Contributions and Features of Ancient Egypt

Jaeyi Kim
Ms.Trina
Individuals and societies
15 August 2019
Contributions and Features of Ancient Egypt
The earliest civilizations in the Middle East and Africa, Ancient Egypt is a melting
pot of all sorts of culture, religion and lifestyles. This human society has set a noticeable
milestone in the world’s history and progressions. Embracing diversified abilities, jobs and
assorted techniques, the ancient Egyptians rapidly flourished in pragmatic fields such as
philosophy, mathematics, agriculture, astronomy, art, architecture and many more.
According to the estimates of Karl Butzer, an American-German geographer, the
population in the Old Kingdom era only hovered around 1-2 million. Particularly noteworthy is,
however, the statistics of population increased steadily to 5 million by the late period of ancient
Egypt.
The world-renowned contributions of ancient Egyptian includes navigation, trade and

commerce, craftsmanship, literature, medical science, religion and more. Among these
innumerable accomplishments, I pick agriculture and irrigation, as well as art and architecture,
as they both brought and still bring great convenience to the society. In agriculture, the
geographical location became an advantage. The Nile river, which is the longest river in the
world with a length of 4,100 miles, supplied the ancient Egyptians with food, transportation,
building materials and other amenities.
Due to the fertile land by ‘virtue’ of the river and the God-favored environment including
copious water, requirements were surfeit for the crops to mature and cultivate. Major crops were
wheat, flax and papyrus; wheat, important in producing food, especially foodstuffs such as flour,
bread. A plant with blue flowers, flax is used for making thread, rope, and cloth, and its seeds
are used for making linseed oil. Without the need to add any explanation about papyrus, tall
water plants ‘papyruses’ were used to mill paper.
One other purpose the Nile river served was being a source of building materials. The
sloppy mud from riverbanks were used to produce sun dried bricks to build houses, temples and
buildings and other structures. Even a regiment of deifiers worshipped Hapi, the god of the river
Nile. For these reasons and others, the ancient Egyptians thought holy of the river. The people
made prudent and perceptive use of it, therefore could excel in those branches. Not only
because of the river, but the resourceful use of their knowledge on mathematics and geometry
improved the quality of construction. For instance, the tomb of Tutankhamun, which is located in
the Valley of the Kings, is set in a confusing and sinuous structure to prevent tomb theft.
Should I choose one feature of a civilization to write about, I will adduce job
specialisation with no deliberation. In Egypt, the hierarchies, commoners and people of the
lower position ㅡ slaves and farmers ㅡ were treated differently. When the slaves were chained
to the oars, the landed gentry with higher rank jobs received more sophisticated service and
benefits. The royal families and politicians were received preferential treatment with executive
respect and dignity. To sum up, Egypt was a country full of systems of administration.
One job I was inquisitive towards was priests that mummified bodies. Through faith
towards Anubis, the god of mummification, they conducted the processes in a holy attitude.
Bodies were washed and purified then organs, excluding the heart, were removed. The
body was then stuffed with fillings and were embalmed with natron. After 40 to 50 days,
stuffings were taken out and were replaced with sawdust and linen. The corpses were then
completely wrapped with linen and shroud, then were each placed in coffins called
sarcophagus. From the fact that the lower class people were only buried in the sand, I could
figure that money was one crucial factor that changed people’s destinies.
Religion was also taken formally in the civilisation. Religion was the bond
between local communities and nationhood, and established common understandings
and shared values that were essential to the growth of the civilization. No religion was
fully formed at its inception, but are gradually cemented. Egypt gods such as Osiris, Ra
and Anubis were worshipped with sacrifices and prayers. Countless myths and legends
about Egyptian gods are being passed on for generations until now.
I strongly believe that we mustn’t underestimate the history and abilities of
ancient civilizations, but cope with differences and beliefs in the eras. “Understanding is
the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery,”J.K.
Rowling, the author of Harry Potter quotes. If we respect and accept the lifestyles and
mindsets of others with understanding and knowledge about human history, our minds
would undoubtedly be moved up in the world.
Works Cited
www.quora.com/What-was-the-population-in-Ancient-Egypt-What-did-the-population-depend-on
“Ancient Egypt Civilization.” Ancient Egypt Civilization, www.ancient-
egyptcivilization.weebly.com/
“Ancient Egypt.” Ducksters Educational Site,

www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_egypt/geography_nile_river.php.
Ancient Egypt Mummies and the Afterlife for Kids,

www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/egypt/mummies.htm.
Egyptian Civilization - Religion,

www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/egcr01e.html.

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Jaeyi Kim

The world-renowned contributions of ancient Egyptian includes navigation, trade and

“Ancient Egypt.” Ducksters Educational Site,

Ancient Egypt Mummies and the Afterlife for Kids,

Egyptian Civilization - Religion,

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