The history of Egypt has fascinated many scientists, archeologists, and anthropologists. The country has a rich history dating back to the unification of 3100 B.C. to when the Kingdom was conquered by Alex the Great in 332 BC. The Kingdom was a manifestation of the civilization of the middle east and the Mediterranean. Numerous pieces of evidence manifest the rich history and why it fascinates many. In fact, the richness of the history of the Kingdom in aspects of religions, way of life, and beliefs has led to the emergence of a new field of anthropology: Egyptology. The study assesses the ancient monuments such as hidden cities, pyramids, artifacts, and architectural richness of the Kingdom. The mystery of some historical aspects of Egyptian society, which lack substantive scientific explanations, will continue to fascinate scholars.
Scholars have attempted to fully understand Egyptian culture with minimal success. There is evidence that they fail scientific tests. For example, the pyramids of Egypt are unexplainable in how they were constructed and lasted for a long time. The construction techniques used to make the pyramids are a mystery to modern engineers (4, 8). Smith asserts that modern engineers cannot succeed in building the pyramids “because we do not have the same dedication as the ancient Egyptians” (4, 8). The Pyramids of Giza are an example of how archaeologists portray pyramids as mysterious structures whose contents and structures are now fully understood. A 2017 internal imaging of a pyramid showed that it has a network of rooms and caves that make it difficult to decipher the contents. I believe this is a major reason to say that Egyptian society was more advanced for their period and reflected the epitome of human civilization.
The discovered lost golden city contains preserved remains of ancient buildings. The city is over 3000 years old. I believe that such a city should have disappeared due to the acts of nature. The discovery unearthed pottery, jewelry, mud bricks, and amulets. A significant finding was that mud bricks had king Amenhotep III seals showing the period it was constructed. The fact that the city appears well preserved, with some structures intact, reveals the prowess of Egyptian in construction. Scholars have also been unable to explain the existence of a temple in the city with features that did not exist anywhere else in the Hellenistic world (3, 431). From my perspective, the discovery could point to the emergence of another religion in the city which did not subscribe to traditional Egyptian beliefs and deities. It may be one of the reasons the city was abandoned. Nevertheless, the structures in the lost city, alongside the pyramids, show that Egyptians had intensive knowledge of construction.
The Egyptian societies valued their kings in life and in death. It is worth noting that the pyramids were constructed for the leaders, which acted as their forever home. Puigdevall and Cañagueral note that pyramids were “the most important architectural creation of the ancient empire, and a fundamental part of an architectural collection and dedicated to worship of the pharaohs” (2, 16). The pyramids were also equipped with precious things that the leaders valued the most and would be useful in the afterlife. For example, the leaders were sent away with golden furniture, tableware, chariots, and golden horses. The essence of the pyramids in Egyptian culture was that people believed strongly in the afterlife. I think that the people expected that their Kings and pharaohs would also be their leaders in the afterlife and thus gave them a comfortable sendoff. However, the correct thinking and rationale for these pyramids remain a mystery to date.
Another element of Egyptian culture that fascinates modern scholars is how Egyptians preserved dead bodies. Modern archaeologists have unearthed bodies buried in sand and others in pyramids. The preserved bodies are thought to be those of leaders and notable persons. The fascinating issue about the bodies is that they have not decomposed after more than 4500 years (3, 413). An example is the recent discovery of the Tutankhamun sarcophagus. The scientists determined that the corpse was more than 3,300 years old and intact. It is one of the few tombs that are undisturbed. Scholars can equate traditional Egyptian preservation, also known as mummification, to modern-day embalming of dead bodies. The preservation techniques used in Egypt show that the society was advanced scientifically.
The Egyptian way of life revolved around kings, gods, and art. The available evidence points to the fact that all aspects of the culture have specific artistic elements which communicate vital information. For example, the temples had artistic elements that indicated commitments to their gods, praising the gods and appeasing them. The temples were also laden with art, “with each one of them dedicated to some particular deity, whose name and images appear in the decorations” (1, 371). Some mysteries regarding the arts are how they were sculpted, the tools, and the time period. It was used to appease the gods and deities to allow the kings to enter the afterlife and also appease the gods for rain, harvest, and natural calamities.
In summary, Egyptian culture is fascinating to scholars due to the inability to construct scholarly explanations regarding its basic components. Art, architecture, religion, gods, and kings were a significant part of the Egyptian way of life. Scholars have been unable to explain how Egyptians were advanced architecturally, as evidenced by the sunken cities and Egyptian pyramids. The architectural marvels show that society was advanced and civilization was high. History also points to substantive literacy and scientific development. This is evidenced by preservation techniques used in mummification. Scholars have sought to understand how knowledge was acquired, retained, and transferred across generations for centuries. Such knowledge formed the backbone of Egyptian society.
Works Cited
Georges Chipiez, Charles Perrot. A history of art in ancient Egypt: Volume 1. BoD – Books on Demand, 2018.
Puigdevall, Federico, and Albert Cañagueral. The Secrets of Ancient Egypt: Egyptian Pyramids and the Secrets of the Pharaohs. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC, 2017.
Shaw, Ian, and Elizabeth Bloxam. The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology. Oxford UP, USA, 2020.
Smith, Craig B. How the Great Pyramid Was Built. Smithsonian Institution, 2018.
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