EARLY HISTORY OF EGYPT

The Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-c. 2686 BCE) saw the unification of the north and south
kingdoms of Egypt under the Pharaoh Manes (also known as Meni or Menes) of the south who
conquered the north in 3118 BCE. This version of the early history comes from the Aegyptica
(History of Egypt) by the ancient historian Manetho who lived in either the 3rd century BCE or
2nd century CE and whose account has been disputed by later historians. Manethos work is the
only source which cites Manes and the conquest and it is now thought that the man referred to
by Manetho as `Manes was the Pharaoh Narmer who peacefully united Upper and Lower Egypt
under one rule. Geographical designation in Egypt follows the direction of the Nile River and so
`Upper Egypt is the southern region and `Lower Egypt the northern area closer to the
Mediterranean Sea. Narmer ruled from the city of Heirakonopolis and then from
Abydos. Trade increased significantly under the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period and
elaborate mastaba tombs, precursors to the later pyramids, developed in ritual burial practices
which included more elaborate mummification techniques.

TRIVIAS ABOUT EGYPT

The shape of ancient Egyptian pyramids is thought to have been inspired by the spreading

rays of the sun.

An Egyptian father named his newborn daughter Facebook to commemorate the role
Facebook played in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Her full name is Facebook Jamal

Ibrahim.
In Egypt, both men and women wore eye make-up called kohl, which was made from
ground-up raw material mixed with oil. They believed it had magical healing powers that

could restore poor eyesight and fight eye infections

For ancient Egyptians, bread was the most important food and beer was their favorite
drink. Models of brewers were even left in tombs to ensure that the deceased had plenty

of beer in the next world.

The ancient Egyptians had three different calendars: an everyday farming calendar, an
astronomical calendar, and a lunar calendar. The 365-day farming calendar was made up
of three seasons of four months. The astronomical calendar was based on observations of
the star Sirius, which reappeared each year at the start of the flood season. Finally, priests
kept a lunar calendar that told them when to perform ceremonies for the moon god

Khonsu
Hieroglyphs were developed about 3,000 B.C. and may have started as early wall
paintings. In contrast to Englishs 26 letters, there are more than 700 different Egyptian

hieroglyphs
Egypts first pyramid was a step pyramid built by famed Egyptian architect Imhotep for

the pharaoh Djoser in 2600 B.C.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped more than 1,000 different gods and goddesses. The

most important god of all was Ra, the sun god.

Over its long history, Egypt has been known by many different names. For example,
during the Old Kingdom (2650-2134 B.C.), Egypt was called Kemet or Black Land,
which referred to the dark, rich soil of the Nile Valley. It was also called Deshret, or Red
Land, which referred to Egypts vast deserts. Later, it was known as Hwt-ka-Ptah or
House of the Ka of Ptah. Ptah was one of Egypts earliest gods. The Greeks

changed Hwt-ka-ptah to Aegyptus

Egypt is the 30th largest country in the world by area. Slightly three times larger than
New Mexico, Egypts area is 386,560 square miles (1,001,450 square km)

The Sahara Desert at one time was lush grassland and savannah. Overgrazing and/or
climate change in 8000 B.C. began to change the area from pastoral land to desert. Now
it is the worlds largest hot desert at over 3,630,000 square milesroughly the size of the

United States. Antarctica is considered the largest desert (of any type) in the world
The ancient Egyptians were the first people to have a year consisting of 365 days divided

into 12 months. They also invented clocks

Ancient Egyptians believed the tears of the goddess Isis made the Nile overflow each

year. They celebrated the flood with a festival called the Night of the Tear Drop.
A priest often wore the jackal-headed mask of the god Anubis when making a body into a
mummy. Ancient Egyptians associated Anubis (the god of the death) with jackals because

jackals would uncover bodies from Egyptian cemeteries and eat them
The Copts are the largest Christian community in Egypt and in the Middle East. Because
Christianity was the main religion in Egypt between the fourth and sixth centuries, the

term Copt originally meant all Egyptians.

In France, a glass pyramid stands outside the famous Louvre museum as a tribute to the

ancient Egyptians and their amazing world.

The quality that ancient Egyptians valued most was called maat, which means good
behavior, honesty, and justice. Maat is also the name of the goddess of truth who,

according to myth, weighs every Egyptian heart after death.

Before an ancient Egyptian scribe wrote anything, he always poured out some water
mixed with ink as an offering to the god Thoth, the messenger of the gods and patron of
scribes and learning. Egyptians who could write were believed to have power from the

gods.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the god Thoth invented writing and passed its secret

to humans. His symbols were a bird called an ibis and a baboon.

