Contribution of Pharaonic Egypt to civilization
The Pharaonic Egypt was
the period in Egyptian history when the country was ruled by Kings called Pharaoh.
That was in the ancient times long before Jesus was born (B.C). Contributions
of Pharaonic Egypt to civilization include the following:
Development
in Agriculture
Even though Egypt
depended so much on agriculture for its growth and development, it is
interesting to note that a greater part of the Land was virtually dry, yet the
people set themselves the task of ensuring food security. Planting took place
between November and May when the flood waters of the Nile had become subsided.
Plants cultivated included, wheat, barley, cotton, olive trees, vegetables and
flax. As the crops grew, it became necessary to water them, therefore the
Egyptian invented a simple machine called the Shaduf which assisted in the
irrigation of large acres of farm lands.
Development
of High-Level Technology (Irrigation)
Ancient Egypt was a long,
narrow country through which the Nile River followed. Dessert boarded the
country on the East, South and West. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the North.
Egypt was basically an agricultural society. The mighty Nile River was the
lifeblood of ancient Egypt. Her agriculture depended heavily on the Nile
waters. Its flood waters deposited rich, black soil on the land year after
year. Except near the mouth of the Nile, the land on either side of the Nile
valley was dessert plateau. The areas suitable for the cultivation of crops
were limited to the Nile valley with an average width of 16km. Intensive
cultivation of this narrow strip of land required a regular and adequate supply
of water from the Nile.
In July, the Nile rose
and flooded its banks as a result of the rains in the Ethiopian highlands. The
flood waters from Ethiopia carried silt which it deposited in the Nile Valley.
After the flood waters had receded, the silt re-fertilized and moistened the
soil making it ready for cultivation. The growing of crops took place between
November and May. During these months, Egyptian farmers using oxen ploughed the
land and cultivated a wide range of crops including wheat, barley, vegetable,
flax etc.
As the crops grew, it
became necessary to water them so the Egyptian farmers started fetching water
from the Nile and poured it into specially made canals which then supplied
water to all parts of farmlands. Water from the canal was used to water the
growing crops. Raising water from the Nile by hand made the work of the farmers
tedious. As a solution to this problem, the Egyptians invented a simple machine
called Shaduf to speed up the work of lifting water from the Nile.
An ancient Egyptian simple machine called the Shaduf
Development of
Engineering Technology (Pyramids)
Pyramids were huge
buildings with four slopping triangle-shaped size. They were built as royal
tombs in Egypt. The construction of the Pyramids testifies to the excellent
engineering skills of ancient Egyptians. A pyramid could take about twenty
years to build. For that matter, the planning for Pharaoh’s tomb began soon
after he was crowned. The Pyramids were huge tombs constructed to serve as
royal burial places for the Pharaohs. It is estimated that about eighty
Pyramids were built by the Pharaohs. Most of the Pyramids were constructed
along the western side of the Nile in the course of 500 years. Therefore, the
west was thought to be the land of the dead. They included those built by Pharaoh
Zoser and Sneferu. The greatest Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) in
2600BCE in the ancient city of Giza. This pyramid, which is one of the greatest
structures in the world, stands at 140m high and measures 220 square meters at
the base. The great historian, Herodotus estimated that the great Pyramid
contained 2.5 million blocks of stone carefully put together without mortar.
According to him, it took 120,000 workers, 30years to build it.
The bodies of the deceased were embalmed in a building outside the enclosure. A canal connected this building with the Nile to permit the cortege (funeral procession) to arrive at the sight by water. It must be emphasized that the sheer size of the Pyramids and their mathematical precision greatly impressed the Greeks. No wonder that the Great Pyramid had been counted among the Seven Wonders of the World which refers to remarkable constructions of classical antiquity.
Development
of High Technology (Shipbuilding)
The abundance of food made it possible for a great number of Egyptians to devote their time and attention to craft and other forms of industry. Up to about 3500BC, Egyptian technology developed rather slowly. One reason was that raw materials like hard woods and metals were not available in Egypt. As contact with neigbouring lands increased, it became possible for Egypt to have access to the necessary raw materials. For example, by about 2000BC, Egyptian residence near the border of Kush were carrying out copper-smelting at Buhen. Egyptian crafts men, used to manufacture a wide range of copper goods such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, vessel and statues. Egyptian craft men were introduced to bronze metallurgy by the Hyksos, an Asiatic people who invaded Egypt between 1730 and 1570 BC. The Egyptians learnt from the Hyksos the manufacture of horse-drawn chariots, amour, and bronze weapons. A find dagger with iron blade has been recovered from the grave of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Iron technology was the next to be adopted. Iron technology spread in Egypt after the invasion of the country by the Assyrians around 660 BC. The Egyptians copied this iron technology because they saw that the iron weapons which were used by the Assyrians in their invasion were far superior to the bronze ones they used. As iron technology advanced, Egyptians learnt to build ships with iron, wood, and papyrus. They were propelled by linen sails and a team of rowers. Before adding iron to the materials used in building ships, they were built with wood and Papyrus. Some of the new ships measured up to 30metres in length and were capable of carrying 80 tonnes of cargo. By the time of the new kingdom, ships could carry up to 650 tonnes of cargo. This enabled Egypt to trade with the Levant (Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus), etc. and to send expeditions to the Red Sea.
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