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5000 years ago a civilization was just awakening that would still leave
us mesmerized by it's beauty, it's knowledge, it’s culture, it’s love of
life and their preparation and belief in a better life to come in the "afterlife".
This civilization was, of course, that of Ancient Egypt.
On
our journey we will be able to see how this great land evolved to become
a strong and unified country under the leadership of their kings, known
as Pharaohs, who were believed to have descended from the "Gods".
We
will see who the rulers of this great land were and find out about some
significant events throughout its history. We will learn about the religious
beliefs of the people, the Gods and Goddesses that they worshiped and their
burial practices.
We
can visit some of the wonderful monuments that are still standing today,
thousands of years after they were first built and learn about the design
of these temples, tombs and funerary monuments.
At
the end of our journey, hopefully you will have fallen under the magical
spell that this ancient culture still casts over all who search for it.
Prepare
to embark on your journey; all you need to travel is an open mind and a
willingness to listen
Many
people settled around the small fertile area along the stretch of the river
Nile, which provided a permanent supply of water. This area was surrounded
by desert. During this time the people started to learn how to cultivate
plants and some animals became domesticated.
It
is thought that during this time some areas of Egypt, who had their own
chiefs and worshiped their own Gods, developed into two larger kingdoms.
These were Upper Egypt (southern Egypt) and Lower Egypt (northern Egypt).
At the end of the Pre-Dynastic period Upper Egypt absorbed Lower Egypt
after the defeat of the Lower Egyptian kings .
This therefore created a unified Egyptian State. The capital Memphis was
then the seat of the Egyptian rulers.
Some
pottery has been found from this time with red on white painting of religious
symbols or boats. Some larger artifacts have been discovered from Pre-Dynastic
Egypt that shows religious ceremonies and military conquests involved in
the unification. Examples of these are the Bull palette, the Narmer palette
and the Mace Head of King "Scorpion".
Kingship
was already a very strong and powerful institution even at this early stage.
In the North the capital was Memphis. Tombs of high officials have been
found in this area. In the south the most important cult centre was Abydos.
It was here that the kings of the first dynasty were buried.
Even
in the early dynastic period religious beliefs underpinned the social and
political structure of the Egyptian State. The king was always given an
elaborate burial as he was seen as the link between the powers of the underworld
and his deceased subjects. The king was believed to maintain earthly and
cosmic order as a representative on Earth of the Gods.
Most
Egyptians at this time were farmers who lived in small villages. The benefits
of the Nile’s annual inundation were enhanced using dykes and canals. This
increased the amount of land that could be utilized and therefore increased
the harvest. There is very little rainfall in Egypt so the annual flooding
of the Nile provided essential water for the crops.
Early
forms of writing began to develop which had economic and administrative
purposes. Hieroglyphs have been found on royal seals and potmarks, which
had been identified, as goods owned by the state.
Developments
in funerary structures occurred during the first dynasty and tomb complexes
have been discovered at Abydos. In King Djer`s tomb bracelets with beads
made of gold, amethyst, turquoise and lapis lazuli were found. His tomb
contained wooden shrines where the burial was located. It was in a mud-brick
lined chamber.
To be continued
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