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Ancient Egypt was a significant player on the world stage because of its strategic position at the crossroads of African and Asia. Divided into southern Upper Egypt (the floodplain, high desert, low desert, and Nile river); and, northern Lower Egypt (the sparsely settled delta region), Egyptians always shared common linguistics, beliefs, traditions, and idealized cultural paradigms, which they continually strove to preserve throughout their history. Flowing from South to North and the longest river in the world, the Nile was their source of sustenance and primary means of travel. The river teemed with fish and when it flooded each year it revitalized the land. The Egyptians journeyed on the Nile in cargo, funerary, passenger and navy boats. Saqqara was the site of the first step pyramids, but, the first "true" funerary complex pyramids were not built until the Fourth Dynasty. The First Dynasty began when King Menes ruled over a united Lower and Upper Egypt. The kings of the first three dynasties were living embodiments of the god Horus. Afterwards, they bore the title of Re, the sun god. They had several different types of calendars: agricultural based on the seasons (inundation, coming forth afterwards, harvesting) with four 30 day months and five 5 epagomenal days for the birthdays of Osiris, Horus, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys; astronomical based on Sirius (the rising of the star along with the Sun); and moon based (for rituals and events honoring the deities).
Most of the knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization comes from archaeological
findings. Examination of funerary objects, tomb paintings, and inscriptions
suggested that as a culture the Egyptians were inordinately concerned with ensuring that
their eternal life was as agreeable as their daily life. The continuance of the
personality in the afterlife was of paramount importance so the body was
mummified, placed in a tomb, and given regular food offerings.
Their basic social unit was the family with the father being responsible for economics and the mother for the household. Although most children had toys, much of their time was spent helping their parents in the fields or apprenticing to their craftsman fathers. Those with "well to do" parents trained to be military officers and scribes. Egyptian clothing was plain but everyone wore jewelry, especially amulets made from gold, copper, amethyst, garnet, jasper and other minerals. Egyptian clothing was plain but everyone wore jewelry, especially amulets made from gold, copper, amethyst, garnet, jasper and other minerals. Cosmetics were popular, particularly black and green eyepaint. Because of the popularity of kohl eye makeup, there were numerous small kohl pots in a variety of shapes and designs, the most common being that of the monkey. Also depicted were deities such a Taweret, a protective goddess of pregnant women who also guarded households. Wooden stools were the most common furnishing in homes and clay vessels, bowls, mugs, and jugs were prevalent. Basic food staples included bread, beer, fruits, grains, vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, and fowl. Monkeys were a favorite household pet and paintings in the tombs depicted pet monkeys, wearing decorative collars, either amusing their owners with their tricks, or, bringing them ripe fruit.
From the time of the Old Kingdom, numerous scribes travelled about with their
pens, pigments, and water pots. Inscriptions and scenes on coffins and the wall
of tombs protected the dead while they undertook the perilous journey to the
underworld... Continue on
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Egypt Egyptian Ancient Civilization 
