HIST 221 Lecture 6: Egypt
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Egypt
How will the U.S. be remembered in 3000 years? Who will be remembered in 3000 years?
Myth
I. Osiris, Isis, Seth
A. buried in Egypt + complete = resurrection
B. effect
1. no empire until New Kingdom
Geography
I. Nile = regular
A. every July
1st red (top soil)
2nd green (veg)
3rd rises 30 ft
B. don’t know source
1. think gods opening caverns
C. easy, little work
II. Effects
A. Protection
B. Stability
C. Change = bad
Narmer (ca 3000)
I. unifies Egypt
A. King of S. Egypt conquers N. Egypt
B. 1st king, 1st dynasty
II. Narmer Palette
Old Kingdom
I. Pyramid experiments (ca. 2600 B.C.)
A. First 2 = disasters
1. Meidum (looks like tower)
a. Limestone casing unstable & abandoned
2. Bent pyramid
a. Corners built on unstable ground, causing bend at top
--engineering, experimentation, life: many failures lead to success
B. Success
1. Red pyramid
II. How to build pyramid?
+100 pyramids. all different. some solid, some inner chambers
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2
A. no architectural papyri exist
1. probably trade secret
B. clear sand to bedrock
1. probably built channels in earth at base, filled w/ H20 until level plane
C. rock quarries next to pyramid
D. how to get blocks that high
a. ramp theory
b. switchback theory: winding road corkscrews blocks up
E. labor
1. taxes = labor
2. not slaves, not beasts of burden
F. need
a. social organization, not advanced math
IV. Cheops: Great pyramid at Giza (d. 2566 BC)
A. Grand daddy of pyramid
1. tallest building (480 ft) until Eiffel Tower (1889)
B. Caliph al Ma’mun chizzled into to find treasure
1. entrance today
V. Chephren (d. ca. 2540 BC)
A. 2nd largest
B. some limestone left on top
1. limestone take from pyramids used in Cairo mosques
Mummies
I. Recipe Mummification
A. Begin 2-3 days after death
B. Make slit under left ribs
1. remove liver, stomach, intestines, lungs
2. place them in jars
C. Insert bronze rod into left nostril
1. remove brain through enlarged opening made by smashing fragile ethmoid bone
D. Pack resin, sawdust, or cloth into skull cavity
E. Sew up body & clean body
F. Cover body w/ natron in order to dehydrate completely
G. Once dried out, wash w/ Nile water & anoint w/ unguents
H. 1st bandage fingers, then limbs, the head last
I. reserved for Pharaohs, high officials, and super rich
1. poor were stacked in remote caves
II. What mummies reveal?
A. Diet & health
1. bad teeth (bread had sandstone), arteriosclerosis, polio (deformed foot), smallpox
(face spots)
B. Mummification process
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C. Cause of death (sometimes)
End of Old Kingdom (ca 2180)
I. Change
A. more sun worship
1. sun temples
2. pharaohs take Re names (Sahure, Neferkare, Shepsekare)
3. more priest pwr?
B. smaller pyramids
1. aristocrats’ pyramids rival pharaohs’
2. more arist pwr?
II. Omit
A. Skeletons show no increase in violence
B. No major civil wars
II. Theories why?
A. Pepi II (2278-2184)
1. ruled 94 yrs!
2. His descent lead to Egypt’s?
B. Unemployed laborers revolt against pharaoh
1. DISPROVE: only evid = smaller buildings
2. DISPROVE: Laborers = taxpayers; not employed workers
C. Drought
1. Lake Tana (Ethiopia)
2. Delta (lower Egypt) settlements abandoned
a. More affected by drought
b. Population increase (upper Egypt) less affected
First Intermediate Period (2180-2055)
I. Politically
A. 70 kings in 70 days (source= 200s BC)
B. capital changes: Memphis to Herakleopolis
C. leading families in villages asserted independence when central authority
weakened
1. Local leaders respond faster to crisis
II. Source = Middle Kingdom lament literature
A. divine order upset
1. foreigners invaded
2. pharaoh maintained divine order
B. fear of desert & Bedouin inhabitants
C. agenda = scare Middle Kingdom subjects??
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Document Summary
Myth: osiris, isis, seth, buried in egypt + complete = resurrection, effect, no empire until new kingdom. 3rd rises 30 ft: don"t know source, think gods opening caverns, easy, little work. Narmer (ca 3000: king of s. egypt conquers n. egypt, 1st king, 1st dynasty, unifies egypt. 2600 b. c. : first 2 = disasters, meidum (looks like tower) Old kingdom: limestone casing unstable & abandoned, bent pyramid, corners built on unstable ground, causing bend at top. -engineering, experimentation, life: many failures lead to success: success, red pyramid. +100 pyramids. all different. some solid, some inner chambers. Cheops: great pyramid at giza (d. 2566 bc: social organization, not advanced math, grand daddy of pyramid, tallest building (480 ft) until eiffel tower (1889, caliph al ma"mun chizzled into to find treasure, entrance today, chephren (d. ca. 2540 bc: 2nd largest, some limestone left on top, limestone take from pyramids used in cairo mosques.
