SilviStermasiResearch

Research Notes: By: Silvi Stermasi __ Climate and Geographic Factors: __ ·  Located north-eastern region of Africa ·  Mountain range located south receives snow ·  Dry and arid climate due to Sahara Desert crossing the land, barely any rainfall ·  Nile river runs northward towards Mediterranean sea, longest river in the world ·  Nile flooded every year, due to melting snow from the mountains which brought nutrients in form of silt ·  After flood recedes, silt is left leaving moist, fertile soil used for horticultural and domestic use
 * // Ancient Egypt – Middle Kingdom //**

[]

__ Events and Leaders: __ · Middle Kingdom covers dynasties 11, 12, with the 13th and 14th leading into the second intermediate period   ·  Hyksos raiders from Asia, led by Amenemhat I, gained power, moved into Delta, introduced Egyptians to chariot ·  During middle kingdom pharaohs based in Thebes, which was later on moved closer to site close to Memphis ·  11th dynasty of the Middle Kingdom starts from Mentuhotep II and onwards ·  Thebeans constantly in conflict with rulers of the Herakleopolis, Thebeans triumph ·  Military campaigns launched against Nubians ·  Mentuhotep IV last ruler of 11th dynasty ·  First pharaoh of 12th dynasty was Amenemhat I, vizier of Upper Egypt ·  New capital built known as Itjtawy ·  Senusret I, Amenemhat’s successor, recaptured nubia <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Senruset II improved trade connections with Nubians, Palestine and Levant <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Amenemhat II, launched war in Levant <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Senruset III, known as warrior-king built temple at Abydos <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Construction of rock-cut tombs in Valley of the kings began <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Amenemhat III last great pharaoh, increased food production and mining operations <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  12th dynasty and Egypt’s golden age ended after death of queen Sobekneferu who had no heir <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  13th, 14th, dynasties less important, fewer major events <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Kings slowly lost grasp of Egypt, ruled for shorter amount of time witnessing decline of Middle Kingdom

[] [] []

__ Art, Literature and Music: __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Egyptians continue to carve reliefs <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  During Middle Kingdom depicts quiet scenes from daily life and human beings <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Sculptures of pharaohs make them look more boyish, less godly <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Art greatly influenced by gods, goddesses and pharaohs <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Paintings usually depicted physical activity <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Important discovery of art during middle kingdom is the Book of dead <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Book has paintings illustrating a funeral, represents life after death <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Prose style of literature and genre known as Instructions evolved <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  A lot of literature composed as political propaganda, to teach students who learned to read and write to be loyal to ruling dynasty <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Rulers set up stone slabs to record important deeds <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Barrel drums, clappers, the cestrum and rattles all instruments introduced during the middle kingdom <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Professional musicians well paid, mostly women <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Musicians connected with royal household and certain gifted singers/harp players held in high esteem

[] [] [] []

__ Socio-Political Structure: __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Government system is Monarchy <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Beginning of middle Kingdom king was less powerful, governors operated independently <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Later on Kings regained control, Egypt grew in wealth and population <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Large part of population made up of foreigners <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Foreigner communities grew in numbers and powers, leaders of communities were kings in their own rights <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Power of Egyptian monarch diminished, foreigners took over <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  The king was the most powerful, following the women nearest to the king also held special status <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Ruling class follows, highest officials usually members of same family <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  After ruling class came the craftsmen, scribes most important, physical workers came secondary <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Craftsmen followed by farmers, larger part of Egyptian population <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Marginalized groups and slaves came last

[] []

__ Energy: __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Main energy source in ancient times was muscle power, provided by humans and domesticated animals <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Wind energy only used by ships, very inefficient in the Nile <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Fire needed for cooking and baking food, smelting and casting metal, glassmaking, burning pottery and making bricks <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  High temperatures achieved with charcoal, no coal available and wood wasn’t plentiful <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Fires fed with dry vegetables and animal matter at hand <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Heat of sun used in making mud bricks, perfect building material in practically rainless Egypt

[]

__ Agriculture and Economy: __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  First reservoir made during this period <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Most of Egypt’s wealth came from agriculture <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Grains, vegetables, fruits, cattle, goats, pigs and fowl were grown <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Wheat and barley most important components <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Fish was caught from the Nile, but was regarded as unclean therefore played small economic role <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Soil was very fertile but agricultural techniques were not very efficient <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Donkeys used for transportation of produce <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Cattle used for ploughing and other heavy work <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Hunting was leisure activity to the rich <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msolist: Ignore;">·  Gathering played small economic role but was crucial for survival of the poorest

[] []