Ancient Egypt Global History

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ANCIENT EGYPT HST 100: GLOBAL HISTORY TO 1500 TONI LEANN GIBSON January 17, 2013 For treasure seekers, Egypt holds wonders beyond their wildest dreams, but for historians, Egypt holds something worth more than gold, it holds knowledge. Egypt is enriched with history that dates back to the first established civilizations. The Egyptians, along with other civilizations, were able to create productive agriculture in-order to survive in otherwise arid lands. Instead of creating cities, to establish themselves as a great and powerful civilization, the Egyptians presented themselves, and their lands, as a unified territorial state. As in many societies, then and even still today, wealth, status, and power played a large part in the lives of…show more content…
As Egypt molded itself into a powerful empire, inequality amongst its people became the norm for them. The Upper class had the best of everything, from clothes, to food, even their burials were more extravagant ceremonies, but none more so than the Pharaoh. As the first civilizations began taking shape, male dominance or patriarchy, began to take on a larger role in everyday life, but in Egypt, women were recognized as equals to men. Women were even allowed to reign as Queen of Egypt, unlike in most civilizations. These monarchs were lavished with lifestyles only fit for a ruler. When they transitioned to the afterlife, all of their worldly treasures, including their slaves, were sent with them, so they would be taken care of even in death. The Pharaoh of Egypt served as a symbol of their strength as an empire, but over time the significance and power of the Pharaoh began to wane as officials and nobles assumed greater authority. The Pharaoh was no longer seen as a god in the eyes of his people, and Osiris, the god of the dead, became the new focus of worship for the Egyptians. With the loss of faith in its leader, Egypt dissolved into principalities, thus leaving its people unprotected by its strength and subjected to the invasion of their power-hungry neighboring…show more content…
Ancient Egypt gave us elaborate art, improved writing through scribes, reflections on the meaning of life amongst many other history changing factors. Unfortunately, this civilization was not created on good will and kindness to all. The Pyramids themselves were built on the backs of slaves, and the mass amounts of warfare used to acquire the lands required to expand Egypt’s empire has left a trail of bloodshed throughout history. Egypt has had its moments of absolute glory and its moments of defeat, but it somewhat held onto its magnificence through the years. To historians, it stands as a symbol of what humans can accomplish through ages of determination. By excavating the tombs of Egypt, we have been able to see how the Egyptians lived, and how they made their way into what they considered the afterlife. Egypt today still holds wonder for historians, just as it once did for the people of centuries before us. We can never truly know exactly how the Ancient Egyptians lived, an educated guess is the best we can do with the information found, but from what we do know, they were a great nation who fell at the hands of jealous empires, but left us with a history that will never be

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