ANCIENT EGYPT

I. ANCIENT EGYPT
A. GENERAL REMARKS
1. MOST KNOW CLEOPATRA & PYRAMIDS & SPHINX
2. YET OVER 3000 YRS SEPARATE THEM
3. WHILE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION IS NOT NECESSARILY OLDEST IN ANCIENT WORLD
4. LONGEST LASTING CIVILIZATION IN WORLD
5. EXISTED BASICALLY UNCHANGED FOR NEARLY 3000 YRS
a. EX ABOUT 3500 B.C. UNTIL 332 B.C. (4TH C.)
(1) WHEN ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERED
6. ALTHOUGH DYNASTIES CAME & WENT
a. RULING FAMILIES
b. 31 OF THEM
c. PEOPLE UNDER PHARAOHS OR KINGS
d. LIVED UNDER SAME POLITICAL & SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE
e. EVEN FOLLOWED SAME STYLES OF ART
f. W/EXCEPTION OF NATURALISTIC ART & MONOTHEISM UNDER AKHENATON
(1) W/HIS FAMOUS WIFE, NEFERTITI
7. STYLE OF DRESS & MOST CUSTOMS DID NOT CHANGE
8. FOR EGYPTIANS SAMENESS REPRESENTED PEACE & CIVILIZATION
9. HXS CONTRAST EGYPT W/OTHER CIVILIZATIONS WHO HAVE THRIVED ON CHANGE & WAR
10. AIDED BY GEOGRAPHY & MOTHER NATURE
a. SURROUNDED BY DESERTS & RED SEA
b. COMPARATIVELY FREE FROM THREATS OF FOREIGN INVASION
c. CLIMATE IS DRY & INVIGORATING
d. EVEN HOTTEST DAYS PRODUCE NONE OF OPPRESSIVE DISCOMFORT
e. LOW HUMIDITY
f. NIGHTS ALWAYS COOL
g. ABSENCE OF MALARIA THAT PLAGUED OTHER REGIONS INCLUDING ROMANS
11. EGYPT IS DIVIDED INTO
a. UPPER & LOWER EGYPT
12. ANCIENT CITIES OF MEMPHIS, THEBES & LATER ALEXANDER
13. LEGACIES
a. EGYPTIAN ART & ARCHITECTURE, MEDICINE & SCIENCE HAD GREAT INFLUENCE ON GREECE & ROME
b. DEV SOPHISTICATED 365 CALENDAR
(1) TAKEN OVER BY ROMANS
(2) & INTO OUR SOCIETY
B. EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS
1. PROBLEM SCHOLARS UNTIL 19TH CENTURY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DECIPHER EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS
2. AS LAST 1000 YRS EGYPTIANS USED ARABIC SCRIPT
3. SO UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENT, NOT THAT MUCH WAS KNOWN ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT
4. BUT DISCOVERY OF ROSETTA STONE 1799
5. LED TO SCHOLARS ABLE TO DECIPHER EGYPTIAN WRITING
6. FRAGMENTS OF SINGLE TEXT CARVED IN 3 DIFFERENT SCRIPTS
a. HIEROGLYPH
b. EGYPTIAN POPULAR WRITING
(1) COPTIC
(2) LATEST FORM OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
(3) STILL SURVIVED AS LITURGICAL LANGUAGE OF COPTIC CHURCH IN EGYPT
c. GREEK
7. HIEROGLYPHICS BASED ON 3 TYPES CHARACTERS
a. PICTOGRAPHIC
(1) WORD EYE = PICTURE OF EYE
(2) I - PICTURE OF EYE ALSO
b. SYLLABIC
(1) ABSTRACT BEAUTY, ETC. PUTTING SEVERAL PICTURES TOGETHER
c. UNIQUE FOR EGYPTIANS DEV 3RD FORM
(1) ALPHABETIC
(a) 24 SYMBOLS
(b) EACH REPRESENTING SINGLE CONSONANT SOUND OF HUMAN VOICE
8. SINCE 19TH C WHEN HIEROGLYPH INTERPRETED
