Mention the words “Ancient Egypt” and the minds of many people would immediately picture the impressive pyramids...or the priceless treasures found in the tomb of Tutankhamun...or the unmistakeable bust of Queen Nefertiti, one of the most famous women of ancient Egypt. Yet this remarkable period of Egypt’s history covered some 3,000 years BCE (Before Common Era, is religiously neutral, although the term Before Christ or BC is more widely used). 

We know more about the people living in Egypt during that period than we do about people living in Europe just 200 years ago, maintains French-American Egyptologist Simone Burger Robin. 

Recognised as one of the cradles of civilization, Egypt, - situated along the banks of the Nile, the longest river in the world,- was a flourishing and preeminent power in the ancient Near East. 

Already 2,000 years ago, Ancient Egypt attracted historians. Among them was the priest Manetho, who in the 3rd century BC chronologically listed the kings of ancient Egypt, their years of reign, and temples. He sorted the pharaohs into 30 families or dynasties. Within these dynasties, some were Kingdoms, when North and South Egypt united. 

Certain dynasties were prominent, like The Dynasty Four Kings of Menkaura and Cheops; who built three massive pyramids at Giza. Other notable rulers were Thuthmosis III, Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III, Akhenaton, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses III. These later kings oversaw the development of Egypt as an empire, expanding well beyond the borders of modern-day Egypt. At the end of the New Kingdom, during the Twentieth Dynasty (1189–1069 BC), unity and strength were lost to the priests of Amun. 

Most researchers are fascinated by the same family of kings during the well-documented period of the New Kingdom (16th century BC -11th century BC). There is much information about their lives, laws, battles, and victories, and negotiations with neighbours.  

This period in the history of Egypt is also called the Egyptian Empire, which was based on strong central government, and powerful pharaohs. 

The only female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, who ruled between 1479 and 1458 BC, was a prolific builder and constructed an enormous mortuary temple on the Western side of the Nile. However, she was buried in the Valley of the Kings next to her father. 

Amenhotep III (1391-1353 BC) was probably the longest-reigning pharaoh. During his reign of almost 40 years, Egypt reached the peak of its artistic and international power. Artworks from his time are exquisite, revealing skill, knowledge of symmetry, and attention to detail.

Also important to Ancient Egyptian art history was the Amarna period (1353-1322 BC), from which we saw Nefertiti’s sculpture. It is associated with Amenhotep IV (later Akhenaten), who introduced a new monotheistic religious system focusing on the sun. 

Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC) is widely known due to the discovery of his tomb in 1922 that shook the world. The amount of artifacts, gold, and lapis-lazuli found there was staggering. Lapis-lazuli from Afghanistan, provided evidence of trade with Egyptians.

Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) is best known because he is wrongly associated with the story of Exodus in the Bible. He waged war upon the Hittites, and claimed victory, although it ended in stalemate with a peace treaty in 1259 BC. 

The Pharaoh Ramesses III, (1186-1155 BC), was called ‘The Last Hero’. He successfully fought against invaders while continuing to construct temples. But things began to deteriorate. 

For example, in the village of Deir el-Medina (ca. 1550– 1080 BC), the workers went on what we can assume to be the first-ever strike, demanding more money and better conditions. In Deir el-Medina, unusually the majority of workers, including women, could read and possibly write, thus providing interesting records about life there. The village was protected by a walled barrier against invaders. 

Pharaoh Ramesses V (1149–1145 BC) is believed to have died of smallpox. During his time, temples were recycled and renamed instead of constructing new ones. 

Works of art from this period show traces of decline. For example, the sculptures of the pharaohs are smaller in size, and lack of detail, pointing to the loss of skills. The tombs of the pharaohs were robbed, something unheard of before, and the secret plans of the tombs were stolen. 

Sources of information about life in Ancient Egypt are temple archives, ancient biographies, and a cache in Deir el-Medina, the workers’ village. As excavations continue, archeologists will unearth more secrets about Ancient Egypt.

Image credit of statue of Hatshepsut on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Wikipedia

Image of Deir El-Medina credit © Vyacheslav Argenberg / http://www.vascoplanet.com/, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons