The Egyptian culture has long been considered quite optimistic. It should be argued that of all ancient civilisations and cultures, the ancient Egyptian culture, is by far the most optimistic; in terms of everyday outlook on life, religion and death. The ancient Egyptian culture when compared to its nearby neighbours in the Levant and Mesopotamia is indeed optimistic. An examination of the environment of ancient Egypt affected daily life as this would in turn influence the culture, and whether or not this played a role in making ancient Egyptian life and culture more optimistic. It is also essential that the ancient Egyptian myths and religion be explored to determine whether or not it contained the same optimistic outlook as the culture …show more content…
Their civilisation was situated adjacent to the Nile River. Evidently, this allowed for the ancient Egyptians to transition into an agricultural lifestyle with relative ease, as stated by Marc Van De Mieroop “wherever its waters reaches the soil can be farmed; where it does not reach the earth is parched and it is impossible to grow anything on it.” This subsequently allowed the ancient Egyptians to begin farming with relative ease as the Nile River stretched some 6500 kilometres, which is more than enough farming area for a civilisation with a relatively small population. The ancient Egyptians were further blessed by the fact that the Nile River, “would flood on a yearly basis bringing in rich silt that ultimately acted as fertilisers for the crops, and thus allowing for less labour and higher yield.” The Nile River itself has no doubt contributed to the general optimism of Egyptian culture which is evident in the Hymn to the Nile whereby it states “May your countenance shine on us, Hapy, god of the moving River, who comes forth from the earth returning to save the Black Land. His features are hidden, dark in the daylight, yet faithful find him fit subject for song. He waters the landscape the Sun god has formed, giving life to every small creature.” The words used in the Hymn to describe and thank the god Hapy show that ancient Egyptians are indeed grateful towards the environment as the Nile River is integrated into ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egypt was a captivating and intricate civilization. Over the years, historians have found it easier to study this civilization, rather than other historical civilizations, because the Egyptians went through great lengths to record their history. Besides being decent record keepers, they were very religious, and “ahead of their time,” due to their technological and economic breakthroughs. Because of the aspects of this culture, it has to be one of the greatest civilizations of the world.
Life in general was ideal for the Egyptians. Contrary to Mesopotamia, Egypt had the reliable Nile for constant irrigation as well as a location that was almost impossible to invade. Egyptians didn’t have to deal with warfare for some two thousand years. The Nile’s annual flood was so predictable that it provided the moisture needed to sustain life. (Hause, 2001, pg. 11)
All the civilizations lived among rivers. The ancient Egyptians lived among the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians highly regarded the Nile as incredibly important and life giving. The Nile was important because it watered all of the land and in return deposited silt that was used to grow crops to feed all the animals and people.
The Nile River is approximately 4,260 miles long. It holds the record for being the longest river in the world. The Nile was a life source for Egyptians. The fertile land from the frequent flooding was very beneficial for Egyptians. They began to grow crops alongside the Nile. Beans, wheat, and cotton were among the crops being grown. However, the amount of crops grown was limited because the land did not extend very far. The land good enough to support farming was composed of two thin strips of land on either side of the river. Farming opened the door to a critical advancement in human life.
The Nile River was the life force of ancient Egypt. People from all over the region immigrated to the area for its irrigation waters and rich silt deposits. The geography of the region played a huge role in the way the inhabitants and civilization in general was formed. The main core of Egypt covered 386, 560 square miles, of which only 11, 720 were cultivable (Tignor et al., Worlds Together, 62). The Nile differed itself specifically from the Tigris and Euphrates in that its waters did not irrigate or fertilize nearly as well but it did create green belts along the water. This created a society that flourished along the river. The Nile unlike Mesopotamia did not have a bountiful borderland but did have a desert rich in materials. The Niles predictability as the source of life and abundance shaped the character of the people and their culture. (Tignor et al., Worlds Together, 63). The Nile was peaceful and calm unlike the vicious Tigris And Euphrates Rivers. Egypt with its natural borders, which included the Mediterranean Sea, Deserts, and Large Waterfalls, was very isolated. This helped to achieve
Just as the Tigris and Euphrates rivers shaped the worldview of early Mesopotamians, The Nile shaped the world view of the Egyptians. The Nile River was easily navigated and fairly temperate, which made for one of the greatest agricultural regions in the world at that time. Like clockwork, each year the Nile River would flood the land, leaving behind nutrient-rich silt that provided a bountiful harvest the following season. Due to the agricultural success of the land that followed the Nile the majority of Egyptians would settle close to it shores. The Nile Rivers benevolent waters also allowed the Egyptians to transport its most valuable resources to the southern regions of Africa, especially the divine metal that had been endowed by the gods to Egypt's elite. Even today the Egyptians are considered to be the pioneers of water management.