a. LEARNED LOTS ABOUT EGYPTIANS
C. PAPYRUS
1. EGYPTIAN PAPER
2. OUR WORD PAPER COMES FROM PAPYRUS
3. MOST RECORDS KEPT ON
4. MADE FROM PAPYRUS REED GROWING WILD ALONG NILE
a. CUT IN STRIPS
b. FLATTENED & DRIED
c. LESS CUMBERSOME & LIGHTER THAN CLAY TABLETS
5. GREEKS & ROMANS USED PAPYRUS ROLLS
6. PAPYRUS OTHER USES
a. BOATS, RAFTS
b. BASKETS, MATS
c. SANDALS
d. IN PINCH ATE IT
7. SURVIVING PAPYRUS DOCUMENTS
a. DRY CLIMATE LEFT MANY SURVIVORS
D. SCRIBES
1. MOST EGYPTIANS NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL
2. BUT SCHOOLS FOR SCRIBES LIKE IN MESOPOTAMIA
3. PROFESSION OF SCRIBE HONORED ONE IN EGYPT
4. FOR SCRIBES DID NB STATE SERVICES
a. KEEPING TAX RECORDS
b. RECORDING JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS &DECREES
c. RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER BUREAUCRATIC FUNCTIONS AS WELL
5. TOOK LONG TIME & GREAT ABILITY TO BECOME SCRIBE
6. PROFESSION LED TO SOCIAL MOBILITY AS WELL
7. FOR PERSONS OF COMMON BIRTH COULD RISE TO PROMINENCE
E. IMPORTANCE OF NILE RIVER
1. LIFE REALLY RULED BY NILE
2. GIFT OF THE NILE
3. NILE FLOODED REGULARLY EACH YR DURING SUMMER MONTHS
4. LEAVING RICH SILT TO MAKE NILE VALLEY AS FERTILE AS MESOPOTAMIA
5. ALWAYS RECEDED IN TIME FOR GROWING SEASON
a. AS AGRICULTURAL BACKBONE OF EGYPTIAN ECONOMY
6. NILE PREDICTABLE & BENIGN
7. LONGEST RIVER IN WORLD (4000 MILES)
a. STARTS IN MTNS CENTRAL AFRICA
8. ANCIENT EGYPT REALLY COUNTRY 750 MILES LONG
9. LAND SO PRODUCTIVE THAT AS MANY AS 3 CROPS COULD BE RAISED PER YEAR
a. LIKE IN MODERN BOTSWANA
10. RIVER DIKED & DAMNED TO RELEASE CONTINUAL FLOW OF WATER
11. ALSO ABSENCE OF MALARIA BECAUSE OF WINDS
12. WHICH BLOW FROM NORTH FOR 3/4 OF YEAR
13. WINDS COMING AGAINST CURRENT OF RIVER
14. ALLOWED EASY TRANSPORTATION TO GO BOTH WAYS
15. FLOODING OF NILE DOMINATED UNTIL ASWAN DAM COMPLETED 1971

II. POLITICAL HISTORY
A. DIVISION OF EGYPTIAN HISTORY
1. INTO 6 PERIODS
2. ARCHAIC OR EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD C3100-C2770 B.C.
a. DEVELOPMENT & INCEPTION OF A SINGLE MONARCH
(1) PHARAOH
3. WORLDS 1ST UNITED NATION
a. ABOUT 3100 B.C. IS WHEN 2 OF GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN ALL EGYPTIAN HISTORY OCCURRED TOO
(1) UNIFICATION OF COUNTRY
(2) INVENTION OF WRITING
4. REST OF EGYPTIAN HX DIVIDED INTO 3 MAIN ERAS
a. OLD KINGDOM
b. MIDDLE KINGDOM
c. NEW KINGDOM
5. SEPARATED BY 2 INTERMEDIATE PERIODS WHEN COUNTRY'S FORTUNES TEMPORARILY AT LOW EBB
6. OLD KINGDOM C 2770-C2200 B.C.
a. ADVENT OF PYRAMIDS
b. CLASSICAL OR GOLDEN ERA IN EGYPTIAN HISTORY
c. AUTHORITY & PRESTIGE OF PHARAOH APEX
7. 1ST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD C2200-C2050 B.C.
a. POWER OF PHARAOH ECLIPSED BY HIS AGENTS
b. BUT ETERNITY NOW OPEN TO ALL NOT JUST PHARAOHS
8. MIDDLE KINGDOM C2050-1800 BC.
a. EXPANDING POLITICAL & ECONOMIC STRENGTH
b. EGYPT REUNITED BY RULERS OF THEBES
(1) CAPITAL MOVED TO THEBES
c. NOBILITY REMAINED POWERFUL WHILE ASSERTING LOYALTY TO PHARAOHS
9. 2ND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD C 1786-1560 B.C.
a. EGYPT CONQUERED BY HYKSOS
(1) MEANS RULERS OF FOREIGN LANDS
(a) MIXED HORDE ORIGINATING IN WESTERN ASIA
b. BUT LIFE CONTINUED AS USUAL
c. ONLY PAID TRIBUTE TO CONQUERORS
d. EGYPTIANS LEARNED NEW METHODS OF WARFARE
10. NEW KINGDOM C1560-1087 B.C.
a. ACQUISITION OF EMPIRE W/IMPERIAL POLICY OF PHARAOHS
b. MIDDLE EAST & EAST AFRICA CONQUERED
c. MORE TERRITORY HAD BEEN ANNEXED THAN COULD BE MANAGED SUCCESSFULLY
d. EVENTUALLY MOST OF CONQUERED PROVINCES LOST
11. WHEN NEW KINGDOM CAME TO CLOSE AROUND 1100 B.C. EGYPT'S DAYS AS GREAT NATION OVER
12. ALTHOUGH PHARAOHS INTERSPERSED W/FOREIGN CONQUERORS CONTINUED TO OCCUPY THRONE UNTIL 4TH C B.C.
13. INCLUDING ETHIOPIANS OR NUBIANS, ASSYRIANS, PERSIANS & GREEKS
14. PTOLEMY OR GREEK ERA - 4TH C. B.C.E.
a. MACEDONIAN GREEKS RULED FOR 300 YRS
b. CALLED PTOLEMIES AS PTOLEMY, ONE OF GENERALS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT SUCCEEDED TO EGYPTIAN AREA WHEN ALEXANDER DIED
15. LAST PTOLEMY RULER WAS CLEOPATRA VII
a. CLEOPATRA FELT HERSELF TO BE THE GODDESS ISIS
b. SHE SPOKE 7 LANGUAGES
c. CONSIDERED VERY INTELLIGENT
d. MARRIED CAESAR & HAD SON BY HIM
e. CLEOPATRA EVEN WENT TO ROME AFTER 3 YRS ABSENCE FROM CAESAR
f. MARRIED MARK ANTHONY & HAD CHILDREN TOO

III. EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
A. STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY
1. MOST SOCIETIES OF PAST LIKENED TO PYRAMID STRUCTURE
2. NO SOCIETY BETTER FITS ANALOGY THAT ANCIENT EGYPT
a. HOME OF PYRAMIDS
3. APEX STOOD PHARAOH
4. BELOW HIM 4 OTHER CLASSES
a. PRIESTS
b. NOBLES
c. MIDDLE CLASS OF SCRIBES, MERCHANTS, ARTISANS & WEALTHY FARMERS
d. & PEASANTS
(1) AT BOTTOM
(2) WHO COMPRISED BULK OF POPULATION
5. DURING NEW KINGDOM SIXTH CLASS, PROFESSIONAL SOLDERS ADDED
6. RANKING IMMEDIATELY BELOW NOBLES
7. THOUSANDS OF SLAVES ALSO CAPTURED IN THIS PERIOD
8. & FOR TIME FORMED A SEVENTH CLASS
