Population and Settlement of Ancient Egypt
In approximately 5500 B.C. settlers came from the Nubian Desert, Canaan, and the Arabian Desert to live in Egypt (Mitchell). These people were driven out of their homelands by drought, battle and overpopulation. The majority of people that settled in Egypt did so along the Nile River. There were many reasons as to why ancient Egyptians settled alongside the river. One of the main reasons was that by settling down near a river their cities and civilizations were not easily invaded or conquered. The most important reason for forming a civilization where they did was because of the rich and fertile soil that was present around the Nile. With the annual flooding of the river the soil was replenished and there was an abundance of animal life and vegetation. The people of Egypt also had access to the natural plant Papyrus, which was a type of reed that made paper, baskets, and sandals (Mitchell). The climate of the area also drew people to the area. Although the environment was dry and arid it allowed for excellent cultivation of wheat and barley, the two staple crops of the Egyptians.
In the movie Guns, Germs, and Steel starring Jared Diamond, the ancient Egyptian civilization was explained and portrayed very accurately. Diamond’s theory of guns, germs, and steel is seen throughout Egypt’s history. As the Egyptians faced war, sickness, and the production and use of metals, their history continued to evolve, further proving Diamond’s theory.
Ancient Egypt was protected by the three surrounding deserts: Libyan, Nubian, and Arabian. For this reason the ancient Egyptians did not devote an excessive amount of their time to making weapons and armor. When going into battle for the first time the Egyptians only protection was wooden and leather shields (Lambert). When fighting, ancient Egyptians used chariots, bow and arrows, shields and axes. In 1479 B.C. the Battle of Megiddo took place, and the Egyptians won against the Syrians. In 1288 B.C. the ancient Egyptians also won the Battle of Kadesh (History Source LLC., 2013).
As shown by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Facts of Societies, Egypt was not a fighting country until much later in history. The earliest settlements had no use for weapons. For hundreds of years they used metals such as copper, bronze, and iron. The Egyptians had an ample supply of these raw metals. The settlers used these metals daily. Their knives and arrowheads were created from iron. Pots, jewelry, and decorative pieces were created from both bronze and copper. Since they were protected from enemies by the Nile River, the ancient civilization had no use for trading for steel (Dollinger, 2000). They continued making weapons from iron and throughout history they learned how to incorporate lead into their weapons so that they were sharper and stronger (Dollinger, 2000).
Like many other civilizations, ancient Egypt dealt with sickness and infection. Due to their location the Egyptians had access to an abundance of medicinal herbs and ointments that were created from natural resources. Egyptians focused on preventative medicines and were always trying to learn more about how the human body worked. The reason that the Egyptians did not face as much hardship as other early civilizations was because they “were clean people. They washed daily and changed their clothes regularly” and due to their cleanliness they did not get sick as often as other civilizations (Lambert).
Few obstacles arose when the ancient Egyptians initially settled. The first hindrance that had to be dealt with was that the settlers had to learn the flooding cycle of the Nile River. Many houses were destroyed and crops ruined because the people were not aware of the surrounding land and climate changes. Another issue that was dealt with throughout history was boundary disputes. Both the Nile River to the East and the ocean to the North provided some protection from enemies. However, the Mesopotamian people were the Egyptian’s main contender when it came to fighting over land (Mitchell). Throughout history battles were fought deciding which civilizations would gain more land.
In the movie Guns, Germs, and Steel starring Jared Diamond, the ancient Egyptian civilization was explained and portrayed very accurately. Diamond’s theory of guns, germs, and steel is seen throughout Egypt’s history. As the Egyptians faced war, sickness, and the production and use of metals, their history continued to evolve, further proving Diamond’s theory.
Ancient Egypt was protected by the three surrounding deserts: Libyan, Nubian, and Arabian. For this reason the ancient Egyptians did not devote an excessive amount of their time to making weapons and armor. When going into battle for the first time the Egyptians only protection was wooden and leather shields (Lambert). When fighting, ancient Egyptians used chariots, bow and arrows, shields and axes. In 1479 B.C. the Battle of Megiddo took place, and the Egyptians won against the Syrians. In 1288 B.C. the ancient Egyptians also won the Battle of Kadesh (History Source LLC., 2013).
As shown by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Facts of Societies, Egypt was not a fighting country until much later in history. The earliest settlements had no use for weapons. For hundreds of years they used metals such as copper, bronze, and iron. The Egyptians had an ample supply of these raw metals. The settlers used these metals daily. Their knives and arrowheads were created from iron. Pots, jewelry, and decorative pieces were created from both bronze and copper. Since they were protected from enemies by the Nile River, the ancient civilization had no use for trading for steel (Dollinger, 2000). They continued making weapons from iron and throughout history they learned how to incorporate lead into their weapons so that they were sharper and stronger (Dollinger, 2000).
