using marl for pottery making, as well as being more decorative
and using lighter colors. Due to the population growing this called for larger settlement, and with
the large population growth this affected the social hierarchy. Power was consolidated due to this
population growth, and this can also be concluded due to the fewer burials.13 People with high
positions of power had to overturn their level of power and allow others from different cultures
to come into power in the creation of this dual state.
Under Naqada III, Egypt becomes officially unified under the rule of a chief of
Hierakonpolis named Narmer. The Narmer Palette is an example of early historical record,
indicating Narmer as the King.14 The main kingdoms were present in Upper Egypt at Naqada,
Hierakonpolis and Abydos were majority of political decisions were made. In the Naqada III
period some firsts appear including the first hieroglyphs, palettes, royal cemeteries, and
irrigation. Naqada is also a time for increase in trade relations with overseas civilizations. They
12
Jan Assmann, The Mind of Egypt, (New York: Henry Holt 1996). 30.
Byrnes, Andrea. Andrea Byrnes, "Predynastic and Early Dynastic." Last modified 2007. Accessed October 20, 2012.
http://andreabyrnes.com/html/predynastic.html
14
Jan Assmann, The Mind of Egypt, (New York: Henry Holt 1996). 33.
13
5
Andrece Brady
traded to Palestine and Mesopotamia exchanging pottery, vessels, boats and cylinder seals.15
The evolution of the origins of culture is evident through the Badarian and Naqada culture. The
Egyptians advanced and expanded throughout other sites in the Nile and exchanged their
different ideas and unified as one.
Before the Romans conquered Egypt, the Egyptians called their land Kemet meaning
land of the blacks or black land. 16 In the predynastic times daily life was simple. The man was
the head of the house whose world revolved around the village he lived in. The man was very
loving of his family and spouse and displayed much affection towards them. Family was so
important to the Egyptian man that,
“naturally these strong, hefty young men hated the duties and restraints of military
service, but the sting that brought the tears to their eyes was the enforced separation from
their homes and families, and the absence of daily intercourse with them which it
entailed. The Egyptian loved his home more than his country,…”17
Although the male was the head of the household, the females were also very important. The
Egyptian wife provided the continuation of family and preserved the male’s last name. In order
to establish a house, marriage had to be fulfilled. Marriage between brother and sister was
common. The purpose of the “sister-wife” was to keep property in the family. In terms of
marriage the Egyptians were very strict. They did not practice polygamy and wives were to be
virgins for their husbands. Also during this time there is evidence of education, however only
boys were privileged to attend schools and majority of schools were for the wealthy. Egyptians
did have social lives and had many forms of entertainment. “Acrobats, conjurers and gymnasts,
and dancing women, were popular visitors in every town and village, and each community
15
Byrnes, Andrea. Andrea Byrnes, "Predynastic and Early Dynastic." Last modified 2007. Accessed October 20, 2012.
http://andreabyrnes.com/html/predynastic.html
16
Oluwajuyemi, Kathy, "African Civilizations," Power Point Lectures, Lecture by Kathy Oluwajuyemi, 2012, film strip.
17
E.A. Wallis Budge, The Dwellers of the Nile: The Life, History, Religion and Literature of the Ancient Egyptians, (New York:
Dover Publications, Inc., 1977), 20.
6
Andrece Brady
maintained its local troupe of performers.”18 Other means of entertainment was the signing of
songs, dancing, music, story telling and games.
Politics during the pre-dynastic period is not recorded as politics are in the following
dynasties. Under Narmer Egypt becomes politically unified as one. The first accounts of royalty
and ruling is under Horus and Set. The myth behind Horus and Set is also a myth of unification.
Set was the king of Upper Egypt while Horus was the king of Lower Egypt. It is said that it was
them who agreed to unify Egypt. This tradition was carried throughout the Egyptian empire.
“In ascending the throne, every king repeats the unification of the Two Lands. On the
king’s throne, the unification of Horus and Seth is depicted graphically. According to
early royal theology, every king is an incarnation of both gods, Horus and Seth; thus the
king bears two titles, ‘nswt’ and ‘bit, ‘referring to the dual character of the Egyptian state,
and the title of the queen is ‘She who sees Horus and Seth.’”19
The jobs of the kings were not like the jobs of the Pharaohs. Their job description cannot be
found however they were not god like kings until the Old kingdom when politics in Egypt were
apparent. 20
The Egyptians created many technologies to help them with their day-to-day. The
technologies include their writing system and calander/year system. The writing used was called
hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs are a combination of pictograms and phonograms. In the early predynastic period hieroglyphs were seen on pottery, walls and stone slabs, which told stories and
historical accounts. The hieroglyphs brought the pictogram, ideogram, and phonogram
together.21 The technology of writing showed how critical and advanced the Egyptians were.
This was form of communication as well as an artist way of telling stories. Stated previously the
Egyptians observed the agricultural changes and developed seasons and months. “The Egyptian
18
19
20
21
Ibid
Jan Assmann, The Mind of Egypt, (New York: Henry Holt 1996). 42.
Oluwajuyemi, Kathy, "African Civilizations," Power Point Lectures, Lecture by Kathy Oluwajuyemi, 2012, film strip.
Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, (Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1992). 33.
7
Andrece Brady
hieroglyph for ‘years’ suggests that in the early period, years were recorded by means of notches
in a palm branch…”22 The Egyptians not only had seasons and months but had a way of keeping
track of the year with the notch system. The technologies in the pre-dynastic period are not as
many in dynasties to follow but the technologies founded during this time continued throughout
the ancient Egyptian empire and helped advance the civilization to what it was.
The civilization of ancient Egypt was so power and great because of the Pre-dynastic
period. The pre-dynastic period laid the foundations for culture, politics and technology. Without
the pre-dynastic period Egypt would not have prospered as they did. Because of the Badarian and
Naqada culture and their advancements in agriculture, arts, and practices Egypt was able to be
known as the longest-lived continuous nation in the world. The political unification of Egypt is
another factor to why Egypt was so strong, including the technologies of writing and calculating
time led. All these factored led Egypt to be so influential, not only to following dynasties but
other civilizations and the modern day culture.
22
Jan Assmann, The Mind of Egypt, (New York: Henry Holt 1996). 37
8
Andrece Brady
Reference Page
1. Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Dwellers of the Nile: The Life, History, Religion and Literature
of the Ancient Egyptians. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1977.
2. Byrnes, Andrea. Andrea Byrnes, "Predynastic and Early Dynastic." Last modified 2007.
Accessed October 20, 2012. http://andreabyrnes.com/html/predynastic.html.
3. Goli, Shravan, Lisa Sullivan-Cross, Corbin Howes, David Wygant, Jim Conning, and
Shannon Rock. Dictonary.com, "Culture." Last modified 2012. Accessed October 25,
2012. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Culture.
4. Grimal, Nicolas. A History of Ancient Egypt. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1992.
5. Oluwajuyemi, Kathy. "African Civilizations." Power Point Lectures. Recorded 2012.
Clark Atlanta University. film strip
6. Parsons, Marie. Tour Egypt, "Egyptian Society: The Peasant-Farmer." Last modified
2011. Accessed October 20, 2012. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/farm.htm .
7. Silverman, P. David. Searching for Ancient Egypt. Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997.
8. Thompson, Jason. A History of Egypt: From Earliest times to the Present. Cairo: The
American University in Cairo Press, 2008.
9