ANCIENT EGYPTIANS --- PEOPLE OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
by Lila Perl. Franklin Watts/Scholastic, 2004
INTRODUCTION --- How we know about Ancient Egypt (5-9)
1) HOW WE KNOW ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT (5-9)
2) FARMERS, BAKERS, AND BREWERS (21-30)
3) KINGS, QUEENS, AND PHARAOHS (31-45)
4) BUILDERS IN STONE (46-55)
5) QUARRYMEN AND CRAFT WORKERS (56-65)
6) WARRIORS AND CAPTIVES (66-75)
7) MUMMY MAKERS (76-86)
8) LEGACY OF ANCIENT EGYPT (87-89)
The social structure or class system of Ancient Egypt resembled a pyramid shape. The base of the imaginary social pyramid structure included the large number of farmers and other providers of food, clothing, shelter, and similar basic human needs. These workers at the bottom of the social structure built the pyramids, temples, and rock-cut tombs that memorialize and reveal the lifestyles of the rich elite upper class. (87)
There are lower and higher orders of craftsmen and artisans at the next lower level of Egyptian society including business people, who were the merchants, and scribes, who were the teachers, and overseers government officials such as governors, army officers, and viziers. Finally, at the top of society were the rich elite nobility and royal ruling family, which included the high priests who advised the royal family. This rigid stratification appears to have worked well for most of the 3,000 years of the known Egyptian ruling dynasties. (87)
This social stability was enforced by the religious belief that the pharoanic kings and queens were assigned the job of keeping order so cosmic chaos would not ruin their country. The social stability was the key Egyptian legacy and it was matched by the recognition of the responsibility of the pharaoh (king or queen) to take care of the lower social classes. Even though the major religious ideas indicate a culturally rigid social structure for thousands of years, the artisons and engineers expressed imaginative architecture and crafts and jewelry. The engineering and administrative efficiency ranged from crop irrigation along the Nile to massive building projects such as the pyramids and many gigantic monuments in temples. (88)
They also had a love of learning, their respect for education, and in their regard for the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next. In this regard, the ancient Egyptians showed a deep respect for family life, marriage, children, especially with the high status of women and children. Their preoccupation with the afterlife, and their depictions of the journey of the soul to the sun and stars in their elaborate funeral rituals, have preserved an incredible historical record of their thoughts and feelings. It was their fear of death and wish to deny death that motivated them to record their extraordinary funeral rituals for us to see from which to learn. (89)
TIME LINE (90-95)
[1] EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD (Dynasties 0-2) [3100-2649 B.C.]
[3100-2649 B.C.]
Narmer was the ruler of Dynasty Zero and Aha was the king of the 1st Dynasty
[2] OLD KINGDOM PERIOD (Dynasties 3-6) [2649-2150 B.C.]
[2630-2611 B.C.]
Zoser (Djoser) was the prominent 3rd Dynasty king who built the Step Pyramid
[2551-2528 B.C.]
Khufu was the most powerful king of the 4th Dynasty who built the largest pyramid at Giza for his tomb
[2520-2494 B.C.]
Khafre, a son of Khufu, was ruler and built the 2nd largest pyramid at Giza
[3] FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasties 8-mid-11, no 7) [2150-2030 B.C.]
[2490-2472 B.C.]
Menkaure, son of Khafre succeeded him and built the last and smallest of the three pyramids at Giza
[4] MIDDLE KINGDOM (Dynasty mid-11-13) [2030-1640 B.C.]
[1665 B.C.]
The Hyksos invasions began
[5] SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasties 14-17) [1640-1540 B.C.]
[1560 B.C.]
Seqenenre Tao II of the 17th Dynasty died of wounds received fighting against the Hyksos
[1552-1550 B.C.]
Kamose, the last ruler of the 17th Dynasty, began a campaign to expel the Hyksos
[6] NEW KINGDOM (Dynasties 18-20) [1550-1070 B.C.]
[1550-1525 B.C.]
Ahmose, 1st king of the 18th Dynasty succeeded in driving the Hyksos rulers out of the Nile delta
[1504-1491 B.C.]
Thutmose I, a powerful king of the 18th Dynasty was the first to be buried in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes
[1492-1475 B.C.]
Thutmose II, son of Thutmose I and husband and half-brother to Queen Hatrshepsut was ruler
[1479-1458 B.C.]
Queen Hatshepsut was the primary ruler of Egypt for nearly 20 years
[1479-1425 B.C.]
Thutmose III, son of Thutmose II, was the first king to take the throne as a child. But his aunt, Queen Hatshepsut, and daughter of Thutmose I, ruled for many years as regent for her nephew and later in her own right. After the death of Hatshepsut, Thutmose III led Egypt on a military expedition to Asia
[1349-1336 B.C.]
Akhenaten becomes pharaoh and changes Egypt's religion to the worship of one god
[1336-1327 B.C.]
Tutankhamen, the boy king, known as King Tut, was one of the final rulers of the 18th Dynesty. He ruled for nine years and is best known for the treasures in his tomb, which was discovered in 1922
[1279-1213 B.C.]
Ramses II, the king of Egypt for almost 67 years is famous for leading several military campaigns, including one against the Hittites. Some of the most impressive large monuments that have survived the ravages of time were erected in his honor during his lifetime
[7] THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (Dynasties 21-24) [1070-712 B.C.]
[1070-712 B.C.]
[8] LATE DYNASTIC PERIOD (Dynasties 25-30) [712-343 B.C.]
[about 450 B.C.]
Greek historian Herodotus visits Egypt to investigate and report on its cultural values
[9] SECOND PERSION PERIOD [343-332 B.C.]
[332 B.C.]
Alexander the Great conquers Egypt
[10] MACEDONIAN AND PTOLOMAIC PERIOD [332-30 B.C.]
[332-323 B.C.]
Alexander the Great conquered and ruled Egypt
[323-330 B.C.]
Ptolemy I through Ptolemy XV ruled Egypt for eight years
[196 B.C.]
Rosetta Stone was carved during the reign of Ptolemy V
[51-30 B.C.]
Cleopatra VII, ruled Egypt as a co-ruler with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and later became sole ruler after her brother's death
[11] ROMAN PERIOD [30 B.C.-A.D. 364]
[30 B.C.-14 A.D.]
Augustus, the 1st emperor of Rome, ruled Egypt
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY (96-102)
GLOSSARY (103-104)
TO FIND OUT MORE (105-106)
INDEX (107-112)
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