1. State of Ancient Egypt - one of the oldest states in the world.

It developed by the III millennium BC. e. in North East Africa. Its location in the valley along the lower reaches of the Nile River led to the intensive development of irrigated agriculture, which contributed to social stratification and the emergence of an administrative elite headed by high priests-priests already in the first half of the 4th millennium BC. e.

In the second half of the IV millennium BC. e. in ancient Egypt, the first state formations, the nomes, were formed. They also arose as a result of the development of irrigated agriculture: rural communities united around temples to jointly conduct irrigation work. By the time the united Egyptian kingdom was formed, there were about forty nomes on its territory. They initially united into two independent states - Upper (Southern) Egypt and Lower Egypt.

By the end of the IV millennium BC. e. The kings of Upper Egypt conquered and united all of Egypt under their rule.

2. Periodization of the history of ancient Egypt

The history of Ancient Egypt is divided into the following periods:

· the period of the Early Kingdom (3100 - 2800 BC);

· the period of the Old Kingdom (about 2800 - 2250 BC);

· the period of the Middle Kingdom (about 2250 - 1700 BC);

· the period of the New Kingdom (about 1575 - 1087 BC).

At the end of the New Kingdom, Egypt falls into decline, conquered first by the Persians, then by the Romans, who included Egypt in the Roman Empire (1575 AD - 1st century BC.).

3. social order The Egyptian state during the Early Kingdom was an ancient tribal union.

The bulk of the population was made up of free communal peasants. Communities owned land on the basis of communal land tenure. The state power considered itself the supreme owner of all the land and levied for its own benefit a part of the income of the free population of the communities. In Egypt, earlier than in other countries, a class slave-owning society developed. Already in the period of the Early Kingdom, as a result of numerous wars, captive slaves appeared, who were used in large farms.

During the period of the Old Kingdom, the development of the economy had a high level. The social and property stratification of the population has already been clearly defined.

The power of the state was established in the concentration of property in individuals, starting with the pharaoh.

The large slave-owning nobility owned vast land holdings and stood at the top of the social ladder, holding important positions at court and in state administration. Community peasants remained the main labor force in the state. Although the slave market already existed in the era of the Old Kingdom, there were still few slaves.

Priests occupied a special position in Egyptian society. They were surrounded by universal reverence due to the fact that they monopolized knowledge of the afterlife, mastered the art of healing, erecting complex architectural structures, and were able to calculate the area of ​​land. The priests served as the backbone of royal power, deifying and glorifying the pharaohs. Temple households were exempted from taxes and working off for the state. The pharaoh was not only the supreme ruler, but also the high priest, although gradually these functions begin to separate.

The heyday of the Middle Kingdom (XVIII century BC) is characterized by the following important features of social relations:

· slaveholding in private farms is growing considerably and the position of landowners is changing;

· there is a stratification of rural communities, leading to the formation of small proprietors - nedjes.

The Nejes layer, in turn, is subdivided into poor, or small, Nejes (small peasants) and strong Nejes - wealthy representatives who became scribes, merchants and landowners.

During the period of the New Kingdom, slavery continues to develop, which is facilitated by numerous wars. Slave-owning relations penetrate deeply into society.

The labor of slaves was not only widely used in the household, artisans came out of their midst - masons, stone carriers, blacksmiths, weavers, builders, etc.

The bulk of the communal farmers became poorer. Farmers were forcibly used on royal and temple lands. In order to impose various duties, reviews of people, livestock, and poultry were held annually.

The rise of the priesthood continues. It turns into a closed hereditary caste. The wealth of the high priesthood is growing, and its liberation from dependence on the central government is taking place.

State system of ancient Egypt

1. The main features of the state system in the period of the Early Kingdom

During the period of the Early Kingdom, the state apparatus begins to form. During this period, the head of state was the king, who was surrounded by a numerous court, consisting of court officials and servants. The significance of royal power was emphasized by the deification of its bearers.

In the period of the Early Kingdom, the supreme leadership of the organization of irrigation in the Nile Valley was in the hands of the state.

2. The main features of the state system in the period of the Old Kingdom

The peculiarity of the state system of the Old Kingdom is the centralization of government.

Legislative, executive and judicial power was concentrated in the hands of the pharaoh. All important affairs of the state - irrigation measures, court, appointments and awards, the imposition of duties and release from them, military campaigns, state building were carried out under his general leadership.

Members of the royal house, as a rule, occupied the most important positions in the state - supreme dignitaries, military leaders, treasure keepers, chiefs of work, high priests.

After the king, the main person in state administration was the supreme dignitary - the vizier. His competence included the management of the activities of the supreme judicial bodies, the management of state workshops, and all the works of the king. He was also in charge of various government vaults.

3. The main features of the state system during the Middle Kingdom

The beginning of the era of the Middle Kingdom is characterized by the almost unlimited power of the nomarchs. The unification of the state and the strengthening of the central government contributes to the limitation of the power of the nomarchs by the pharaohs - there is a replacement of independent rulers of the regions with new ones, subordinate to the royal authority. In these reforms, the support of the king was the courtier, serving the nobility, as well as the army guarding the king.

4. The main features of the political system in the period of the New Kingdom

The main feature of the state system in the period of the New Kingdom is the strengthening of the system of centralized bureaucratic government. The country was divided into two administrative districts: Upper and Lower Egypt, each of which was led by a special governor of the pharaoh. Administrative districts were divided into regions - nomes. Cities and fortresses were headed by chiefs appointed by the pharaoh. The vizier remained the first and highest dignitary. Other important officials were the chief treasurer and the head of all royal works. Numerous scribes wrote down orders, oversaw the work of farmers and artisans, and counted the revenues going to the treasury.

The serving nobility overshadows the aristocratic nobility - the pharaoh provides patronage to dignitaries who have come from the bottom, as opposed to those who inherited the rank and wealth from their ancestors.

