Introduction
Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptian civilization, famous for its pyramids, pharaohs, mummies, and tombs, flourished for thousands of years. It can be thought of as an oasis in the desert of northeastern Africa, dependent on the annual inundation of the Nile river to support its agricultural population. It was founded in 3100 BCE and conquered by 332 BCE.
Nubia
In between Sudan and Egypt, Nubia was home to some of Africa’s earliest kingdoms. It is Known for rich deposits of gold, Nubia was also the gateway through which luxury products like incense, ivory, and ebony traveled from their source in sub-Saharan Africa to the civilizations of Egypt and the Mediterranean.Traded with the Egyptians, their neighbors to the north, for grain, vegetable oils, wine, beer, linen, and other manufactured goods. Its history can be traced back to 2000 BCE onward to 1504 AD. It was also known as Kush for 2000 years.
Kush
Located in what is now known as Sudan, the Kushites were the people of the Kush Empire who settled around the Southern reaches of the Nile River. Their first contact with Egypt came from trade. Their origins can be traced to a collection of city-states; Kerma (2450 BCE to 1450 BCE) being the most powerful. Egyptian records show that this Nubian settlement was the first to be identified as being Kush. The Kush civilization was known for its extensive trade routes that provided ivory and other luxury goods, conquering Egypt during the twenty-fifth dynasty.
North African Culture
Ancient Egypt
Mythlogy
Ancient Egypt and its culture flourished from 6000 BCE to 30 BCE. While this culture is often misunderstood for having a morbid fixation on death, they actually had a passion for life and its continuation. Their tombs and mummies were a way of preserving life for eternity. Their religion celebrated their gods who prevented the state of chaos the universe started in. They believed that everything started in darkness, and from the silence, the primordial hill rose, known as the ben-ben. The god Atum came with it, standing at the top. Atum realized he was alone in the world so he mated with his shadow and gave birth to Shu, the god of air, and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture. Those two set out to explore and establish the world and left the ben-ben. Eventually, Atum grew worried because his children were gone for so long, so he sent his eye out to look for them. After a while, Shu and Tefnut returned with his eye and their father cried tears of joy. Those tears fell to the ground and created mankind. They also believed that when their soul left their body after death, it appeared in the Hall of Truth to stand judgment before Osiris, the god of death. He would weigh your heart on a golden scale against a feather. If your heart was lighter than the feather, your soul was allowed to pass on to the Field of Reeds, where you would experience eternal bliss. If your heart was heavier than the feather, however, it was eaten by the monster Ammut and your soul would cease to exist.
Language
Ancient Egypt developed a system of hieroglyphic writing around 3200 BCE and had many different language phases at different periods. The first was Archaic Egyptian from the Pre-dynastic and Early Dynastic periods. Next was Old Egyptian, also known as the Old Kingdom language, which lasted from 2600 BCE to 2000 BCE. This phase has the largest literature body written in the form of pyramid text and tombs holding noble Egyptians have autobiographical inscriptions on the walls in this alphabet. Then. described as the Classical phase, is Middle Egyptian which lasted from 2000 BCE to 1300 BCE. This phase contains the development of some of the greatest literary works from Ancient Egypt. After that there's Late Egyptian, which lasted between 1300 BCE and 700 BCE, and the Demotic phase which lasted between the 7th century CE and 5th century CE. And lastly, the Coptic phase, that lasted between the 4th and 14th centuries.
Art
Egyptian art included architecture, sculptures, paintings, and applied crafts. Their art usually reflected the country’s current political climate or depicted imagery from their religion.
Some examples of famous art are:
Some examples of famous art are:
The Nefertiti Bust of Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, by Thutmose in 1345 BCE.
Tutankhamun’s death mask, made in 1323 BCE.
Inventions
Ancient Egypt also created many technological advancements during its time, including geometry for construction, and advances in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. They also invented toothpaste, toothbrushes, the toothpick, breath mints, papyrus, and the sport of bowling! Hygiene and appearance were highly valued and the Egyptians bathed regularly. They also scented themselves with perfume and incense and created cosmetics that both men and women used. Shaving was also invented by the Egyptians along with the wig and the hairbrush.
Gender Norms & Roles
Men wore knee-length skirts, and women wore ankle-length dresses, that either exposed or covered their breasts, depending on the fashion trends at the time. It was also an understood belief that the goddess Isis had given equal rights to both men and women. Therefore, men had no right to dictate how a woman should dress. Egyptian women could own land and homes, run businesses, preside over temples, and rule as pharaohs. The website “World History Encyclopedia” quotes, “‘Egypt treated its women better than any of the other major civilizations of the ancient world. The Egyptians believed that joy and happiness were legitimate goals of life and regarded home and family as the major source of delight.’” (Mark). The men in the ancient Egyptian family were responsible for working (i.e. as a priest, scribe, or doctor), while the women were in charge of the household. Children would usually be married after puberty, and it was considered unusual not to be.
Nubia |
Nubia and Egypt shared many aspects of their culture, and many Pharaohs had Nubian blood. |
Language
The Nubians created a writing system around 200 BCE during the Meroitic period. This language still isn't understood well enough to read more than phrases and words, but Greece and Rome documented a lot on Meroitic Nubia in their art and literature.
Art
Nubia is also known for containing two of the most famous temples in North African history, the Temple of Philae and the Abu Simbel temple. The Temple of Philae housed legendary tales of Isis and Osiris. And the Abu Simbel temple was created by Ramses the Great in 1200 BC to immortalize his legacy and victories, and to honor the great god Amun.
Some examples of famous art are:
Some examples of famous art are:
Decorated spheroid jar
Meroitic Period, 2nd century CE
Meroitic Period, 2nd century CE
Bracelet with image of Hathor
Meroitic Period, 250–100 BCE
Meroitic Period, 250–100 BCE
Relations and Trading
- Nubia had a complex relationship with Egypt especially in trading routes
- Nubia was an agricultural region with rich stores of copper and gold
- The trade goods that Egyptians could acquire there included treasures from the tropics such as ivory, ebony, and panther skins
- In times of peace, Nubians did business with Egypt, but then Egypt raided Nubia
- The enslaved Nubians were then used as mercenaries in the Pharaoh’s armies or as domestic servants in the households of Egyptian noble families
- Overtime, Egypt and Nubia had a downfall in their relationship
- When Egypt was weak, Nubia prospered and took advantage. They invaded and conquered Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt
Lasting Effects of Ancient North Africa
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt is renowned around the world for its engineering and genius when creating its monuments but most people don't know what the Egyptians have created that still affects how we live today. A few examples are paper, ink, makeup, hand-held mirrors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and breath mints. These are just the material things, Egypt was a hub of advanced thinking just as much as advanced innovations. Their system for writing and speaking still influences language today since it was one of the oldest, it survived five thousand years. They had also created a 345-day calendar, that later changed to 365 days, with 12 months that also rotated to coincide with the lunar calendar. Just like we do in the US, this calendar was split into the seasons they experienced. The difference is that in Africa the climate is not the same as what we experience here so the seasons were based on the changes in the Nile River: flood, spring, and low water. They also created a decimal system, that is still used today, that was represented by hieroglyphic symbols, and by 1650 BC knew multiplication, division, fractions, prime numbers, linear equations, and geometry. Ancient Egyptians were so advanced that Europeans refused to believe that they were Africans despite their dark skin and geographic location.
Nubia
Nubia was one of the first kingdoms in Africa. It was renown for its flush gold supply and traded products like incense, ivory, and ebony to Egypt and the Mediterranean. A Nubian king conquered Thebes and the next ruler helped Nubia by starting to conquer more Egyptian cities. Eventually, they took over all of Egpty and the king declared himself pharaoh of Egypt and Nubia. The pharaohs that followed ruled Egypt and Nubia for almost a hundred years. These Nubian pharaohs built temples for both Nubian and Egyptian gods. Many of these temples still exist today and are found in modern day Egypt and Sudan.
Bibliography
- “Ancient Egypt.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 30 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Egypt
- Ancient Kush Empire & Civilization - Study.Com, study.com/learn/lesson/kush-empire-civilization.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
- Editorial, The Artist. “10 Most Famous Egyptian Artworks.” The Artist, 30 May 2023, www.theartist.me/art-inspiration/10-most-famous-egyptian-artworks/.
- “Egyptian Art and Architecture.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 6 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/art/Egyptian-art.
- “How Ancient Egypt Shaped the Modern World.” Orbridge Destination Specialists, orbridge.com/blog/article/how_ancient_egypt_shaped_the_modern_world. Accessed 30 Sept. 2023.
- Kiprop, Joseph. “What Languages Were Spoken in Ancient Egypt?” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 19 Oct. 2018, www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-languages-were-spoken-in-ancient-egypt.html.
- Mark, Joshua J. “Ancient Egyptian Science & Technology.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 29 Sept. 2023, www.worldhistory.org/article/967/ancient-egyptian-science--technology/.
- “Nubia.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 8 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/place/Nubia.
- “Nubian History and Culture.” Egypt Tours Portal, 7 Dec. 2021, www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/nubian-history-and-culture/.
- Team, ETP. “The Nubian Museum.” Egypt Tours Portal, Egypt Tours Portal, 18 Dec. 2021, www.egypttoursportal.com/the-nubian-museum/.
- “The History of Ancient Nubia.” The History of Ancient Nubia | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, isac.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/history-ancient-nubiaOLD#:~:text=Nubia%20was%20home%20to%20some,of%20Egypt%20and%20the%20Mediterranean Accessed 3 Oct. 2023