Egyptian Technology > Egyptian Technology
Egyptian Technology
Background
Ancient Egyptian technology encompassed a wide range of innovations and advancements that contributed to the civilization's prosperity, cultural achievements, and enduring legacy. Here are key aspects of Egyptian technology:
Architecture and Construction
- Monumental Architecture: Egyptians were renowned for their monumental architecture, including the construction of pyramids, temples, tombs, and palaces. They developed sophisticated techniques for quarrying stone, transporting massive blocks, and assembling monumental structures using simple tools and manpower.
- Pyramids: The construction of pyramids, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, involved precise engineering and planning. Egyptians employed techniques such as inclined ramps, levers, and pulleys to lift and position enormous stone blocks weighing several tons.
- Mortuary Temples: Egyptians built elaborate mortuary temples adjacent to royal tombs, featuring monumental pylons, colonnades, and courtyards adorned with intricate reliefs and sculptures. These temples served as religious centers for offering rituals and commemorating the deceased pharaohs.
Engineering and Infrastructure
- Irrigation Systems: Egyptians developed sophisticated irrigation systems to harness the waters of the Nile River for agricultural purposes. They constructed canals, dykes, and reservoirs to regulate water flow, control flooding, and distribute water to farmlands across the Nile Valley and Delta.
- Roads and Transport: Egyptians built a network of roads and causeways to facilitate trade, travel, and communication between cities and regions. They also developed river transport using boats, rafts, and barges for transporting goods and people along the Nile River and its tributaries.
Manufacturing and Craftsmanship
- Metalworking: Egyptians were skilled metalworkers who produced a variety of metal objects, including tools, weapons, jewelry, and ceremonial artifacts. They mastered techniques such as casting, forging, and soldering to create bronze, copper, and gold artifacts.
- Pottery and Ceramics: Egyptian potters crafted a wide range of pottery and ceramic vessels for domestic use, storage, and religious rituals. They developed techniques such as wheel throwing, kiln firing, and glazing to produce functional and decorative ceramics.
- Textiles and Weaving: Egyptians were adept weavers who produced fine textiles and garments from plant fibers such as flax and papyrus. They used handlooms to create linen fabrics, clothing, and household items such as mats, baskets, and sails.
Writing and Communication
- Hieroglyphic Writing: Egyptians developed one of the earliest writing systems known as hieroglyphics, which consisted of pictorial symbols representing objects, sounds, and concepts. Hieroglyphic inscriptions adorned temple walls, tombs, and monuments, providing valuable records of historical events, religious beliefs, and cultural practices.
- Papyrus: Egyptians invented papyrus, a writing material made from the stems of the papyrus plant. They used papyrus scrolls and documents for writing, drawing, and recordkeeping, creating a wealth of literary, administrative, and scientific texts.
Astronomical Knowledge
- Observational Astronomy: Egyptians were keen observers of the night sky and developed a rudimentary understanding of astronomy based on celestial observations. They tracked the movements of stars, planets, and constellations to develop calendars, predict seasonal events, and plan agricultural activities.
- Solar and Lunar Calendars: Egyptians devised solar and lunar calendars to track time and regulate religious festivals, agricultural cycles, and administrative tasks. The solar calendar was based on the annual cycle of the sun, while the lunar calendar followed the phases of the moon.
Legacy and Influence
- Cultural Heritage: Egyptian technology left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire admiration and fascination worldwide. The engineering marvels of ancient Egypt, such as the pyramids and temples, stand as enduring symbols of human ingenuity and achievement.
- Influence on Later Civilizations: Egyptian technological innovations influenced later civilizations in the Mediterranean region and beyond, shaping the development of architecture, engineering, and craftsmanship. Techniques and knowledge passed down from ancient Egypt contributed to the advancement of science, technology, and culture in subsequent societies.