5. Army

There was no regular army in the Old Kingdom. In the case of military operations, the army was created from the militias, who in peacetime were engaged in their own economy. There were no regular officers; the pharaoh himself or a dignitary appointed by him acted at the head of the military detachments; during the period of fragmentation, the military force of the militias was at the disposal of local nomarchs. During the period of the Middle Kingdom, a regular officer corps arose. In Egypt, the royal guard and personal guards of the king begin to form. After the conquests of the Hyksos, from the XVIII century. BC e., in the Egyptian army, along with the infantry, cavalry and war chariots appear. In the New Kingdom, the borders of the state are expanding at the expense of neighboring territories, and in connection with the intensification of military policy, a permanent combat-ready army is being created from Egyptian farmers, small and medium-sized townspeople, who are fully supported by the pharaoh. In the future, it was necessary to build border fortresses, strongholds, and a fleet.

The number of officers, as well as their role in the state and social prestige, are growing. The regular army is replenished in the course of a periodic census of the population and a census of military recruits from young recruits. In addition to recruits, the army began to be formed at the expense of detachments of mercenaries. The increase in the number of foreign mercenaries at the end of the New Kingdom weakened the Egyptian army, and with it the military power of the empire.

Police functions were first performed by the army, and in the era of the New Kingdom - by special police units that guarded the capital, canals, granaries, temples.

6. Judicial system

The court in ancient Egypt was not separated from the administration.

In the Old Kingdom, communal self-government bodies acted as local courts. Their competence included disputes about land and water, family and inheritance relations.

The nomarchs were the royal judges in the nomes. The supreme supervisory functions over their activities were carried out by the pharaoh himself or the vizier, who could review the decision of any court.

Temples had some judicial functions, and the decision of the priest-oracle, due to the enormous religious authority, could not be challenged by the royal official.

Prisons in Egypt were administrative and economic settlements of criminals. A special tsarist bureau was engaged in the distribution of various categories of the disenfranchised population for heavy forced labor.

Ancient Egypt was called "Gift of the Nile"

Geographical position

Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest world civilizations that originated in Northeast Africa, in the Nile Valley. It is generally accepted that the word "Egypt" comes from the ancient Greek "Aygyuptos". It probably originated from Het-ka-Ptah - the city that the Greeks later called. The Egyptians themselves called their country "Ta Kemet" - Black Earth - according to the color of the local soil.

Egypt occupied a favorable geographical position. The Mediterranean Sea connected it with the Asiatic coast, Cyprus, the islands of the Aegean Sea and mainland Greece. The Nile was the most important navigable artery that connected Upper and Lower Egypt and the whole country with Nubia, which the ancient authors called Ethiopia.

Formation of a single state

In more detail about the first centuries of Ancient Egypt and the formation of the state, we read in the article -.

In the era preceding the formation of the state, Egypt consisted of separate regions, as a result of their unification, two kingdoms arose - and. After a long war, the Upper Egyptian kingdom won, and both parts merged. The exact date of this event is unknown, but it can be assumed that around 3000 BC. e. a single state already existed in the Nile Valley.

The kings waged constant wars. It is known, for example, that during the campaign to Nubia, the founder of the IV dynasty (XXVIII century BC), 7 thousand prisoners and 200 thousand heads of cattle were taken away, and during the campaign against the Libyans - 1100 people. During the reign of the IV dynasty, Egypt became the sovereign owner of the area of ​​copper mines in the Sinai Peninsula. Trade expeditions were sent to Nubia for building stone, ivory, acacia and ebony (it was delivered to Nubia from the hinterland of Africa), for precious stones, incense, panther skins and exotic animals. They brought incense resins and "light gold". From Phoenician to Egypt there was a timber - a cedar tree.

Huge power was concentrated in the hands of the king, the basis of which was an extensive land fund. large resources of labor and food. The state was acquiring features based on an extensive bureaucratic apparatus. The first person on the hierarchical ladder after the pharaoh was the supreme dignitary, he was also the chief judge, who combined a number of government posts and managed many sectors of the economy. In the presence of, and private farms, a decisive role in the country's economy, especially during the V-VI dynasties, played where, apparently, the vast majority of the working population was employed.

In the era of the Old Kingdom, further development, especially in Lower Egypt, received horticulture, horticulture, viticulture. The Egyptians have the honor of discovering beekeeping. The pastures of the Delta provided ample opportunities for the development of animal husbandry. Its characteristic feature is the keeping in the herd, along with livestock, of fully or semi-tamed desert animals: antelopes, ibexes and gazelles. The main wealth of Upper Egypt was grain, primarily barley and emmer wheat. Part of it was transported north along the Nile. Thus, Southern and Northern Egypt complemented each other.

The period of the Old Kingdom is characterized by the rapid growth of stone construction, the culmination of which was the construction of royal tombs - huge pyramids with funeral temples and "cities" of noble tombs. With the construction of the pyramid of the king (III dynasty), carried out mainly with the help of copper tools, Egypt finally entered the copper age. But stone tools continued to be used later.

At the end of the 5th dynasty, the power of the pharaohs began to weaken. At the same time positions were strengthened . Exhausted by the construction of the pyramids, torn apart by social contradictions, by the end of the reign of the VI dynasty, Egypt began to disintegrate into semi-dependent ones. 70 Memphis kings of the next, VII dynasty, according to legend, preserved by, ruled for only 70 days. From the middle of the XXIII century. BC. began the period of decline of Egypt, its internal fragmentation.

By the end of the III millennium BC. the economic situation of Egypt required the unification of the country; during the turmoil, the irrigation network fell into disrepair, the population often suffered from severe hunger. At this time, two unifying centers claimed the Egyptian throne. One of them was located in the north of the country, in a fertile lowland not far from, on the western bank of the Nile. The nomarch of Herakleopolis (Akhtoy) subjugated the rulers of nearby regions to his power, simultaneously waging a struggle against Asian nomads. The rulers of all Egypt also sought to become nomarchs. The Theban rulers came out victorious, and the country was united. On one of the reliefs that have survived to this day, this ruler is depicted as the conqueror of the Egyptians, Nubians, Asians and Libyans. But the achieved unity was not yet lasting.

middle kingdom

After the reign of his heir, the throne was seized by Hatshepsut, who initially retained the minor king, her stepson, Thutmose III, as nominal ruler, but later openly declared herself pharaoh. Having come to power, Thutmose III sought to erase any reminder of Hatshepsut, destroying her images and even her name. He made many campaigns in Syria and Palestine, and his empire began to extend from the fourth threshold of the Nile to the northern outskirts of Syria.

