The Egyptians—The People of The Two Lands
The ancient Egyptians, known for their remarkable civilization in northeastern Africa, present a fascinating study of a society that thrived for millennia. This blog post delves into the origins of the Egyptian people, offering a glimpse into their lives, culture, and the driving forces behind one of history's most enduring civilizations. So, let us meet one of the three factions of my YA fantasy novel, Treasures of Egypt.
Foundations of the Egyptian Civilization
The Egyptian civilization, dating from the 4th millennium BCE, is renowned for its significant achievements in art, architecture, and more. Ancient Egypt was essentially an oasis in the desert of northeastern Africa, heavily reliant on the annual inundation of the Nile River. The country’s wealth primarily came from the fertile floodplain of the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta, which were vital for its agricultural population.
The Pillars of Egyptian Agriculture and Trade
Agriculture was central to Egyptian society, focusing on cereal crops like emmer wheat and barley. The predictability of the Nile's flooding ensured high productivity, allowing the storage of large surpluses and forming the basis of Egyptian wealth. While Egypt was largely self-sufficient, it did trade with regions like modern-day Lebanon for essential resources like timber and farther regions for minerals like obsidian and lapis lazuli.
Egyptian Society: A Glimpse of Daily Life
Contrary to the popular view of ancient Egypt as a death-obsessed culture, Egyptians actually had a profound love for life. This is evident in their envisioning of the afterlife as an eternal continuation of earthly existence. The builders of the famous pyramids and other monuments were skilled Egyptian workers, not slaves, who were compensated for their labor and were given a promise by the king to help guide them to the afterlife. This can be seen by the tombs of the workers that populate the Giza plateau near the pyramids. These monuments were symbols of life and the belief in the eternal significance of an individual.
Magic, or 'heka', was a fundamental aspect of Egyptian life, believed to predate the gods themselves. It was essential for maintaining 'ma'at' – the principle of harmony and balance that was central to Egyptian philosophy. Egyptians were encouraged to live a life of happiness and balance, an ethos encapsulated in the wisdom text of Ptahhotep, which emphasized kindness and a joyful spirit.
Social Structure: The Hierarchy of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian society was structured into a strict hierarchy, with the king at the top, followed by his vizier, court members, priests, scribes, regional governors, and the general populace, including peasant farmers and slaves. Social mobility was limited, as the social order was believed to be divinely decreed. The king, seen as an intermediary between the mortal and divine realms, was responsible for maintaining ma'at.
The vizier, akin to a prime minister, played a crucial role in managing the kingdom's affairs, overseeing military operations, public works, and tax collections. At the bottom of this hierarchy were the slaves, who were either debtors, criminals, or war captives, and the peasant farmers, who comprised the majority of the population and were the backbone of Egyptian civilization.
The Egyptians in Treasures of Egypt
The Egyptians in Treasures of Egypt are identical to their real-world counterparts.
Conclusion
The Egyptians, as a people, were deeply connected to their land, their gods, and their community. Their love for life, commitment to balance and harmony, and remarkable achievements in various fields made them one of the most enduring civilizations in human history.
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