Ancient Egypt: Encyclopedia II - Ancient Egypt - History

Ancient Egypt - History

It is particularly noteworthy that the basic elements of Egyptian culture were remarkably stable and changed little over a period of nearly 3000 years. The religion, customs, art expression, architecture, and social structure, over that time are "un-mistakably" Egyptian.

The history of ancient Egypt proper starts with Egypt as a unified state, which occurred sometime around 3000 BC. Narmer, who unified Upper and Lower Egypt, was the first pharaoh, though archaeological evidence indicates that a developed Egyptian society existed for a much longer period (see Predynastic Egypt).

Along the Nile, in 10th millennium BC, a grain-grinding culture using the earliest type of sickle blades had been replaced by another culture of hunters, fishers, and gathering peoples using stone tools. Evidence also indicates human habitation in the southwestern corner of Egypt, near the Sudan border, before 8000 BC. Climate changes and/or overgrazing around 8000 BC began to desiccate the pastoral lands of Egypt, eventually forming the Sahara (c.2500 BC), and early tribes naturally migrated to the Nile river where they developed a settled agricultural economy and more centralized society (see Nile: History). There is evidence of pastoralism and cultivation of cereals in the East Sahara in the 7th millennium BC. By 6000 BC ancient Egyptians in the southwestern corner of Egypt were herding cattle and constructing large buildings. Mortar (masonry) was in use by 4000 BC. The Predynastic Period continues through this time, variously held to begin with the Naqada culture. Some authorities however begin the Predynastic Period earlier, in the Lower Paleolithic (see Predynastic Egypt).

Egypt unified as a single state circa 3000 BC. Egyptian chronology involves assigning beginnings and endings to various dynasties beginning around this time. The conventional Egyptian chronology is the accepted developments during the 20th century, but do not include any of the major revision proposals that have also been made in that time. Even within a single work, often archeologists will offer several possible dates or even several whole chronologies as possibilities. Consequently, there may be discrepancies between dates shown here and in articles on particular rulers. Often there are also several possible spellings of the names. Typically, Egyptologists divide the history of pharaonic civilization using a schedule laid out first by Manetho's Aegyptaica.

• List of pharaohs: The pharaohs stretch from before 3000 BC to around 30 BC.
• Dynasties (see also: List of Egyptian dynasties):
  • Early Dynastic Period of Egypt (1st to 2nd Dynasties; until ca. 27th century BC)
  • Old Kingdom (3rd to 6th Dynasties; 27th to 22nd centuries BC)
  • First Intermediate Period (7th to 11th Dynasties)
  • Middle Kingdom of Egypt (11th to 14th Dynasties; 20th to 17th centuries BC)
  • Second Intermediate Period (14th to 17th Dynasties)
    • Hyksos (15th to 16th Dynasties)
  • New Kingdom of Egypt (18th to 20th Dynasties; 16th to 11th centuries BC)
  • Third Intermediate Period (21st to 25th Dynasties; 11th to 7th centuries BC)
  • Late Period of Ancient Egypt (26th to 31st Dynasties; 7th century BC to 332 BC)
    • Achaemenid Dynasty
  • Graeco-Roman Egypt (332 BC to AD 639)
    • Ptolemaic Dynasty
    • Roman Empire

Ancient Egypt - Taxation

The Egyptian government imposed a number of different taxes upon its people. As there was no known form of currency during that time period, taxes were paid for "in kind" (with produce or work). The Vizier controlled the taxation system through the departments of state. The departments had to report daily on the amount of stock availible, and how much was expected in the future. Taxes were paid for depending on a persons craft or duty. Landowners paid their taxes in grain and other produce grown on their property. Craftsmen paid their taxes in the goods that they produced. Hunters and fishermen paid their taxes with produce from the river, marshes, and desert. One person from every household was required to pay a labor tax by doing public work for a few weeks every year, such as digging canals or mining. However, a richer noble could hire a poorer man to do his labor tax.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki