Egyptian Civilization Essay Research Paper The Egyptian

Egyptian Civilization Essay, Research Paper

The Egyptian Civilization

Egyptian civilization formed along the Nile river and the earliest traces of

human life in that region are from the Paleolithic Age, (Old Stone Age), about

300,000 B.C., at the very edges of the Nile Valley. Beyond, on both sides of the

river the land was and still is desert.

At that time the people moved from place to place, ate berries, roots, and

any animals they could find, but stood close to their lifeline, the Nile. The lands

along the Nile were rich enough to be farmed, so over time the people started to

grow crops. They found ways to store the yearly floodwaters and then use them

for the dry seasons. The farmers learned to lift water out of the Nile or wells and

send it across the fields through a system of canals. In order for all of this to

work out they had to work together, no one could do any of it alone. So as the

farmers and people began to cooperate, an organization began to grow. They

found leaders among them who directed the work. A form of government

developed and due to that they soon began to build cities, to manufacture

things, in time to trade with their neighbors. That is how it all started. Over a

period from 3100 B.C. to 332 B.C. they grew in culture, arts, religion, science,

medicine, and many other fields.

The early Egyptian people grew food by the Nile and lived mainly by

hunting for meat, fishing, and gathering wild plants. They kept a small number of

cattle, sheep, or goats, and grew a few crops. Their crops were flax, barley, and

a primitive kind of wheat called ‘emmer.’ They got the sheep and goats from the

middle east, and their crops too. Farming provided most of the food and helped

their population grow. Later on in time, the basic diet of the ordinary people was

bread and beer. The wealthier ones ate more meat and drank wine instead of

beer.

The most common clothes women wore were tunic dresses. Those were

made by folding a rectangle of cloth in half, sewing it up at the sides, leaving

holes for the arms, and cutting a key hole for the head. Some had sleeves and

some were sleeveless. This looks very different from the tomb paintings where

women are shown wearing skintight transparent dresses with no underclothes. I

guess they wanted the art more attractive.

Men usually wore loin-cloths and short kilts. Much of the people’s clothes

were made of linen because for the mostly hot weather they needed light, loose,

and easily washed clothes. Linen was perfect for that.

Children went naked whenever it was warm enough. At about the age of

10 they started to wear the same kind of tunics or kilts as their parents.

Egyptian doctors were the most famous in the ancient world. Today some

scholars call them .the first real doctors.. The people who were doctors were

often priests as well. They were trained in the temple medical schools. Their

medicine was a mixture of science, religion, and magic. In many kingdoms all

over the Mediterranean if medical help was needed their services were at

demand. Their medical writings include all sorts of magic charms and chants, but

they had a lot of practical knowledge. They knew how to deal with broken bones,

wounds, and fevers. It is said that they approached their study of medicine in a

remarkably scientific way.

An example of likely treatment in those early times is the binding of a slice

of raw meat over a stitched wound. Also wounds were treated with willow leaves,

which contain salicylic acid (aspirin), to reduce inflammation, plus copper,

sodium salts to help dry up the wound. Cream and flour were mixed to make a

cast for a broken limb. With very bad diseases, where they didn’t understand the

cause, magic spells were mixed with the potions. Even if the magic didn.t work

itself the patient felt a little better just thinking it might work.

There are many gods and goddesses to be found in the beliefs of ancient

Egypt. The gods were associated with individual provinces, and their names

varied throughout the country.

The basic belief of most Egyptians was that in the beginning there was

only water. Then, just as happened after the Nile floods every year, the first

mound of earth rose out of the waters of chaos. What they believed happened

next depended on where they lived. There were common gods to all though. For

ordinary families most important in their daily lives were the household

Demigods: Thoueris the hippopotamus, and the little frog Hetak, who helped at

childbirth; the seven Hathors who protected children; Renenvet, the cobra

goddess of the harvest; and, most of all ugly dwarf Bes, who brought good luck

to everyone. People painted images of these gods on their walls or wore them as

good luck charms.

They believed that everyone had several parts. The ka; spiritual double,

created at birth a

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