In the first half of the XIV century. BC e. there is a reign (Akhenaton), whose name is associated with the most important religious reform. Under the two successors of Amenhotep IV, a departure from his policy began. Semneh-kere restored the cult of Amun, under the next pharaoh - Tutankhamen - the cult of Aton, approved by the reformer king, lost state support.

Under Ramesses I (XIX dynasty), long wars began with the Hittites for dominance in Syria. In the reign of Ramesses II, it took place under the walls of the Syrian city of Kadesh, in which up to 20 thousand people participated on each side. In his description of this battle, Ramesses claims that it was he who won the victory. But it is known that the Egyptians failed to take Kadesh and the Hittites, led by the king, pursued them during their retreat. The long war ended in the 21st year of the reign of Ramesses II with a peace treaty with the Hittite king Hattusilis III. The original treaty was written on silver tablets, but only copies in Egyptian and Hittite have survived. Despite the power of Egyptian weapons, Ramesses II failed to restore the borders of the empire of the pharaohs of the 18th dynasty.

Under the heir of Ramesses II, his thirteenth son, and under Ramesses III, the son of the founder of the XX dynasty of Setnakht, waves of conquerors fell upon Egypt - the "peoples of the sea" and the Libyan tribes. Having hardly repulsed the onslaught of the enemy, the country found itself on the verge of serious upheavals, which in domestic political life were manifested in the frequent change of rulers, rebellions and conspiracies, in the strengthening of the positions of the nome nobility (especially in Thebaid, in southern Egypt), closely connected with priestly circles, and in in the sphere of foreign policy - in the gradual decline of the military prestige of Egypt and in the loss of its foreign possessions.

The era of the New Kingdom was for Egypt a time not only of territorial expansion, but also of rapid economic development, stimulated by the influx into the country of a huge amount of raw materials, livestock, gold, all kinds of tribute and labor in the form of prisoners.

From the 18th dynasty, bronze tools began to be widely used. But because of the high cost of copper, they still continue to use stone tools. A number of iron products have been preserved from this era. Iron was known in Egypt before. But even at the end of the XVIII dynasty, it continued to be considered almost a jewel. And only in the VII-VI centuries. BC. tools in Egypt began to be made everywhere from iron, which was extremely important for economic progress.

In the era of the New Kingdom, an improved plow, leg bellows in metallurgy, and a vertical loom began to be widely used. Horse breeding, previously unknown to the Egyptians, is developing, serving the Egyptian army with its combat. From the reign of Amenhotep IV, the first image of a water-lifting structure, the shaduf, has come down to us. His invention was of great importance for the development of horticulture and horticulture in high fields. Attempts are being made to grow new varieties of trees exported from Asia (pomegranate, olive, peach, apple, almond, cherry, etc.) or from Punta (myrrh tree). Glass production is developing intensively. Art achieves unsurpassed perfection. Internal trade is gaining more and more importance. International trade, on the other hand, for the development of which there was no incentive in Egypt during the era of conquest, because he received everything he needed for himself in the form of booty and tribute, acquires a certain significance only in the second half of the New Kingdom.

During the period of the New Kingdom, the widespread use of slave labor was noted, primarily in the royal and temple households (although slaves also served private estates). So, during his 30-year reign, Ramesses III donated to the temples over 100 thousand prisoners from Syria, Palestine and more than 1 million sechats (Greek "arur"; 1 arura - 0.28 ha) of arable land. But the main producer of material goods was still the working population of Egypt, entangled in all kinds of duties.

By the beginning of the XI century. BC. In Egypt, two kingdoms were formed: Lower Egyptian with a center in Tanis, in the northeast of the Delta, and Upper Egyptian with its capital in Thebes. By this time, Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine had already come out of Egyptian influence, the northern half of Egypt was flooded with Libyan military settlers, led by leaders who were in alliance with the local Egyptian authorities. One of the Libyan commanders, Sheshenq I (950-920 BC), founded the XXII dynasty. But his power, like the power of his successors, was not strong, and under the Libyan pharaohs (IX-VIII centuries BC), Lower Egypt broke up into a number of separate regions.

At the end of the 8th century BC. The Nubian king Pianhi captured a significant part of Upper Egypt, including Thebes. The local influential priesthood supported the conquerors, hoping with their help to regain their dominant position. But the ruler of Sais in Lower Egypt, Tefnakht, who relied on the Libyans, managed to lead the fight against the invasion. Memphis also opposed the Nubians.

However, in three battles they defeated the army of Tefnakht and, moving north, reached Memphis, taking the city by storm. Tefnacht was forced to surrender to the mercy of the victors. The next Nubian king to rule over Egypt was Shabaka. According to a legend preserved by Manetho, he captured the Lower Egyptian pharaoh Bokhoris and burned him alive. In 671 BC Assyrian king Esarhaddon defeated the army of the Nubian pharaoh Taharqa and captured Memphis.

The liberation of Egypt and its unification was carried out by the founder of the XXVI (Sais) dynasty, Psammetich I. The next pharaoh, Necho II, sought to establish his dominance in Syria. In 608 BC The Jewish king Josiah blocked the Egyptian army from Megiddo (a city in northern Palestine), but was mortally wounded. After that, Judea began to pay a large tribute in gold and silver to the Egyptian king. The power of the Egyptians over Syria and Palestine lasted three years, and in 605 BC. The Egyptian army was driven back to its border by the Babylonians. Under Apria (589-570 BC), one of the successors of Psammetichus I, Egypt supported Judea in the struggle against Babylonia. Apries defeated the fleet of Sidon, one of the largest Phoenician cities. In 586 BC The Egyptian army appeared under the walls of Jerusalem, but was soon defeated by the Babylonians.

By that time, to the west of Egypt, on the Libyan coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Hellenes had created their own state - Cyrene. Apries decided to subdue him and sent a significant military force against him, but they were defeated by the Greeks. A rebellion broke out in the Egyptian army against Apries, and Amasis (570-526 BC) was elevated to the throne.

