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    ANCIENT EGYPT: 

      



Location and Geography of Egypt:

'''Where is Egypt? How have they been able to survive for so long? What inventions and advancements have they had in order to sustain life in their region? “The Egyptians were one of the very few that arose to civilization independently, and accomplished many impressive things along the way.”'''

'''Egypt is located in North-eastern Africa, along the Nile River. To the west of Egypt is Libya and to the south is Sudan. Bordering Egypt to the North is the Mediterranean Sea and to the southeast is the Red Sea. Egypt’s climate is usually hot and dry because a vast amount of the country is desert. It has hot days and cool nights and has only two seasons; mild winters and hot summers. The difference between these seasons in Egypt is the high temperatures in the daytime and the strong winds. The Nile Valley and the Nile Delta are were and are very important in the development of ancient Egypt and is an important part in their religious beliefs. The Nile also provides fertile land, which is imperative to have when you live in the desert; the three main crops were papyrus, wheat, and flax, ( a blue-flowered herbaceous plant that is cultivated for its seeds and for textile fiber made from its stalks).'''

'''   Due to Egypt’s extremely hot and dry climate, with little to almost no rainfall, they used mud brick walls in houses to keep cool and windows/ vents to allow air to circulate around the house. To have better control of their agriculture, the Egyptians created irrigation systems; to improve this they also built gates so they could control the water flow easier. Because the Nile River is the main reason why the Egyptians were able to thrive for so many years, they worshiped it as a god. The Egyptians were a polytheistic civilization, meaning they worshiped many different gods; the main three are Horus: god of the sky, Anubis: god of the afterlife, and Osiris: known as the judge of death. Ancient Egypt had something called theocratic monarchy,  where the king ruled and was initially looked at as the medium between humankind and divinity.'''

Religion in Egypt:

'''   “Ancient Egypt religion was a very complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian society.” They believed that many gods existed and were in control of the world. They believed, as you lived your life on earth that you had a duty to carry out the principle of harmony, or as they called it, ma’at. This meant that what you do doesn’t only affect you, but others around you too, as well as the functions of the universe. Everyone assumed that they needed to depend on each other in order to keep balance, so their gods would bring them joy and happiness. The gods the Egyptians worshiped were looked at as their saviors and keepers of peace, but also their friends who loved to help and provide wisdom to the people. The Egyptians were very protective over their homeland, so they shut down long military campaigns in fear of their militants dying in another country; they believed doing this would hinder them from being able to enter the afterlife. They also believed this to be the reason for marrying their daughters to foreigners as well.'''

'''   The people of ancient Egypt believed that the world was nothing, “that there was just the dark swirling waters of chaos stretching into eternity.” And they believed the tears of Atum, (an Egyptian god: creator of the world) fertilized the earth and created men and women. They believed that Egypt was the reflection of the cosmos and that the constellations had a personal meaning to one’s future. The Egyptians also believed in the afterlife; once you passed away you would awaken to the “Great God Osiris” in The Hall of Truth and surrounded by The Forty-Two Judges to have your heart weighed. First, you would have to list the sins you committed, this was called the Negative Confession. Next, you would have your heart weighed next to the white feather of truth; the belief was that if your heart was lighter than the feather you could pass, but if not then it was eaten by a horrid monster and you would cease to exist. Once a pharaoh had passed, to get him/her ready for the afterlife, they went through a process called mummification; it was done to preserve the body for a long period of time. The process took 70 days and with priest as embalmers and having extensive knowledge of the human body. They first removed the internal organs, leaving only the heart intact, these organs were placed into special jars,(canopic jars). The body was then dehydrated and covered with natron, a type of salt, and then wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen. The mummified body was then placed inside a sarcophagus and it was ready for the afterlife.'''

Innovations and Advancement of Egypt:

'''Egypt has many advancements and innovations, all of which were a big reason why this civilization has survived. The Egyptians traded amongst each other and to keep records of their trades they needed a writing system. Their writing had a mixture of pictures and symbols that each conveyed a phrase, thought, or a single word. This not only allowed them to keep trade records but historical ones as well. In order to travel across the Nile safely and efficiently they invented a sail made of papyrus reed tied tightly  together. Using this to move them up and down the Nile and expanding their trade system.'''

'''   Agriculture was a main practice in Ancient Egypt, and to improve on it they created plows. They were used to till the fertile soil and facilitate growing crops along the Nile River. Agriculture aside, the Egyptians were amazing mathematicians and scientist; they created the pyramids. Each made of materials such as limestone, granite, basalt, mortar, and baked mud bricks. The Egyptians use a number system with the numerals based on a multiple of ten. The pyramids were built in relation to the stars and their invention of the calendar was based on astronomical guidelines as well.'''

'''   In summary, the Ancient Egyptians were a very complex civilization, ranging from their religious beliefs and government to their agricultural practices and architecture. This civilization has been through many obstacles, but they were able to overcome them with innovation and the creation of inventions.'''