Dynastic Egypt Technologies
Egyptian Paper
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Egyptian Construction
Ship Building
Navigation
Egyptian Agriculture
Irrigation
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Glassworking
Astronomy
Medicine
Egyptian WheelsEvidence indicates that Egyptians made use of potter's wheels in the manufacturing of pottery from as early as the 4th Dynasty.[44] Chariots, however, are only believed to have been introduced by the invasion of the Hyksos in the Second Intermediate period;[45] during the New Kingdom era, chariotry became central to Egypt's military.Other developments[edit]Stained glass window from c. 1914 depicting weaving and spinning in ancient EgyptThe Egyptians developed a variety of furniture. There in the lands of ancient Egypt is the first evidence for stools, beds, and tables (such as from the tombs similar to Tutenkhamen's). Recovered Ancient Egyptian furniture includes a third millennium BC bed discovered in the Tarkhan Tomb, a c.2550 BC. gilded set from the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, and a c. 1550 BC. stool from Thebes.Some have suggested that the Egyptians had some form of understanding electric phenomena from observing lightning and interacting with electric fish (such as Malapterurus electricus) or other animals (such as electric eels).[46] The comment about lightning appears to come from a misunderstanding of a text referring to "high poles covered with copper plates" to argue this[47] but Dr. Bolko Stern has written in detail explaining why the copper covered tops of poles (which were lower than the associated pylons) do not relate to electricity or lightning, pointing out that no evidence of anything used to manipulate electricity had been found in Egypt and that this was a magical and not a technical installation.[48]The single representation of the image, called the "Dendera light" by some alternative suggestions, exists on the left wall of the right wing in one of the crypts of the Hathor templeThose exploring fringe theories of ancient technology have suggested that there were electric lights used in Ancient Egypt. Engineers have constructed a working model based on their interpretation of a relief found in the Hathor temple at the Dendera Temple complex.[49] Authors (such as Peter Krassa and Reinhard Habeck) have produced a basic theory of the device's operation.[49] The standard explanation, however, for the Dendera light, which comprises three stone reliefs (one single and a double representation) is that the depicted image represents a lotus leaf and flower from which a sacred snake is spawned in accordance with Egyptian mythological beliefs. This sacred snake sometimes is identified as the Milky Way (the snake) in the night sky (the leaf, lotus, or "bulb") that became identified with Hathor because of her similar association in creation.Later technology in Egypt[edit]Greco-Roman EgyptMain articles: Ancient Greek technology and Roman technologyUnder Hellenistic rule, Egypt was one of the most prosperous regions of the Hellenistic civilization. The ancient Egyptian city of Rhakotis was renovated as Alexandria, which became the largest city around the Mediterranean Basin. Under Roman rule, Egypt was one of the most prosperous regions of the Roman Empire, with Alexandria being second only to ancient Rome in size.Recent scholarship suggests that the water wheel originates from Ptolemaic Egypt, where it appeared by the 3rd century BC.[50][51] This is seen as an evolution of the paddle-driven water-lifting wheels that had been known in Egypt a century earlier.[50] According to John Peter Oleson, both the compartmented wheel and the hydraulic Noria may have been invented in Egypt by the 4th century BC, with the Sakia being invented there a century later. This is supported by archeological finds at Faiyum, Egypt, where the oldest archeological evidence of a water-wheel has been found, in the form of a Sakia dating back to the 3rd century BC. A papyrus dating to the 2nd century BC also found in Faiyum mentions a water wheel used for irrigation, a 2nd-century BC fresco found at Alexandria depicts a compartmented Sakia, and the writings of Callixenus of Rhodes mention the use of a Sakia in Ptolemaic Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy IV in the late 3rd century BC.[51]Ancient Greek technology was often inspired by the need to improve weapons and tactics in war. Ancient Roman technology is a set of artifacts and customs which supported Roman civilization and made the expansion of Roman commerce and Roman military possible over nearly a thousand years.Arabic-Islamic EgyptMain articles: Inventions in medieval Islam, Muslim Agricultural Revolution, and Timeline of science and engineering in the Islamic worldUnder Arab rule, Egypt once again became one of the most prosperous regions around the Mediterranean. The Egyptian city of Cairo was founded by the Fatimid Caliphate and served as its capital city. At the time, Cairo was second only to Baghdad, capital of the rival Abbasid Caliphate. After the fall of Baghdad, however, Cairo overtook it as the largest city in the Mediterranean region until the early modern period.Inventions in medieval Islam covers the inventions developed in the medieval Islamic world, a region that extended from Al-Andalus and Africa in the west to the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia in the east. The timeline of Islamic science and engineering covers the general development of science and technology in the Islamic world.See also[edit]List of Egypt-related topicsEgyptian chronologyHistory of ancient EgyptHistory of technologyEgyptian mathematicsHistory of science in early culturesAstrology and astronomyArchaeoastronomyHand drill (hieroglyph)ImhotepHero of AlexandriaNotes[edit]- Assuit
- Bident
- Egyptian Agriculture
- Egyptian Astronomy
- Egyptian Blue
- Egyptian Boats
- Egyptian Calendars
- Egyptian Construction
- Egyptian Cosmetics
- Egyptian Engineering
- Egyptian Gardens
- Egyptian Glassworking
- Egyptian Irrigation
- Egyptian Mathematics
- Egyptian Medicine
- Egyptian Metallurgy
- Egyptian Navigation
- Egyptian Paper
- Egyptian Science
- Egyptian Ship Building
- Egyptian Solar Ships
- Egyptian Technology
- Egyptian Urban Planning
- Hatshepsuts Barge
- Khopesh
- Khufu Ship
- Mural Instrument
- Nile Boat
- Rope Stretcher
- Sebakh
- Talatat
- Water Wheel