Persian rule

In 525 BC In the battle of Pelusium, the Persian army, led by King Cambyses, defeated the Egyptians. Then Cambyses was proclaimed king of Egypt (XXVII dynasty). In order to legitimize the capture of Egypt, legends were created about the matrimonial relations of Persian kings with Egyptian princesses and about the birth of Cambyses from the marriage of his father Cyrus with Nitetis, the daughter of Pharaoh Apria.

Capture of Egypt by Alexander the Great

Egypt several times sought independence from the Persian rulers (XXVIII-XXX dynasties), until it was conquered in 332 BC. Alexander the Great, in whom the Egyptians initially saw a liberator from the oppression of the Persians. Egypt's time for pharaohs is over. An era has begun.

April 17, 2016

The Egyptian civilization that emerged almost 40 centuries ago in Africa is one of the oldest and most mysterious on our planet. Even then, on the banks of the Nile, there was a state with its own religion, culture and structure. Further in the article, you will learn the history and year of the formation of a single state in Egypt and the features of the state.

Protostates

The name Ancient Egypt is used to refer to the historical region within which the Egyptian civilization was located. The year of the formation of a single state in Egypt is not exactly known. An ancient civilization arose as early as 6 thousand years BC on the banks of the sacred river Nile. On both sides of the river there were settlements or proto-states that gave impetus to the further development of Upper and Lower Egypt. Scientists designate this period as pre-dynastic.

In the 5th century, there were more than forty separate settlements formed in the river delta. Even before the formation of a single state in Egypt, the population of the proto-states were active. Each settlement was independent. The population was engaged in cultivating the land and growing cereals. The favorable location made it possible to engage in trade. At that time, the slave system arose. Slaves were prisoners who were captured as a result of military raids.

The year of the formation of a single state in Egypt

The development of agriculture and the creation of irrigation systems made it possible to centrally control the irrigation of territories and greatly simplified the life of the local population, accelerating the formation of the state. Ancient Egypt then represented nomes - separate independent settlements that united into larger formations. The southern region represented Upper Egypt and the northern region represented Lower Egypt.

The period from which the beginning of the Egyptian state is counted is called dynastic, since it is he who opens the centuries-old dynasty of the pharaohs. Among researchers, it is generally accepted that a single state in Egypt was formed about 3 thousand years BC. Upper and Lower Egypt were united, and the city of Cheni or Thinis (in ancient Greek) became the capital. There is an assumption that both parts of Egypt were united and divided again before. Various sources report the name of the ruler who created the Egyptian Kingdom in different ways, presumably it was Menes, sometimes called the name Min.

Hierarchy of society

In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was an absolute monarch. His power was unlimited, he was considered the main ruler and commander of the Egyptian lands. There was a special cult of the pharaoh, for he was identified with God. Only the pharaoh could appoint people to positions, choose priests, and impose the death penalty. Each ruler had attributes: an artificial beard, bracelets on his hands, a lion's skin.

The pharaoh's family occupied the highest social level. The pharaoh's right hand was the chati. He managed money, property, archives. Chati, officials and scribes stood on the second step - they were the cream of Egyptian society. After them in the social hierarchy were priests - advisers to the pharaohs and managers of temples and religious cults. All of them constituted the ruling class of society.

Next in the hierarchy were the soldiers, followed by the artisans. Craftsmen were under the control of the state and received a salary directly from the treasury. They were assigned certain jobs. Then followed the peasants, who worked mainly on the irrigation canals. The bottom step was represented by slaves.

Culture of Ancient Egypt

The cultural heritage of Ancient Egypt is quite large. Basically, art developed as a religious cult. Most of the works were created for the dead. The world-famous pyramids were the tombs, or post-mortem homes of the pharaohs and their families.

The architectural heritage is represented by temple complexes and palaces, for example, the Luxor Temple. Fine art was symbolic. Paintings on temples, tombs, inside palaces often included not only drawings, but also hieroglyphs. Even then, the Egyptians used paints similar in principle to modern ones. These were natural dyes, such as soot, coal, copper and iron ores, mixed with a special substance that provided their viscosity. The mixture was dried and divided into pieces and wetted with water before use.

There was a developed system of beliefs and rituals that accompanied them. The Egyptians did not have one particular religion. Instead, there were many separate cults. Each god had his own temple, where they did not come every day, but visited the temple only on holidays. Priests conducted and controlled rituals and religious holidays.

Conclusion

Thanks to good adaptation and development of the Nile river valley and good organization of human resources, the ancient Egyptians were able to form a powerful state. Scientists still do not exactly know the year of the formation of a single state in Egypt. However, it is safe to say that the ancient Egyptian civilization left a significant mark on the history of mankind.

Completion of the tribal system in Egypt. With the transition to settled life and the development of irrigation agriculture, the life of the Nile tribes changed significantly. They began to turn into rural neighborhood communities. Former tribal leaders and tribal elders retained the right to govern the communities.
The land of the tribe was divided among the individual families. They had their own tools and animals. They cultivated their fields and harvested their own crops. Part of it was donated to the benefit of the community.
Under the leadership of leaders and elders, irrigation facilities are being created and updated.
The emergence of the first states. Soon the Nile Valley was populated. The population grew more and more. There were rich and poor tribes. Between them, cruel bloody wars for wealth and land begin.
From this time, drawings on stone plates have been preserved. They show military clashes on land and water, herds of captured animals, strings of bound captives. Previously, prisoners were killed. Now they were turned into slaves and forced to work. The Egyptians called them "the living slain."
In this long, stubborn struggle, strong tribes subjugate weak neighbors. There are large associations of tribes headed by the leader of the strongest of them. He turns into the king of a small state. The fortified city became the center of the state. It had a royal palace, a temple of the main god of this area, a market. Craftsmen lived and worked here, and the royal troops were stationed here.
Total to the end IV millennium BC. e. there were more than forty such kingdoms in Egypt. Their population consisted of noble people, free citizens and slaves.
The emergence of a unified Egyptian state. The continuous wars of many Egyptian states continued for several centuries. They ended with the creation of two powerful states that divided the whole country. These are Lower Egyptian and Upper Egyptian kingdoms. The first belonged to the delta, and the second all of southern Egypt.
The kings of the northern kingdom wore a red crown, while those of the south wore a white one. With the creation of a single power, the united red and white crown of these kingdoms became a sign of royal power until the end of Egyptian history.
Around 3000 B.C. e. The king of southern Egypt, Mina, captured the Lower Egyptian kingdom. Thus a single Egyptian kingdom arose.
To the south of the delta, Mina built the capital, the city of Memphis. From the second name of this city - Het-ka-Ptah - the word "Egypt" comes from.
According to the Egyptians, their king was a living earthly god. Therefore, the personal name of the king was considered sacred and it was forbidden to pronounce his name aloud. The king was called a pen, which means "Big House", or "royal palace". The word "pharaoh" comes from the pen. This is the name of the ancient Egyptian kings.
The pharaohs had unlimited power. Their orders were carried out by thousands of officials.
The construction of the pyramids. Silent witnesses of the unusual power of the Egyptian rulers are the pyramids. These are structures where the dead pharaohs were buried. Each Egyptian pharaoh began to build a pyramid immediately after coming to power. And they have been building for decades. Even the oldest of them have been preserved in good condition. The Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was considered by the Greeks to be the first miracle of the ancient world. The pyramid has a height 146 m and is composed of 2300 thousand huge faceted blocks. The lightest of them weigh at least 2.5 tons. The weight of the heaviest reaches 15 t.
Impressive is not only the size of this hulk, but also the perfection of the work of its builders. The stones are so precisely fitted one to one that it is impossible to move even the blade of a knife between them. Until now, it remains a mystery how, with the help of copper, stone and wooden tools, the Egyptians managed to build such huge structures.

