The Egyptian Civilization Essays - Religion, Geography Of Africa

The Egyptian Civilization Egyptian civilization formed along the Nile river and the earliest traces of human life in that region are from the Paleolithic Age, (Old Stone Age), about 300,000 B.C., at the very edges of the Nile Valley. Beyond, on both sides of the river the land was and still is desert. At that time the people moved from place to place, ate berries, roots, and any animals they could find, but stood close to their lifeline, the Nile. The lands along the Nile were rich enough to be farmed, so over time the people started to grow crops. They found ways to store the yearly floodwaters and then use them for the dry seasons. The farmers learned to lift water out of the Nile or wells and send it across the fields through a system of canals. In order for all of this to work out they had to work together, no one could do any of it alone. So as the farmers and people began to cooperate, an organization began to grow. They found leaders among them who directed the work. A form of government developed and due to that they soon began to build cities, to manufacture things, in time to trade with their neighbors. That is how it all started. Over a period from 3100 B.C. to 332 B.C. they grew in culture, arts, religion, science, medicine, and many other fields. The early Egyptian people grew food by the Nile and lived mainly by hunting for meat, fishing, and gathering wild plants. They kept a small number of cattle, sheep, or goats, and grew a few crops. Their crops were flax, barley, and a primitive kind of wheat called 'emmer.' They got the sheep and goats from the middle east, and their crops too. Farming provided most of the food and helped their population grow. Later on in time, the basic diet of the ordinary people was bread and beer. The wealthier ones ate more meat and drank wine instead of beer. The most common clothes women wore were tunic dresses. Those were made by folding a rectangle of cloth in half, sewing it up at the sides, leaving holes for the arms, and cutting a key hole for the head. Some had sleeves and some were sleeveless. This looks very different from the tomb paintings where women are shown wearing skintight transparent dresses with no underclothes. I guess they wanted the art more attractive. Men usually wore loin-cloths and short kilts. Much of the people's clothes were made of linen because for the mostly hot weather they needed light, loose, and easily washed clothes. Linen was perfect for that. Children went naked whenever it was warm enough. At about the age of 10 they started to wear the same kind of tunics or kilts as their parents. Egyptian doctors were the most famous in the ancient world. Today some scholars call them "the first real doctors." The people who were doctors were often priests as well. They were trained in the temple medical schools. Their medicine was a mixture of science, religion, and magic. In many kingdoms all over the Mediterranean if medical help was needed their services were at demand. Their medical writings include all sorts of magic charms and chants, but they had a lot of practical knowledge. They knew how to deal with broken bones, wounds, and fevers. It is said that they approached their study of medicine in a remarkably scientific way. An example of likely treatment in those early times is the binding of a slice of raw meat over a stitched wound. Also wounds were treated with willow leaves, which contain salicylic acid (aspirin), to reduce inflammation, plus copper, sodium salts to help dry up the wound. Cream and flour were mixed to make a cast for a broken limb. With very bad diseases, where they didn't understand the cause, magic spells were mixed with the potions. Even if the magic didn't work itself the patient felt a little better just thinking it might work. There are many gods and goddesses to be found in the beliefs of ancient Egypt. The gods were associated with individual provinces, and their names varied throughout the country. The basic belief of most Egyptians was that in the beginning there was only water. Then, just as happened after the Nile floods every year, the first mound of earth rose out of the waters of chaos. What they believed happened next depended on where they lived. There were common gods to all though.