Egypt History Term of the Day |
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| A term a day about the history of ancient Egypt for African History Month. | |
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February is African History month. A perfect time to learn about the ancient history of Egypt.
To me, the most fascinating aspect of ancient Egypt is the length of time its style of government lasted. The family of the rulers changed, and sure, Egypt had shifting borders, sometimes extending further south into Africa, sometimes extending east into what is now the Middle East, but it was still Egypt, and despite the fact that a Greek follower of Alexander the Great took over as ruler of Egypt, it kept the same system of government -- with a pharaoh at its head -- for not just centuries, but millennia -- from 2920-31 B.C. Because of the climate of Egypt, as well as the religious beliefs of the ancients, monuments in its desert, still standing five thousand years later, reveal information about who the ancient people were. How closely related they are to the inhabitants of today's Egypt, we don't know, but we do know that the builders of the past had practical knowledge of geometric measurement and amazing building skills. Archaeologists, linguists, and historians have joined efforts to understand the picture writing known as hieroglyphs that adorn princely burial chambers. From remains of Egyptian pyramids and the coffins (sarcophagi, plural of sarcophagus -- literally, flesh eater) themselves, Egyptologists have discovered a complex society focused on the afterlife. Below is a list of some of the very most basic concepts, objects, rulers, and gods of ancient Egypt -- the rudimentary terms about Egypt. Most, you may already be familiar with, from crossword puzzles or elsewhere. Even so, by following the link-a-day below to definitions, articles, reviews, and deeper information on other sites, you will learn more about this fascinating society. Egyptian Terms for Each Day of the Month of February |
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The URL for this feature is
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_egyptaday.htm
Egypt History Term of the Day
This feature is copyright © 2003 N.S. Gill.