The ancient historian Herodotus wrote about how the pyramid of Cheops was built. All Egyptians were forced to build pyramids. Temples were even closed and services to the gods were interrupted. The stone mined in the quarries on the east bank of the Nile, people were obliged to drag to the river. There he was loaded onto ships and transported to the opposite bank of the Nile. From there, the stones were moved to the construction site. Constantly worked 100 000 people. Every three months they were replaced with new ones.
Only ten years paved the road, which brought the stone from the quarries. The pyramid itself was built 20 years.

Nowadays, one can go through a narrow passage to the room where Cheops was buried. Now it's empty. Almost all the tombs were plundered in antiquity.
Not far from the pyramids is a sphinx carved from the rock - a statue of a lion with a human head. The Sphinx is over 20 m, and body length - 57 m. He has a frightening expression on his face. Since ancient times, he has been called the "father of fear."

Memoirs of an official about participation in the construction of the pyramid
His highness the pharaoh ordered me to bring a large stone slab from the south of Egypt. I went and for just 17 days delivered the slab from the quarries to the banks of the Nile. There's more for 17 days I built a ship a length of 30 and width in 15 m. Through 17 days I brought the slab to the site of the construction of the pyramid.

Task number 22. Fill in the missing words

Egypt - that was the name of the country that was located (on the banks of which river? From which place and to which sea?) along the banks of the Nile River from the first rapids to the Mediterranean Sea(on which continent? In what part of it?) in northeastern Africa.

The city became the first capital of the Egyptian state Memphis.

The kings of ancient Egypt are called Pharaoh

Task number 23. Answer the questions and complete the task

In the ancient Egyptian "Tale of Two Brothers", the elder brother says to the younger: "Let's prepare a plow and a team of bulls, because the grain field has come out of the water..."

Explain these words of the elder brother. What does he propose to do? In what month, according to our calendar, the fields in ancient Egypt were freed from water? What natural phenomenon was this associated with? Describe it

He offered to plow. In July, the Nile began to flood, which is associated with the season of tropical rainfall in the areas of the river's sources. The current brought decayed tropical plants and salt precipitation, which served as excellent fertilizer. By November, the water was subsiding and it was time to plow

Task number 24. Complete the task on the drawing of our time

An ancient Egyptian text says: “Woe to the farmer! He is bound, his wife and children are bound."

Describe the drawing of tax collection in Egypt. Guess who this Egyptian is in white robes and with a staff in his hand. What kind of people accompany him (on the right)? What is a cross-legged man sitting on the ground doing? To the right of it are two empty baskets: what will they be filled with? Who was put on their knees and why (center)? Who is this woman with children (on the left)? Why what is happening became a grief for the farmer?

A tax collector is depicted in white clothes. He is accompanied by armed guards and porters. A scribe sits on the ground, in whose documents it is written how much grain should be withdrawn, for which they prepared baskets depicted to the right of the scribe. The peasant, probably, cannot hand over the grain, because he was put on his knees. On the left we see his wife and children. In ancient Egypt, even natural disasters did not exempt from tax and the peasant faces severe punishment.

Task number 25. Fill in the "time line"

Mark on the "timeline" the year of the formation of a single state in Egypt. Calculate how many years ago that was. Do the calculations in writing

3000+2013=5013 (years)

Answer: It was 5013 years ago

Task number 26. Fill in the contour map "Ancient Egypt"

1. Inscribe the name of the river that flows through Egypt and mark the 1st threshold on it

2. Fill in green the agricultural areas in Egypt (the borders of the areas are indicated by the dotted line)

3. Write the names of the two seas closest to Egypt

4. Fill in the circle representing the ancient capital of Egypt and write its name

5. Mark the area with the pyramids

Task number 27. Fill in the missing dates

A single state in Egypt was formed around 3000 BC

Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was built around 2560 BC

Pharaoh Thutmose's conquests were made around 1500 BC

Task number 28. Fill in the contour map "Military campaigns of the pharaohs"

1. Designate with arrows the directions of the aggressive campaigns of the Egyptian troops

2. Trace the boundaries of the Egyptian kingdom around 1500 BC.

3. Inscribe the name of the Asian river, which reached the borders of the Egyptian kingdom in the north (Euphrates)

4. Fill in the circle indicating the city in Asia, which was besieged by the troops of Pharaoh Thutmose for more than six months, and write the name of this city (Megiddo)

5. Fill in the circle indicating the capital of Egypt during the time of Pharaoh Thutmose, and write the name of this city (Thebes)

6. The countries and the peninsula conquered by the pharaohs outside of Egypt are indicated on the map by numbers. Write their names

2. Sinai Peninsula

3. Palestine

4. Phoenicia

Task number 29. Fill in the missing words

The largest conquests were made by 1500 BC Pharaoh by name Thutmose.