Egypt and Mesopotamia were both located near rivers, and these rivers helped shape everyday life. Both civilizations used their respective rivers (Nile for Egypt, Tigris and Euphrates for Mesopotamia) to help grow crops. However, the Nile was much calmer and more predictable than the Tigris and Euphrates, making it much easier to grow crops and predict when the waters would rise. The Tigris and Euphrates were much more unpredictable, flooding irregularly and requiring more labor to grow crops. The Nile’s calmness and predictability allowed Egyptians to get an abundance of food while not having to work as much, giving them time to spend on other things, such as building pyramids and temples.
The Nile River was surrounded by the Western Desert on the west, by the Eastern Desert on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north, which provided natural barriers to keep out invaders. (Doc. A). The land hugging the Nile was relatively flat, so it was good for farming. The water from the Nile could be used to bathe in, catch food, and for many other uses. Also, the Nile flooded frequently, so the water was a very important resource. (Doc. B). The flood water provided fertile soil for farming and made it possible for the ancient Egyptians to have a stable food supply. The Nile was very long, so it provided for many people, and it allowed the Egyptians to grow food like date palms and flax. (Docs. A and D).
How Did The Nile Shape Ancient Egypt My report will explain the various ways the Nile shaped Ancient Egypt for every day life. In the middle of the desert, though rests the Nile River. Ancient Egyptians relied on the Nile's bounty to develop into a prosperous and thriving civilization. Food and papyrus, rainfall was very sparse in Ancient Egypt, so Egyptians relied on the Nile to irragate their crops.
If the gods were satisfied, the flood season would produce a “good Nile,” which meant just the right amount of water. If the people angered the gods, they would give the people a “bad Nile,” too much or not enough water. A “bad Nile” would usually result in death, no farming, and no water sources. Even the afterlife depended on the Nile. Egyptian Heaven was known as the Field of Reeds, and it was assumed to be located in the east, near the rising sun. In the depiction from the tomb of a tradesman named Sennedjem shown on “Document D: Field of Reeds,” the Nile River and irrigation canals surrounds and flows through the painting. This allowed the deceased to farm and live in the afterlife. It was also believed that the sun god Ra travelled across the sky in a boat in the day and the moon god Thoth in the night. It is obvious that the center of Egypt’s belief system was contingent on the Nile
The first way the Nile helped shape Ancient Egypt was that it provided them with a food supply. Evidence of this is Doc. B which states that the Nile River flood cycles were “Akhet [flood season]”,” Peret [planting season]”, and “Shemu [harvest season]”and that these seasons provided a new batch of silt each year which created
Egypt is the most iconic of the river valley civilizations and it is also one of the most significant civilizations of all. The trade mark of Egypt is the Nile River. It was the most Important part of the geography. The predictable and cyclical flooding of the Nile was what helped agriculture thrive in Egypt. Agriculture emerged in Egypt by 5,000 BCE. The flooding of the river acted as a perfect irrigation system for plants and silt that cam from the river was nutrient rich and helped grow plants at a great scale. Egyptian agriculture was so successful that there was a great surplus of food.
Have you ever wondered how Ancient Egypt helped shape the world today? Ancient Egyptians were a group of folks who were heavily influenced by religion. They feared dying anywhere but Egypt. The Egyptian Empire held a fascinating and very distinctive culture. Being one of the world 's most advanced cultures and creating tons of wealth is what separated them from everybody else. Between the outstanding artwork, teaching methods, and amazing pyramids is what helped their society advance altogether. No other civilization of the ancient world history had such a popular appeal and none as important as human society and its organization. Egyptians have made great steps in shaping the world we all know today, which have made studying their culture and society easier than some previous historical eras.
Paragraph 2 Egyption Agricultural Life: A combination of favorable geographical features contributed to the success of ancient Egyptian culture, the most important of which was the rich fertile soil resulting from annual inundations of the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians were thus able to produce an abundance of food, allowing the population to devote more time and resources to cultural, technological, and artistic pursuits. Land management was crucial in ancient Egypt because taxes were assessed based on the amount of land a person owned.Flooding season lasted from June to September, depositing on the river's banks a layer of mineral-rich silt ideal for growing crops. After the floodwaters had receded, the growing season lasted from October
Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest ancient civilizations in human history. Ancient Egypt was the longest lasting civilization in the ancient world and lasted for about 2,500 years. ancient Egypt was able to last so long because of their many great accomplishments. The most important thing that lead to the accomplishments and success of ancient Egypt was The Nile River. Ancient Egypt is often referred to as the “Gift of the Nile” because of how important the Nile River was to the success and longevity of ancient Egypt. Without the Nile River, ancient Egypt would have never been able to things like farm, use papyrus, build boats, trade or fish. The Nile River was the sole reason as to why ancient Egypt was able to become so successful.