9. YET HUMBLE PEOPLE COULD RISE TO HIGHEST POSITIONS IF THEY POSSESSED TALENT
10. BIBLICAL STORY OF JOSEPH WHO CAME TO EGYPT AS SLAVE & ROSE TO 2ND ONLY TO PHARAOH
11. WELL-TO-DO HOUSEHOLDS HAD SERVANTS & FOREIGN SLAVES
12. BUT GULF THAT SEPARATED STANDARDS OF LIVING OF UPPER & LOWER CLASSES OF EGYPT PERHAPS EVEN WIDER THAN IT IS TODAY IN PLACES SUCH AS EUROPE & AMERICA
13. WEALTHY NOBLES LIVED IN SPLENDID VILLAS
14. THEY ATE FROM VESSELS OF ALABASTER, GOLD & SILVER
15. BY CONTRAST LIFE OF POOR
a. LABORERS IN TOWNS INHABITED CONGESTED QUARTERS IN MUD-BRICK HOUSES
B. POWER OF PHARAOHS
1. PHARAOH RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL
a. HIS POWER UNLIMITED
b. RISE & FALL OF NILE
c. YIELD OF SOIL
d. COMMERCE
e. FORTUNES OF ARMY
f. HE OWNED LAND
(1) PEOPLE OWED HIM RENT
g. LAWGIVER
2. HAD MUCH MORE POWER THAN MESOPOTAMIAN KINGS
3. CAST IN DOUBLE ROLE OF KING & GOD
4. MORE ON HIS THEOCRATIC POWERS LATER WHEN TALK ABOUT RELIGION
5. GOVERNED THROUGH VIZIERS & PRIESTS
a. 2 VIZIERS
(1) ONE AT MEMPHIS, CAPITAL OF LOWER EGYPT
(a) NOT FAR FROM MODERN CAIRO
(2) THEBES
(a) CAPITAL UPPER EGYPT
6. EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT BECAME VERY BUREAUCRATIC W/WELL-ORGANIZED HIERARCHY
C. FAMILY & MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
1. ALTHOUGH POLYGAMY PERMITTED BASIC UNIT MONOGAMOUS
2. EVEN PHARAOH HAD HAREM OF SECONDARY WIVES & CONCUBINES
3. BUT HAD A CHIEF WIFE
a. SHE WAS HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD
4. CONCUBINAGE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE
5. BROTHER-SISTER MARRIAGES ONLY W/ROYAL DYNASTY TO KEEP LINE PURE & FOR POLITICAL REASONS
6. TODAY IN EGYPT MARRIAGE W/1ST COUSINS IS CONSIDERED SENSIBLE & RIGHT
7. CONTRACEPTION AVAILABLE
a. 1 OF MOST POPULAR INGREDIENTS CROCODILE DUNG
b. BUT ALSO USED SPIKES FROM ACACIA TREE GROUND TOGETHER W/DATES & HONEY FOR ANOTHER CONTRACEPTIVE
8. WHILE MOST CHILDREN WELCOMED AT BIRTH
a. SOON AFTER BORN PROFESSIONAL ASTROLOGER CASTED A HOROSCOPE FOR CHILD
(1) WHAT SORT LIFE & CAREER
9. EVIDENCE OF CHILDREN BEEN ABANDONED NILE
a. BY POOR WHO COULD NOT FEED THEM
b. CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
c. BY SLAVES WHO COULD NOT KEEP THEIR CHILDREN & DID NOT HAVE HEART TO KILL THEM
d. MOST FAMOUS MOSES
D. WOMEN IN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