Like many other civilizations, ancient Egypt dealt with sickness and infection. Due to their location the Egyptians had access to an abundance of medicinal herbs and ointments that were created from natural resources. Egyptians focused on preventative medicines and were always trying to learn more about how the human body worked. The reason that the Egyptians did not face as much hardship as other early civilizations was because they “were clean people. They washed daily and changed their clothes regularly” and due to their cleanliness they did not get sick as often as other civilizations (Lambert).
Few obstacles arose when the ancient Egyptians initially settled. The first hindrance that had to be dealt with was that the settlers had to learn the flooding cycle of the Nile River. Many houses were destroyed and crops ruined because the people were not aware of the surrounding land and climate changes. Another issue that was dealt with throughout history was boundary disputes. Both the Nile River to the East and the ocean to the North provided some protection from enemies. However, the Mesopotamian people were the Egyptian’s main contender when it came to fighting over land (Mitchell). Throughout history battles were fought deciding which civilizations would gain more land.
Natural Resources of Ancient Egypt
This map demonstrates where the ancient Egyptians collected the natural resources that were needed to facilitate their survival. Water, stone, plant life, and mines are shown through different colored dots. The red dots signify mines, the green trees indicate plant life, and the blue dots represent natural quarries. The mines were important to the Egyptians because the precious stones that were found were given to the pharaohs and incorporated into burial rituals. In the quarries, Egyptians were able to gather limestone and other important rocks to create their weapons, celebratory items, and in building temples and pyramids. The shaded green area around the river is reed, which aided the Egyptians in making many different useful items, such as paper, baskets, and houses.
Ancient Egyptian Civilizations
This map illustrates how the ancient Egyptians formed their civilizations. They focused on settling along the Nile River. The Nile River was an extremely significant aspect of Egyptian daily life and survival. It provided both plentiful food and water sources; many types of water birds and fish were native to this area. The map also shows how the river presented the Egyptians with an effective way of transporting themselves and trading goods to other cities and peoples.
History of Ancient Egypt Additional Resources:
I recommend visiting http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/history.htm . This website offers a wide range of topics that discuss early population and settlement in Egypt. At this website you will find detailed explanations of how the settlements started and what troubles the Egyptians faced and conquered throughout history.
I would also recommend visiting http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/nile-river-and-its-influence-settlement. On this webpage you will find more information on how the Egyptians lived off of the nature that surrounded them. This site also provides a detailed description of the climate that the Egyptians lived in, as well as how the rivers that surrounded and connected to the Nile were important to the ancient civilizations.
I recommend visiting http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/history.htm . This website offers a wide range of topics that discuss early population and settlement in Egypt. At this website you will find detailed explanations of how the settlements started and what troubles the Egyptians faced and conquered throughout history.
I would also recommend visiting http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/nile-river-and-its-influence-settlement. On this webpage you will find more information on how the Egyptians lived off of the nature that surrounded them. This site also provides a detailed description of the climate that the Egyptians lived in, as well as how the rivers that surrounded and connected to the Nile were important to the ancient civilizations.
male and female population pyramid for 1950
This pyramid shows how Egypt's population looked in 1950. The male to female ratio shows that there were more females than males this year. This pyramid also shows that the people of Egypt did not live to be very old. The majority of people were between the ages of 0 to 20 years old. This fact could be caused by a few different factors. One factor may be that the people of this time did not have as advanced of healthcare, therefore, when they became ill, they were not able to be treated as well. Another factor could be their basic living conditions. If these conditions were lower, the people would not live as long as if they were in good living conditions. Another factor that can be seen on this chart is the contrast between the amount of small children between the ages of 0 to 4 years old and the amount of children between the ages of 5 to 9 years old. This drastic contrast is seen because many children did not live past their first few years in 1950. This had to do with vaccinations, illnesses, and nutrition.
Male and female population pyramid prediction for 2100
This population pyramid charts a prediction of how Egypt's population will look in the year 2100. In this chart the people of Egypt will be living much longer lives than in 1950. There will also be a more stable flow of growth and aging within the country. Both of these factors correlate with good healthcare opportunities. With better healthcare people live longer and less children die before they become adults. Less children would die in the year 2100 because they would have more access to vaccinations, medicines, and a healthy, substantial nutrition.