Among the Egyptian warriors spearheads, hatchets and blades were made of bronze. This is the name of the alloy of two metals: copper and tin.

The armies of the pharaohs conquered a country rich in gold in Africa Nubia, in Asia - rich in deposits of copper ore Sinai peninsula and countries:

1. Palestine

2. Phoenicia

3. Syria

The borders of the Egyptian kingdom in Asia reached the river Euphrates, and in Africa up to 5 rapids on the river Nile

Task number 30. Fill in the "time line"

Mark on the "timeline" the dates associated with the reign of the pharaohs Cheops and Thutmose. Could these rulers of Egypt know anything about each other? Explain why you think so

Only Thutmose could know about Cheops, since he lived after him

Task number 31. Fill in the missing letters in the names of the gods and sacred animals revered by the ancient Egyptians

Amun - god of the sun

Apop - the god of darkness

Geb - god of the earth

Nut - goddess of the sky

Thoth is the god of wisdom

Bastet - patroness of women and their beauty

Apis - sacred bull

Set - god of the desert

Osiris - pharaoh and judge in the realm of the dead

Horus is the patron god of the pharaoh ruling in Egypt.

Isis - goddess - wife of Osiris

Anubis - the patron god of the dead

Maat - Goddess of Truth

Task number 32. Remember the myths about the gods and answer the questions

1. How did the Egyptians call the Cat and the Serpent, depicted in the first drawing of our time? Who always wins in a fight between the Cat and the Serpent? Where does it take place? How long does it take?

In the form of a cat, the god of the sun Ra is depicted, in the form of a snake - the god of darkness and evil Apep. Every night they fight underground and Ra always defeats Apophis

2. Describe the second picture of our time. What is shown on it? Whose names of those depicted in the picture do you know? What do you know about each of them? What is the purpose of the wooden box?

According to the myth, Set brought a sarcophagus to the house of Osiris and invited the guests to find out who he would be in height. When Osiris lay down in the sarcophagus, Seth slammed it shut and threw it into the Nile. Osiris and Set were brothers. Osiris then became the king of the underworld, and Set the god of chaos, destruction, war, became the personification of evil, Satan

Task number 33. Answer the questions

Remember the tales of the gods. Who could say such words about himself? For what reason?

1. I hid him, I hid him out of fear that he would not be killed. I called the inhabitants of the swamps to help me. One wise woman told me: “Do not be discouraged and do not be afraid! Your child is inaccessible to his adversary: ​​the thickets are impenetrable, death does not enter through them!

Isis. After the death of her husband, Osiris, Isis was forced to hide with her son Horus in order to save him from Set.

2. Envy and malice torment me. The one whom I envy is handsome, kind, commands thousands of people. They all curse and hate me. For the sake of seizing power in the country, I will do anything, up to murder

Set. He was the brother of Osiris, who ruled Egypt. Seth was jealous of his brother and sought to seize power

3. My name is Amamat, which means "Eater". Those of you who have not done evil and have not been the cause of other people's tears need not be afraid of my sharp teeth. But woe to envious people, liars and thieves! Sooner or later we'll meet them

A mythical creature in the form of a hippopotamus with the paws and mane of a lion and the head of a crocodile. Lived in the underworld. At the trial of Osiris, she devoured the souls of sinners

Task number 34. Answer the questions to the drawing of our time

Night ... Where are two Egyptians sneaking? "I fear the wrath of the gods!" one trembles with fear. "Don't be a coward - we will propitiate the gods with sacrifices! Hurry, I know how to get inside!” - hurries another.

What are they up to? What attracts them to stone masses? You will give an answer if you remember what archaeologists found in the unplundered tomb of Tutankhamun, carved into the rocks on the west bank of the Nile

They make their way to the pyramids to rob them. After the death of the pharaoh, they buried in a sarcophagus, which was made of pure gold, but in addition to the sarcophagus itself, the tomb was filled with jewelry, jewelry, and valuables.

Task number 35. Answer the questions

In ancient Egypt, there was a huge number of hieroglyphs (more than 500), the writing system was very complex, so learning it seemed to be a huge task.

2. Who found it easier to learn to read and write: a boy in ancient Egypt or a Russian schoolchild today? Explain why you think so

It is easier for a student of our days. There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet, and in addition to consonants, there are vowels. In Egyptian writing, there were no hieroglyphs denoting vowels, in addition to this, the number of hieroglyphs was huge, and, in addition, special signs were used to correctly read combinations of hieroglyphs. All of this made writing much more difficult.

3. On what and with what did the students of Egyptian schools write?

At first they wrote on shards of pottery. When a student mastered writing, he was given papyrus to write. They wrote with a thin reed stick, using black and red paint.

4. Why could the Egyptians who graduated from school afford to wear white clothes, and they did not have calluses on their hands?

The profession of a scribe was considered prestigious and very profitable, they were part of the court of the pharaohs and were exempt from taxes, military service and any kind of physical work.

Task number 36. Solve an ancient problem and answer questions

In the ancient Egyptian task book written on papyrus for the school, there is the following task: “There were seven houses, each with seven cats, each cat ate seven mice, each mouse ate seven spikelets, each ear eaten could give seven measures of grain. Find the sum of the total number of houses, cats, mice, ears of corn and measures of grain"

1. Let's find this amount together.

How many cats lived in seven houses? 7x7=49

How many mice did the cats eat? 49х7=343

How many spikelets did the mice eat before they were eaten by the cats? 343х7=2401

How many measures of grain would the spikelets eaten by mice give? 2401x7=16807

Now add up the numbers:

spikelets 2401

measures of grain 16807 So, what is the total amount? 19607

2. Cats were revered by the Egyptians as sacred animals. If not for them, then the entire population of Egypt would be threatened with starvation. Think why.

They exterminated rodents, the eternal enemies of the crop, for which they were especially revered by the Egyptians.

3. Who did the graduates of the school in ancient Egypt become? Where could they use the ability to multiply, add, subtract, and divide every day?

