Ancient Egypt Culture & Society The Daily Life of Ancient Egypt
Overview
•	Population
•	Language
•	Social structure
•	Divine kingship
•	Arts and leisure
•	Cosmology
Population
•	Numbers
–	Old Kingdom
•	1 - 2 million
–	Roman Empire
•	7 million
•	Immigration
–	Nubians, Asiatics, Greeks
–	Small numbers, acculturated easily
Language
•	Afro-Asiatic Egyptian language
•	Five Ancient Language Periods
–	Old Egyptian (Predynastic Old Kingdom)
–	Middle Egyptian (Middle Kingdom)
–	Late Egyptian (New Kingdom)
–	Demotic (Ptolemy to Middle Ages)
–	Coptic Egyptian (Middle Ages to 1600’s)
•	replaced by Arabic
•	Hieroglyphic (picture writing)
–	evolved into demotic (cursive writing)
•	Literacy
–	Grew with growth of central administration
Writing
•	Hallmark of administrative class
•	Hieroglyphic:  picture writing
–	From Old Kingdom
–	Rosetta Stone:  same text in Egyptian hieroglyphic, Egyptian demotic, and Greek
–	Cursive script 2500 BC
•	Records, literature, hymns & prayers, technical manuals
•	Papyrus workshops in temples:  copying traditional texts
Social Structure
•	Upper
–	pharaoh & court
–	high-level officials
•	Middle
–	lower-level officials
–	local leaders, wealthy farmers
–	priests & professionals
–	artisans
•	Lower
–	common folk (majority)
•	Slaves
–	Limited to captives, criminals
Divine Kingship
•	Pharaoh son of Sun God - Re
–	Sent to maintain ma’at: divinely authorized order of universe
–	People’s link with gods
–	Rule ensured security, prosperity
–	Source of law, authority
•	Centralized Power
–	All Egypt belongs to Pharaoh
–	Strong monarchy = strong central government
•	Capital Cities
–	Old Kingdom:  Memphis (near Cairo)
–	Middle & New Kingdom:  Thebes (Luxor)
Nomes and Cities
•	Nomes
–	Provinces of Ancient Egypt
–	Lower Egypt: 20, Upper Egypt: 22
–	Nomarchs
•	provincial governors
•	supervised irrigation & dams, dispensed justice
•	Cities
–	Pharaonic capitals
•	No archaeology:  still occupied
•	Essential wealth in land & products
–	Provincial capitals
•	Religious and economic centres for region,  frontier fortresses
•	Nubia ruled directly by viceroy of pharaoh
Royal Bureaucracy
•	Writing records
–	Land, labour, products, people
–	Taxes up to 50%
•	Administration
–	Palace, bureaucracy, army
–	Built & maintained temples, monuments to pharaoh
•	Simple geography of Nile lands easy to administer
•	State monopoly over key sectors of economy
–	Some local private enterprise
The Imperial Military
•	Old & Middle Kingdoms
–	Limited contact with other civilizations
•	Defense against desert raiders
–	Small standing army of professional soldiers
•	Local militia when needed
•	New Kingdom
–	Expanded Empire
•	Nubia, Middle East
–	Trade, not territory
•	Access to resources e.g. Lebanese cedar
The Army of Egypt
•	Weapons
–	Striking weapons
•	club, mace, axe, sword, spear
–	Throwing weapons
•	javelin, bow, slingshot
–	Shield, helmet, armour
–	chariot after Hyksos invasion
•	New Kingdom Army
–	Mercenaries
–	Nobility as officers
–	Use of specialized forces: sappers (military engineers), trenchers, shock troops
–	Rewards for excellence: land, slaves, social position
Shipping and Trade
•	Ships
–	River boats
–	Seafaring traders
–	Naval vessels
•	Trade Routes
–	Nubia:  gold
–	Sinai:  copper, gems
–	Canaan:  cedar
–	Punt:  ostrich eggs, ivory
Artisans
•	Carpenters
–	cabinet making, furniture
•	Sculptors
•	Stonemasons
–	tomb & temple complexes
•	Goldsmiths
–	jewellry, funeral masks
•	Weavers
–	linens
•	Potters
Leisure
•	Zoos & parks
–	gardens in house courtyard
–	animals & birds
•	Hunting & fishing
–	royal leopard hunts
•	Games
–	ball, board
–	sports
–	toys
•	Banquets
–	games, music, dancing
Music
•	Strings
–	Harps, lyres, lutes
•	Percussion
–	Drums, rattles, cymbals
•	Wind
–	Flutes, trumpets, oboes
•	Vocal music
Cosmology
•	Religion rooted in landscape of Nile
–	Vision of cosmic order
–	Recurrent cycles, periodic renewal
•	Pharaoh as Chief Priest
–	Temples, gifts to gods, tomb monuments
–	Required great wealth
•	Continuity of divine kingship
•	Ensure renewal of life
Gods of Ancient Egypt
Amen (Amon)
Creation deity of Thebes
Anubis
Jackal head, conductor of souls
Isis
Mother goddess of fertility & nature
Re (Ra)
creator, sun god
Osiris
god of dead, underworld
Ritual
•	Temple Cults
–	God statue in inner room
–	Priests serve daily needs
•	Festivals
–	Boat litter carried god statue in public
•	Household Altars
–	Offerings to
•	Bes, god of marriage & family
•	Local gods
•	Family ancestors
•	Magic
–	Amulets : An amulet (Latin amuletum) can be any object whose most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect its owner from danger or harm.
Obsession with Afterlife
•	Death as hazardous journey to afterlife
–	Book of the Dead:  ritual & prayer to protect soul
–	Weighing of deceased’s heart
–	Shabti:  figurine servant as companion (also ushabti)
•	Mummification
–	Organs removed to canopic jars
–	Body dried in natron
•	Naturally occurring
•	Salt & sodium carbonate
–	Sarcophagus: decorated casket in tomb