Just 150 years ago, Americans and Europeans believed that mummies had great healing
powers. They ground up the mummies into powder and used it as medicine for all kinds

of diseases.
The word pharaoh began as a nickname for the Egyptian king. It means great house
because everyone believed the kings human body was home to a god. The term wasnt

actually used until the 20th dynasty (1185-1070 B.C.).

Ancient Egyptians believed they were made from clay on a potters wheel by the river
god Khnum.

The Great Pyramid at Giza has vents pointing to the constellation of Orion so the

mummys spirit could fly straight up to the gods.

Ancient Egyptians needed to predict when the Nile would flood, which led to the

development of the worlds first calendar.

The oldest recorded standard of weight is the beqa, an ancient Egyptian unit equal to

between 6.66 and 7.45 ounces. It is still used today

In Egypt, children (even girls) were considered a blessing. The Greeks who sometimes
left unwanted infants (most often girls) outdoors to die, were shocked to discover that the

Egyptians did not.

To keep the hook shape of Ramses IIs nose from collapsing, embalmers stuffed his

nostrils with peppercorns.

The scarab beetle was sacred to the Egyptians and represented life after death or

resurrection
The Beautiful House is the name of the house or tent where mummification took place

in ancient Egypt.
British monarch, Charles the II (1630-1685) would rub mummy dust on his skin,

believing Greatness would rub off.

Near Tuna el-Gebel on the edge of Egypts Western Desert, scientists have unearthed

more than four million mummies of a stork-like bird called an ibis.

Ramses II was publicly unwrapped in June 1886 in just 15 minutes. His body became
contaminated by fungi and bacteria, which literally ate him little by little. In 1975,

scientists used gamma rays to sterilize his body. He is now stored in an antibacterial case.
The embalmer who made the first cut in the flank during the mummification process was
called the ripper. The Egyptians considered any cut an offense to the bodyso in a
symbolic performance, the rest of the embalmers threw stones at the ripper and chased

him away with curses.

The Egyptians called the pyramids mer, a word whose etymology is debated. The English
word pyramid comes from the Greek word pyramis, a type of wheat cake shaped like a

pyramid.
If the Great Pyramid were chopped into 12-inch cubes, there would be enough cubes to

circle the moon almost three times.

Early pharaohs were buried with their real servants. Later, model servants
calledshabti were used.

Egypts Health Ministry banned female circumcision (when a womens clitoris is

removed) in 1996, except in cases of emergency. This loophole, however, is so vague that

female genital mutilation is still virtually universal in Egypt.

The first mummy is, according to legend, Osiris who was murdered by Seth. Isis wrapped

him in bandages and he came back to life as the god of the dead, or the afterlife.
Mud was pushed under the mummys skin to pad it out. False eyes could be made from
onions. Hooked tools pulled the brain (which was always removed, along with the

kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart) through the nose

The oldest dress in the world comes from Egypt. It is 5,000 years old.

Egyptians knew the existence of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter. They had
names for them such as Sebequ,a god associated with Set , (Mercury), god of the
morning (Venus), bull of the sky (Saturn), Horus the red or Horus of the horizon

(Mars), and Horus who limits the Two Lands (Jupiter).

For the ancient Egyptians, the Nile was mysterious. Unlike most other rivers, it flows
south to north, it floods in the summer, and no one knew where the water came from.

Explorers discovered the source of the Nile in East Africa just 150 years ago.
The ancient Egyptians may have been the first people to keep cattle.

There were three female pharaohs, of whom the greatest was Hatshepsut (reigned 1498-

1483 B.C.).
The giant sphinx guarding the three pyramids of Giza is thought to represent the pharaoh
Khafre (Chephren), son of Khufu. Sphinxes are generally believed to have been built to

guard tombs
The known tombs of Egyptian kings were all raided by robbers with one exception, the
tomb of Tutankhamen (reigned 1334-1324 B.C.). It was discovered in 1922 and was full

of priceless materials and beautiful workmanship.

For the ancient Egyptians, the world began when Atum-Ra (the sun god)who
personifies life, goodness, light, and energycreated the Earth (Geb) and the Sky (Nut)
and the rest of the world. For the Egyptians, creation was a daily occurrence, repeated

with every rising and setting of the sun.

Ancient Egyptian women wore wigs topped with a cone of a greasy substance that

gradually melted, giving off a pleasing scent of myrrh.

Ancient Egyptians kept such good flood records on the Nile that scientists today use their
data to better understand rainfall patterns.

Scholars believe the Egyptian symbol called the ankh is the origin of the much later
Christian cross. It also looks like a keyfor ancient Egyptians, the key to eternal life.