Scribes, who then served at the court of the pharaohs, noble nobles, at temples and were mainly engaged in accounting for taxes and fees. Literacy opened the way to high government positions

Task number 37. In your textbook, the sun god is called Amon-Ra. In other books, the same god is called differently - Amun-Ra. Do we know how to pronounce ancient Egyptian names correctly? If not, why not?

Most likely we do not know, since in the ancient Egyptian writing there were no hieroglyphs denoting vowel sounds. All words were written in consonants only.

Task number 38. Solve the chainword "On the banks of the Nile"

1. The god of darkness, whose appearance is reproduced by the chainword (Apop). 2. The oldest writing material made from the Nile reed (papyrus). 3. A papyrus book rolled up into a tube (scroll). 4. A stone pillar supporting the ceiling in the temple (column). 5. Sacred bull with a white mark on his forehead (Apis). 6. A richly decorated coffin made of wood or stone (sarcophagus). 7. The son of Osiris, who defeated the evil Set (Horus). 8. One of the names of the sun god (Ra). 9. Another name for the sun god (Amon). 10. Goddess of the sky (Nut). 11. The famous conquering pharaoh (Thutmose). 12. A huge stone figure depicting a lion with a human head (Sphinx). 13. Number of small states that originally emerged in Egypt (forty). 14. An animal in the guise of which the god Amon-Ra fights every night with a ferocious serpent (cat). 15. God of wisdom, who taught people to write (Thoth). 16. Pharaoh, whose tomb archaeologists found unlooted (Tutankhamen). 17. Pharaoh's wife, whose sculptural portrait has survived to this day (Nefertiti). 18. Egyptian letter icon (hieroglyph). 19. The word by which the rulers of Egypt are called (pharaoh). 20. River in Egypt (Nile)

Task number 39. Solve the crossword "In Ancient Egypt"

If you solve the crossword puzzle correctly, you will read the name of a French scientist who solved the mystery of hieroglyphs at the beginning of the 19th century in the horizontally framed cells

Vertically: 1. A special device with which the Egyptians watered high-lying gardens and orchards (shaduf). 2. Goddess of truth (Maat). 3. The first capital of the Egyptian kingdom (Memphis). 4. A literate Egyptian in the service of the pharaoh or his noble (scribe). 5. Pharaoh, for whom the largest tomb (Cheops) was built. 6. Particles of half-decayed plants and rocks remaining on the banks of the Nile after the flood (silt). 7. An area in northern Egypt that looks like a huge triangle (delta). 8. One of the stone pillars that stood in front of the entrance to the temple (obelisk). 9. Jackal-headed god of the dead (Anubis)

Task number 40. Solve the crossword puzzle by remembering the words from the ancient Egyptian text "Instruction of scribes to students." If you have forgotten this text, look it up in your textbook.

Determine which words are missing in the following passages from the "Instruction of the Scribes to the Disciples". Write these words in the cells of the crossword puzzle in the same number and case in which they should be in the text

Horizontally: 1. Be a scribe - he is freed from work as a hoe. 5. Read your book daily. 7. Solve problems silently. 8. Do not spend a single day in idleness. 9. If you wander the streets, you will be beaten with a hippopotamus whip. 11. The monkey understands the words too. 13. The scribe will not be flogged with rods.

Vertical: 2. You will walk around in white clothes. 3. Be a scribe so that your body is smooth. 4. Be a scribe - you will not carry baskets. 6. I'm tired of repeating instructions to you. 7. The boy's ears are on his back. 10. Even lions are trained, but you do it your way. 12. I will hit you a hundred times

Task number 41. Answer the questions

Who do the Egyptians think said these words? To whom were they told?

1. I didn't kill, I didn't steal, I didn't lie, I didn't envy

These are the words of the deceased, which he uttered in the face of Osiris at the trial in the kingdom of the dead.

2. Do not spend a single day in idleness, otherwise they will beat you. The boy's ears on his back

Scribes instructing their students

3. You are like a pig that eats its own pigs.

God of the earth Geb. The Egyptians represented the stars as the children of the sky goddess Nut and Geb. Every morning Nut swallowed the stars, and Geb was angry with her husband, saying these words

4. I take the shortest route to Megiddo to surprise my enemies

Pharaoh Thutmose. Upon learning that the opponents had joined forces, Thutmose decided to take the shortest route through the gorge and caught the enemy by surprise.

5. The son of the sun invites his nobleman to return: you will not die in a foreign land. You will have a stone tomb

The words of Pharaoh Senusret I, addressed to the nobleman Sinuhe, who lived in Syria for many years

Task number 42. Find the bugs

One liar and braggart claimed that with the help of the "time machine" he visited Ancient Egypt

When I got to this country, - he told his friends, - I learned that the Egyptians had great grief. The Nile has not flooded for several years and has become quite shallow. All the other rivers of Egypt could be forded... The sailors took me up the Nile to the first threshold. I generously paid with it, took change - a handful of small coins and went down to the right bank. In this place, the largest of the pyramids was erected, in which, as everyone knows, Tutankhamen is buried. As soon as I went to the pyramid, a downpour poured down, and I had to hide from him in an oak grove. After waiting for the rain, I began to look for the entrance to the pyramid. However, the Egyptians told me that the tomb of Tutankhamen had been plundered for a long time and not a single thing had been preserved ...
- Stop inventing, - listeners interrupted the narrator, - you have never been to Ancient Egypt! There are a dozen historical errors in your story

Describe these errors

a) The Nile flooded every year, b) The Nile is the only river in Egypt, c) there was no money in ancient Egypt, as such, no coin was minted, d) the tomb of Tutankhamun was located in the Valley of the Kings west of Thebes, it is much north of 1- e) the largest pyramid in Egypt - Cheops and was located in the north near Memphis, f) Tutankhamun himself was almost unknown for a long time and the discovery of his tomb in 1922 is the greatest discovery of archeology, g) rainfall in southern Egypt is an extremely rare occurrence nature and lasts only a few minutes, h) oak does not grow in Egypt, and) Tutankhamun's tomb was not plundered and has survived to our time in its original form, j) items from the tomb are now in museums around the world

