Chapter 3: Nile Civilizations

1. Chapter 3: Nile Civilizations

2. Section 2 - Egyptian Culture

3. Section 2 - Egyptian Culture Main Idea The ancient Egyptians are famous for their religion, their burial practices, and their advances in art, writing and science. • Reading Focus • What were the main principles of Egyptian religion? • Why did Egyptians practice mummification and burial? • What was daily life like in ancient Egypt? • What advances did Egyptians make in art, writing and science?

4. Section 2 - Egyptian Culture Imhotep lived during the Third Dynasty and became the vizier of King Zoser (Djoser) and high priest of the sun god Re. Imhotep was a scribe, chief lector, priest, architect, astronomer and magician (medicine and magic were used together.) For 3000 years he was worshipped as a god in Greece and Rome. One of his best-known sayings is: "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die.”

5. I. Egyptian Religion Egyptians worshipped hundreds of gods; believed gods controlled all natural events The council of Ra with the nine members: Osiris, Nut, Geb, Shu, Atum, Tefnut, Nephyhys, Isis and Set. Sometimes Horus and Thoth were added.

6. A. Chief gods and goddesses Sun god: Re in Old Kingdom, later linked to sky god, Amon, and became Amon-Re In one of his many forms, Ra has the head of a falcon and the sun-disk of Wadjet resting on his head.

7. A. Chief gods and goddesses Anubis: Protector of the dead This scene portrays the weighing of the royal scribe’s heart against a feather representing truth

8. A. Chief gods and goddesses Osiris - king of the underworld, god of the dead

9. A. Chief gods and goddesses Isis - wife and sister of Osiris, mother of Horus Egyptian goddess Isis, tomb painting, ca. 1360 BC

10. A. Chief gods and goddesses Horus - god of the sky, protector of the pharaohs

11. A. Chief gods and goddesses Seth – god of chaos, storms, the desert; brother of Osiris and Isis

12. Temples built to honor and provide homes for gods B. Temples and Religious Practices Hall of Columns at Karnak

13. Obelisks - made from a single piece of stone, carved with designs B. Temples and Religious Practices Unfinished obelisk at Aswan Obelisk of Ramses II, Luxor Temple

14. Priests performed rituals to keep the gods alive B. Temples and Religious Practices

15. Commoners only worshiped gods at annual festivals B. Temples and Religious Practices

16. Belief in afterlife led to rituals for death and burial II. Mummification and Burial

17. When physical body died, it released ka; ka vanished if body decomposed II. Mummification and Burial Ka is the life force or spiritual double of the person. Ba is represented as a human-headed bird that leaves the body when a person dies. The face of Ba was the exact likeness of that of the deceased person.

18. Mummification - process to prevent breakdown of body; only for royalty at first II. Mummification and Burial

19. Internal organs (except heart) removed; body wrapped with linen strips II. Mummification and Burial The liver, the lungs, the stomach, and the intestines were each placed in a separate Canopic Jars

20. Dead buried with possessions needed for afterlife II. Mummification and Burial Tut’s Tomb

21. Tombs painted with scenes from person’s life; Book of the Dead guided ka on journey to afterlife II. Mummification and Burial Book of the Dead from ThebesLate 18th Dynasty, 1350-1300 BC

22. III. Daily Life

23. Highly stratified society – pharaoh, religious and military leaders at top A. Social Structure

24. Artisans and merchants next; 90% were peasant farmers or laborers A. Social Structure

25. Lifestyle varied between classes; pharaohs had several wives, often married sisters B. Home and Family Life

26. Women equal to husbands; children learned from parents B. Home and Family Life Granite sphinx of Hatshepsut, 15th Century BC

27. Egyptians concerned with appearance; free time occupied with sports and games The large collection of grooming items – combs, shaving tools and different kinds of oils that were used as make-up – found in Egyptian tombs and coffins bears testament to their interest in beauty. Wigs were also very popular and could be found in a variety of colors such as blue, green, yellow and gold. Moreover, in spite of their dark skin, many Egyptian women liked to use gold and yellow wigs to beautify themselves. B. Home and Family Life

28. IV. Art, Writing, and Science King Tutankhamen and Queen Ankhesenamun (fromTut’s throne)

29. Paintings were distinctive, detailed and colorful; variety of subjects A. Egyptian Art Murals in the Tomb of Sennedjem

30. Statues large and imposing - most depicted gods or pharaohs A. Egyptian Art Monuments of Pharaoh Amenhotep III guard the entrance of a long-vanished temple

31. Hieroglyphics - main writing system; picture symbols represented objects B. Egyptian Writing

32. Two other systems: hieratic for religious texts; demotic for legal and literary writings B. Egyptian Writing Demotic script (meaning 'writing for documents') developed by the year 660 BC and was used until about 425 AD

33. Used the papyrus plant to make paper-like sheets B. Egyptian Writing

34. Egypt is important for papyrus in two respects. First, papyrus plants grew almost exclusively in the region of the Nile delta. Secondly, the dry climate of Egypt made it possible for papyri to endure, in many cases, for over 2 millennia. Paper is made from the papyrus plant by separating it with a needle point into very thin strips as broad as possible. The choice quality comes from the center, and thence in the order of slicing. The first use of papyrus paper is believed to have been 4000 BC.

35. 1799 - Discovery of Rosetta Stone unlocked Egyptian writing: writing was the same text in hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek B. Egyptian Writing

36. Had thorough understanding of arithmetic, geometry, and engineering principles C. Math and Science

37. Great scientific advances in medicine; became masters of human anatomy C. Math and Science