Ancient Egypt

(proper noun)

A civilization that existed in the valley of the Nile River from 3150 BC to 30 BC. Noted for building the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Related Terms

Examples of Ancient Egypt in the following topics:

  • The Decline of Ancient Egypt

    • Ancient Egypt went through a series of occupations and suffered a slow decline over a long period of time.
    • Ancient Egypt went through a series of occupations and suffered a slow decline over a long period of time.
    • Taharqa's successor, Tanutamun, also made a failed attempt to regain Egypt, but was defeated.
    • In 525 BCE, the Persians, led by Cambyses II, invaded Egypt, capturing the Pharaoh Psamtik III.
    • Explain why Ancient Egypt declined as an economic and political force.

  • The Nile River

    • The northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt, a country whose civilization has depended on the "Great River" since ancient times .
    • Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan, and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along riverbanks.
    • Ancient Egypt was a civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt.
    • The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods.
    • This map of ancient Egypt shows the path of the great Nile River, along with major cities and sites of the Dynastic period (c. 3150 BCE to 30 BCE).

  • Nubia and Ancient Culture

    • They were culturally close to ancient Egypt, and had both peaceful and warlike relations with them.
    • It was later united within the Ottoman Egypt in the 19th century, and the Kingdom of Egypt from 1899 to 1956.
    • Nubia and Ancient Egypt had both peaceful and more warlike relations with each other.
    • Nubia was first mentioned by ancient Egyptian trading accounts in 2300 BCE.
    • The Egyptians called a certain region of northern modern-day Sudan, where ancient Nubians lived, "Medjay."

  • Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Art

    • In a narrower sense, Ancient Egyptian art refers to art of the second and third dynasty developed in Egypt from 3000 BCE until the third century.
    • Ancient Egypt was able to flourish because of its location on the Nile River, which floods at predictable intervals, allowing controlled irrigation, and providing nutrient-rich soil favorable to agriculture. 
    • Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan, and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along riverbanks.
    • The Middle Kingdom of Egypt is the period in the history of ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Thirteenth Dynasty, between 2055 and 1650 BCE.
    • They were the last dynasty of ancient Egypt.

  • Egyptian Trade

    • Ancient Egyptians traded with their African and Mediterranean neighbors to obtain goods like cedar, lapis lazuli, gold, ivory and more.
    • Just before the First Dynasty, Egypt had a colony in southern Canaan which produced Egyptian pottery for export to Egypt.
    • In the Second Dynasty, Byblos provided quality timber which could not be found in Egypt.
    • Egypt also traded with Anatolia for tin and copper, to make bronze.
    • Egypt commonly exported grain, gold, linen, papyrus and finished goods like glass and stone objects.

  • The Third Intermediate Period

    • The Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt began with the death of the last pharaoh of the New Kingdom, Ramesses XI in 1070 BCE, and ended with the start of the Postdynastic Period.
    • The country was firmly reunited by the Twenty-Second Dynasty, founded by Shoshenq I in approximately 943 BCE, who descended from Meshwesh immigrants originally from Ancient Libya.
    • Their reunification of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Kish created the largest Egyptian empire since the New Kingdom.
    • Upper Egypt remained under the rule of Tantamani for a time, while Lower Egypt was ruled by the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty starting in 664 BCE.
    • He proceeded to reign over a united Egypt for 54 years from his capital at Sais.

  • The Middle Kingdom

    • The Middle Kingdom, also known as the Period of Reunification, is a period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the end of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Twelfth Dynasty, roughly between 2000-1700 BCE.
    • His descendents ruled Egypt, until a vizier, Amenemhet I, came to power and initiated the Twelfth Dynasty.
    • Egypt was divided into three waret, or administrative divisions: North, South, and Head of the South (perhaps Lower Egypt, most of Upper Egypt, and the nomes of the original Theban kingdom during the war with Herakleopolis, respectively).
    • Ancient Egyptian sources regard these as the first kings of the Thirteenth Dynasty.
    • Thus began the final portion of the Thirteenth Dynasty, when southern kings continued to reign over Upper Egypt; when the unity of Egypt fully disintegrated, however, the Middle Kingdom gave way to the Second Intermediate Period.

  • Nubia

    • Nubia, known also as the Kingdom of Kush, was one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Northeastern Africa and home to one of the African empires that because of its proximity to and relations with Egypt remains a lesser known chapter of ancient history.
    • It was one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Northeastern Africa, with a history that can be traced from at least 2000 BCE, and home to one of the African empires.
    • Nubia was again united within Ottoman Egypt in the 19th century, and within the Kingdom of Egypt from 1899 to 1956.
    • Kashta's successor Piye seized control of Lower Egypt around 727 BCE, creating the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt.
    • With the end of colonialism and the establishment of the Republic of Egypt (1953), and the secession of the Republic of Sudan from unity with Egypt (1956), Nubia was divided between Egypt and Sudan.

  • Egyptian Pharaohs as God-Kings

    • The Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be incarnations of the god Horus, the son of the sun deity, Hathor (or, later, Isis), or Nut.
    • Throughout ancient Egyptian history, the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be incarnations of the god Horus, derived by being the son of the sun deity, Hathor (or later, Isis), or the sky deity, Nut.
    • Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 31st century BCE).
    • He is thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion (or Selk) and/or Ka, and he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty—therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt.
    • Explain how the first Pharaohs of Egypt developed and why they were perceived as god-kings.

  • The New Kingdom

    • The New Kingdom of Egypt spanned the Eighteenth to Twentieth Dynasties (c. 1550 - 1077 BCE), and was Egypt's most prosperous time, under pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Ramesses II.
    • The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between 1550 and 1070 BCE, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt.
    • It was Egypt's most prosperous time and marked the peak of its power.
    • In the eighth year of his reign, the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt by land and sea; they were defeated by Ramesses III.
    • The power of the last pharaoh of the dynasty, Ramesses XI, grew so weak that in the south the High Priests of Amun at Thebes became the de facto rulers of Upper Egypt, and Smendes controlled Lower Egypt even before Ramesses XI's death.