1. IN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY WOMEN TREATED WITH EQUALITY, RESPECT & HAD MORE PRIVILEGES THAN ANY OTHER ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
2. WIVES NOT SECLUDED WHEN DINING & ENTERTAINING LIKE IN GREECE & OTHER ANCIENT SOCIETIES
3. DRINKING WINE OK CF TO ANCIENT GREECE & ROME
4. WOMEN COULD OWN & INHERIT PROPERTY
5. WOMEN COULD ENGAGE IN BUSINESS
6. ALMOST ALONE AMONG ANCIENT PEOPLES - EGYPTIANS PERMITTED WOMEN TO SUCCEED TO THE THRONE
a. QUEEN SOBEKNOFRU REIGNED DURING 12TH DYNASTY
b. QUEEN HATSHEPSUT DURING 18TH
(1) MORE ON HER LATER
7. 2 OF MOST FAMOUS EGYPTIAN WOMEN CLEOPATRA & QUEEN NEFERTITI
E. NEFERTARI
1. CHIEF WIFE OF PHARAOH RAMSES II
2. NEFERTARI OR NEFERTITI WHOSE TITLES INCLUDED
a. RICH OF PRAISE
b. LADY OF CHARM
c. BEAUTIFUL OF FACE
F. EGYPTIAN PERSONAL CARE
1. BOTH SEXES WORE BRACELETS, NECKLACES, EARRINGS & MAKEUP
2. WOMEN ESPECIALLY WORE HEAVY EYE MAKEUP
a. EYES RIMMED W/BLACK OR GREEN POWDER = KOHL
b. RED OCHRE POWDER FOR CHEEKS & PALMS
c. COLORS BLACK & GREEN SYMBOLIZED FERTILITY & REBIRTH IN NEXT LIFE
3. BOTH SEXES WENT TO BARBERS WHO SHAVED THEM
4. MANY MEN PREFERRED TO SHAVE OFF OWN HAIR & WEAR WIG WHEN WENT OUT
5. PHARAOHS ALWAYS SHAVED HEAD & CHINS
a. WORE WIGS & FALSE BEADS
b. EVEN FEMALE PHARAOHS WORE FALSE BEARDS
G. EGYPTIAN LEISURE ACTIVITIES
1. EGYPTIANS LOVED TO HAVE FUN
a. DRANK BEER & WINE,
b. SIT IN GARDEN
2. ONE POPULAR GAME SENIT
a. FORERUNNER OF TODAY'S BACKGAMMON
3. ATHLETIC CONTESTS
a. LEGACY TO GREEKS
H. EGYPTIAN MEDICINE
1. REMARKABLE WORK IN MEDICINE
2. DOCTORS FAMOUS IN ANCIENT WORLD
3. EVEN WOMEN DOCTORS IN EGYPT
4. 1 OF OLDEST PROFESSIONS NILE VALLEY
5. EARLIEST DOCTOR MAGICIAN
6. FOR EGYPTIANS BELIEVED DISEASE & SICKNESS CAUSED BY EVIL FORCE ENTERING BODY
7. THEY BELIEVED DISEASE OR EVIL FORCE COULD BE
a. DRIVEN OUT OR
b. KILLED BY MEANS OF THREATS, CURSES & SPELLS
8. SO EMPLOYED SYMPATHETIC MAGIC
a. LAYING FIGURINE ON PATIENT TO ABSORB SICKNESS FOR EXAMPLE
9. SAME THEORY LAY BEHIND MEDICINES THAT THESE MAGICIANS PRESCRIBED
10. WHICH MADE UP OF CONCOCTIONS SO REVOLTING
11. THAT EVIL SPIRITS UNABLE TO ENDURE THEM WOULD BE DRIVEN OUT
12. INEVITABLY SOME OF THESE CONCOCTIONS CONTAINED EFFICACIOUS INGREDIENTS
