Ancient Civilizations

1. Ancient Civilizations Ancient Egypt

2. ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for roughly 3,000 years • usually divided into three periods or kingdoms: Old Kingdom – 2686 B.C. to 2186 B.C.; Middle Kingdom – 2055 B.C. to 1650 B.C.; and New Kingdom – 1550 B.C. to 1069 B.C. • kings called pharaohs ruled ancient Egypt • believed each new pharaoh was the god Horus in human form • pharaohs had supreme power and ruled the wealthiest kingdom of the ancient world • Nile River was called Egypt’s lifeline • each year the Nile flooded and deposited rich black soil along the banks • fertile soil allowed the Egyptians to raise a surplus of food • river provided water for irrigation and was a major transportation route

3. ancient Egyptians fished and hunted animals such as Nile perch, ducks, cranes, ibis, hippopotamuses and crocodiles • papyrus, a long thin reed, grew along the banks of the Nile and was made into paper • religion was an important part of Egyptian life • they believed that gods and goddesses influenced every part of daily life • also believed in the afterlife – this belief led the ancient Egyptians to construct pyramids and other great tombs for the pharaohs • believed that the bodies of the dead should be mummified and then placed in coffins to preserve the body in the afterlife

4. Food • wide variety of foods were grown and hunted • farmers able to grow barley and emmer wheat • in order to make bread an Egyptian housewife had to obtain grain from her granary and grind it into flour • sometimes a little sand was added to help grind it • making bread was hard and tedious work – flour mixed with water and made into loaves of many shapes and sizes • sometimes flavouring such as garlic was added to the dough • if she wanted to make beer she would lightly bake her loaves of bread and then crumble them – she would mix this with water and leave the mixture to ferment to make beer • the mixture was strained before it was drunk • wide variety of vegetables – onions, leeks, beans, garlic, lentils, chick peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, carrots, lettuce and cucumbers • fruits such as grapes, figs, dates, pomegranates, melons and apples were enjoyed

5. wealthy people often ate beef, antelope and gazelle meat • fancy cakes and baked goods sweetened by dates or honey – served at many meals • date, grape and palm wine was served at meals • poor Egyptians ate less meat and ate more poultry and fish • milk, butter and cheese were highly prized • eggs were plentiful • pork was not eaten as the pig was considered unclean • average Egyptian ate 3 meals a day • food was eaten with fingers • cooking was done over an open fire – meat was cooked on a spit or stewed in a cooking pot • every house had its own grape vines growing over wooden trellises • grapes were picked and put on a stone trough where men tramped them to extract the juice – the juice ran through a funnel and was put in wine jars • wine fermented in the open jars and then they were sealed with mud stoppers

6. loved parties and frequently had them • servants walked among the guests serving food and pouring wine • food was important to the Egyptians • they believed that even the dead required food just as much as the living • food was placed in the tombs of the dead – due to the very dry climate some of the food has survived even to the present day

7. Shelter • built with bricks of dried mud • mud from the Nile was collected and taken to the building site • straw and pebbles were mixed with the mud to strengthen it and then poured into wooden frames to make bricks • left in the sun to dry • beams were made b y mixing the mud with strips of linen • after it was built the walls were covered with plaster and the insides were painted with patterns or scenes from nature • roof was covered with lengths of timber • matting was laid on the pieces of wood and then topped with thick slabs of mud plaster • floors were also made of mud plaster and were covered with a hard layer of gypsum • floors were raised to keep snakes out • poor Egyptians lived in one-room huts • city homes were narrow buildings with two or three floors • typical middle-class family lived in a one or two-story house with at least three rooms • wealthier families lived in large home called villas – some had 70 rooms • villas were surrounded by plain, square walls that were whitewashed or painted in light pastel colours

8. only one entrance • visitors and family entered the house through double doors where a garden and square pool filled with water could be seen • villa was usually one story high and looked modern • grills set up high in the walls acted like windows and provided ventilation and light • centre part of the villa was a combination of a living and dining room • small brazier – held a small fire – was in the middle of the room to provide heat • raised platform along one side of the room was where the owner of the house, his family and guests rested on rugs or pillows • stairs led to the roof where there was a garden • behind the living area was a private suite for the master of the house and his family • this area held the main bedroom, robing-room, bathroom, office and the stone slabs on which one was washed and massaged • kitchen was located in another building far from the house to keep the smells away • servants stayed in huts near the stable or the workshops • poor Egyptians were often huddled together in cramped and overcrowded conditions • Egyptian houses were sparsely furnished • a bed was the sign of a wealthy person

9. chairs and tables were built low • made of wood leather or rope • when built furniture was passed to a craftsman for decoration • the arms and backs of chairs were ornately decorated or carved with sacred figures of symbols • some Egyptians owned a reed mat which they used for eating and sleeping • each home had simple cooking and eating utensils • usually made out of pottery • clay ovens or open fires were used to cook food and charcoal and wood were used for fuel • candles and oil lamps were used to light homes

11. Clothing • lightweight clothing made from fine linen cloth • cloth was draped around the body • no one wore underwear • basic woman’s dress – simple tube made from a rectangle of linen sewn down one side – straps attached to the top edge • during Middle Kingdom some women added a colourful collar • during the New Kingdom a pleated, fringed robe was worn over the dress • men wore knee-length kilts during the Old Kingdom • linen was pleated and fastened at the waist with a knot or a buckle • in the Middle Kingdom the kilts became longer and straighter • boys’ heads were shaved except for one long braided lock that hung at the side • many Egyptians wore wigs for special occasion • men and women wore makeup, perfumed oils and jewellery

13. Contributions • built great pyramids • Pyramids at Giza were enormous stone pyramids that still stand today • created the 365 day calendar • invented a form of picture writing call hieroglyphics • invented a kind of paper made from the stems of papyrus plants • tomb paintings and enormous stone statues represented fine art and architecture • art objects and jewellery made from gold and alabaster were valued greatly