Task number 43. Think of an ending to the story

In ancient Egypt, a fairy tale about an enchanted prince was created. Its end has not survived. Here is the beginning of this story:

“There was a pharaoh. A son was born to him. This was the only and long-awaited son whom the pharaoh begged from the gods. But the prince is bewitched, and already at his birth the goddesses predict that he will die young either from a crocodile, or from a snake, or from a dog. Such is the fate that no one can change.
But the prince's parents want to outwit fate. They separated their son from all living things - they placed the boy in a large tower and assigned a faithful servant to him.
Years pass. The boy grows and begins to take an interest in the world around him. Somehow he notices some strange creature on four legs downstairs ... "It's a dog," the servant explains to the surprised child. “Let them bring me the same one!” - asks the prince. And they give him a puppy, which he raises in his tower.
But now the boy becomes a young man, and his parents are forced to explain to him why he lives alone, strictly guarded, in this tower. The prince convinces his father that fate cannot be avoided. And he lets him go on a long journey.
Accompanied by his faithful servant and a dog, the prince on a chariot reaches the country of Syria. Here, too, a beautiful princess lives in a high tower. It will go to the one who shows heroic strength and jumps to a height of 70 cubits right into the window of the tower, from which the princess looks out.
No one succeeds, and only our hero makes a jump and gets to her. At first sight they fell in love with each other. But the father of the princess does not want to give his daughter as a wife to some obscure Egyptian. The fact is that the bewitched prince hid his origin and pretended to be the son of a warrior who fled from an evil stepmother. But the princess does not want to hear about anyone else: “If this young man is taken away from me, I will not eat, I will not drink, I will die at the same hour!” My father had to give in.
Young people got married. They're happy. But the princess began to notice that her husband was sometimes sad. And he reveals a terrible secret to her, speaks about the prediction of the goddesses: "I am doomed to three destinies - a crocodile, a snake, a dog." Then his wife said to him: "Order to kill your dog." He answered her: "No, I will not order to kill the dog, which he took as a puppy and raised."
The princess decides to prevent the terrible fate that hangs over her husband, and she succeeds twice. The first time she saves him from a snake that crawled into the bedroom. Anticipating the danger threatening the prince, the princess put a cup of milk in the bedroom, and the snake, before stinging the prince, attacked the milk. Meanwhile, the princess woke up, called a maid for help, and together they crushed the reptile.
The newlyweds go to Egypt, and here the princess again saves her husband - this time from a crocodile. And then the next day came...

At this point the text on the papyrus breaks off. How do you think the story ended? Suppose that in your answer the end of the fairy tale takes place in Egypt. Remember that the young wife of the prince was in this country for the first time. What could strike her in the nature of Egypt? What buildings, what statues could the heroes of the fairy tale see? What kind of reception in the palace could their father-pharaoh give them? What did he look like? Finally, did the prince die or survive?

Once in Egypt, the princess was struck by the Nile, she had never seen such a big river. As if at a miracle, she looked at the huge pyramids, at the formidable sphinx, as if guarding the peace of the deceased pharaohs. She was struck by the majestic temples and splendor of the palaces of the pharaoh. The father joyfully received his son and his young wife. The next day the prince went for a walk with his dog. "Are you capable of betraying me?" - asked the prince. Suddenly the dog bared its teeth and rushed at the prince. But the young wife saved her husband here too by stabbing the dog with a knife. She was very smart and protective of her husband. So several years passed. The prediction began to be forgotten. One day, an empty quarrel arose between the spouses and the wife pushed the prince away, he stumbled and, falling, hit his head on a stone. "You, who delivered me from three fates ..." - he whispered and expired

Task number 44. Look at the painting from the ancient Egyptian tomb on the front cover of the notebook, answer the questions, fill in the missing words

1. Which of the Egyptian gods is depicted on the right? What did this god look like according to the ideas of the Egyptians? To what place will he one day lead every person living on earth?

God of Ancient Egypt Anubis, with the head of a jackal and the body of a man. He was the guide of the dead to the afterlife

2. What oath were the Egyptians preparing to take at this place? How, according to their beliefs, was it known if they were lying?

The Egyptians swore that they did not commit sins. The heart of the deceased, that is, the soul, was weighed on the scales by Thoth and Anubis. On the other side of the scale lay the feather of the goddess of truth, Maat. If the soul was lighter than a pen, then the Egyptian was telling the truth

3. Determine by the headdress who the person depicted on the left was. Describe his clothes and jewelry

This is the pharaoh. He wears a loincloth with an ornate apron. Jewelry on the shoulders - a necklace-mantle and bracelets on the arms

4. Guess why there are small drawings on the wall of the tomb. Who or what do they represent? Why are some of them surrounded by an oval box?

The Egyptians believed that everything depicted on the walls accompanied the deceased in the afterlife, therefore they depicted themselves, their home, family and everything that surrounded a person during his lifetime. Only the names of the pharaoh and his wives were circled in an oval frame.

5. Remember how in Egypt it was customary to depict a person on reliefs and murals. We kind of look at it from different points of view. On some parts of his body - in front (on which ones exactly?): On the shoulders and eyes, and on others - on the side (on which ones?)

On the head and legs

Task number 45. Look at the ancient Egyptian statues on the back cover of your notebook, complete the tasks and answer the questions

1. Why were the statues of the nobleman and his wife placed in the tomb? Why did the statues have to look like people buried in a tomb?

According to the beliefs of the Egyptians, the soul of the deceased from time to time returns from the kingdom of Osiris and moves into the mummy. If the soul, arriving in the tomb, does not find the mummy, it will die and its afterlife will end. Therefore, a stone or wooden statue of the deceased was placed in the tomb, exactly reproducing his appearance. They believed that the soul can move into the statue if the mummy is not preserved

2. Suggest why the nobleman and his wife are depicted as young people, although they may have died in old age

According to the Egyptians, in the "fields of Osiris", that is, in paradise, everyone is young and beautiful.

3. Describe each of the statues. What are the positions of the nobleman and his wife? What position are their arms and legs in?

The statues are in a sitting position, legs are placed together, and the right hand is on the heart.

4. Why are the nobleman and his wife depicted with skin of different colors?

It has to do with painting technique. Men have always been depicted with darker skin.