13. & TRANSFORMATION FROM MAGICIANS TO REAL DOCTORS
14. AT NO TIME DID MEDICINE OUST MAGIC ENTIRELY
15. SYMPATHETIC MAGIC CONTINUED IN USE
16. E.G MIGRAINE TREATED BY LAYING FRIED FISH ON SIDE OF HEAD
17. BUT DOCTORS EVENTUALLY SAW DISEASES COMING FROM NATURAL NOT SUPERNATURAL CAUSES
a. OTHER ANCIENT PEOPLES DID NOT SEE THIS
18. DRS. EVEN DIAGNOSED HYPOCHONDRIA AS AILMENT
19. AMONG DIAGNOSTIC METHODS
a. TAKING OF PULSE
b. LISTENING TO HEARTBEAT
20. SCHOLARS KNOW OF 4 CATEGORIES OF SPECIALIST
a. EYE DOCTOR
b. TOOTH DOCTOR
c. BELLY DOCTOR
d. SHEPHERD OF HINDQUARTERS
(1) MOST NECESSARY BRANCH OF MEDICINE IN SOCIETY IN WHICH INTESTINAL TROUBLES ENDEMIC
21. ALSO SURGEONS
22. SPECIALISTS TREATING DISEASES OF STOMACH & HEAD COMPLAINTS
23. EGYPTIAN PHYSICIANS KNEW & MADE USE OF AT LEAST A THIRD OF MEDICINAL PLANTS FOUND IN MODERN PHARMACOPOEIA
24. COMPILED 1ST CATALOGUE OF MEDICINES
25. MANY INGREDIENTS IN MEDICINES CONCOCTED BY DOCTORS SEEM APPALLING TO US
a. HUMAN URINE
b. CHILD'S EXCREMENT
c. GAZELLE DUNG
d. CROCODILE & LIZARD EXCREMENT
e. PELICAN & FLY DROPPINGS
26. FROM HORUS' LOSS OF AN EYE, REPRESENTING EGYPTIAN SYMBOL OF SACRIFICE
a. HAS EVOLVED R/ SIGN FOR PRESCRIPTION
27. MANY OF THEIR REMEDIES LATER CARRIED INTO EUROPE BY GREEKS
28. & LATER INHERITED BY WESTERN EUROPE
29. SOME ARE STILL EMPLOYED BY PEASANTRY OF ISOLATED REGIONS
I. OTHER SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES
1. ASTRONOMY ONE OF NUMBER OF FIELDS ANCIENT EGYPTIANS DEVELOPED TO ADVANCED STATE
2. PERFECTED A CALENDAR BASED ON ANNUAL APPEARANCE OF SIRIUS
a. BRIGHTEST STAR IN SKY
b. LUNAR CALENDAR TO MARK SUCCESSION OF RELIGIOUS RITES
3. MATHEMATICS EVEN MORE HIGHLY DEVELOPED
4. EGYPTIANS LAID FOUNDATIONS FOR ARITHMETIC & GEOMETRY
5. THEY DEVISED ARITHMETICAL OPERATIONS OF
a. ADDITION, SUBTRACTION & DIVISION
b. BUT NEVER DISCOVERED HOW TO MULTIPLY EXCEPT THROUGH SERIES OF ADDITIONS
6. THEY INVENTED DECIMAL SYSTEM, BUT HAD NO SYMBOL FOR ZERO
7. EGYPTIANS ACHIEVED SURPRISING DEGREE OF SKILL IN MATHEMATICS OF MEASUREMENT
8. COMPUTING WITH ACCURACY AREAS OF TRIANGLES, RECTANGLES & HEXAGONS
9. RATIO OF CIRCUMFERENCE OF CIRCLE TO ITS DIAMETER THEY CALCULATED TO BE 3.16
10. THEREBY COMING VERY CLOSE TO MODERN CALCULATION OF 3.14
11. LEARNED HOW TO COMPUTE VOLUME OF PYRAMID, CYLINDER & HEMISPHERE