The Contributions from Egypt , One of the oldest civilizations of humanity, promoted that in society there was a change of course quite remarkable in many respects.
Among these contributions we can highlight their contribution in the arts, literature, architecture, religion and even science.
The 9 most important contributions of Egyptian civilization
1 - The writing
Rosetta Stone Exposed at the British Museum
The Egyptians developed a writing system to express the contents of the mind. At first, the system used was not alphabetic, but used images to express ideas.
Subsequently, around 2000 pictographic signs were used to write, which were reduced to 700 with the passage of time.
Finally, they developed the alphabet, which is engraved on the Rosetta stone (preserved in the British Museum).
Paper and ink
Smith's Papyrus
On the banks of the Nile, there was a plant called"papyrus"in abundance. From this plant, the Egyptians created a kind of paper that received the same name of the plant. Papyrus was arranged in large rolls measuring between 6 meters and 12 meters in length.
Also, they extracted tinctures of plants, expressing the leaves and stems of these. These dyes, which were used for writing, constituted an archaic form of ink.
3- Calendar
Egyptian calendar of the temple of Kom Ombo
The ancient Egyptians were exceptional astronomers. They were able to predict lunar and solar eclipses, floods of the Nile River, the optimum time for sowing and harvesting, among others. They were also knowledgeable about the movements of the planets, which allowed them to create the calendar.
The Egyptian calendar divided the year into 360 days and 12 months. Each month consisted of 30 days and each day had a duration of 24 hours. At the beginning or end of each year, they added five more days, which were destined for the celebration.
The calendar of the Egyptians was the basis for the current calendar, the Gregorian calendar, which was developed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
4 - Mathematics and geometry
Ahmes Papyrus
The ancient Egyptians were talented in the areas of mathematics and geometry. They had knowledge in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They also knew the geometric figures and were able to calculate their area to measure the terrain.
Both mathematical and geometric knowledge were applied during the construction of the pyramids.
It should be noted that the earliest mathematical treatise belongs to the Egyptian civilization and is the Papyrus of Ahmes, also known as the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus.
5- Pyramids and mummification
The ancient Egyptians are renowned for their works of art, especially for their architectural works. The pyramids, the clearest example of the majesty of Egyptian architecture, were the tombs of the pharaohs.
The Egyptians believed that the spirit returned to the body after death. This is why the bodies of the most important people (the pharaohs) were preserved thanks to the application of certain chemical substances; This process of preservation is now known as mummification and is also a contribution of the Egyptians.
Subsequently, the mummified body of the pharaoh was placed in a sarcophagus that had holes, to allow the spirit to re-enter the body.
The sarcophagus was stored in a chamber inside the pyramid, whose walls were decorated with hieroglyphs that told the story of the life of the pharaoh.
Of the Egyptian pyramids, the pyramid built for Pharaoh Zoser in Sakkara is the oldest of all.
On the other hand, the largest and best known of the pyramids is the Pyramid of Giza, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World; This pyramid measures about 145 meters high and required the use of 2,300,000 blocks of stone for its construction.
6- Analgesics and anesthetics
Papyrus ebers
The Egyptians made great advances in the area of medicine, using plants to alleviate certain ailments.
The Ebers Papyrus, one of the earliest medical treatises, shows that Egyptians knew how to take advantage of narcotics present in certain plants, such as water lily, lotus, Cannabis And the poppy.
In this sense, these plants were used as analgesics, which is a contribution for medicine.
7- Antibiotics
According to Mark Nelson, editor of Tetracyclines in Biology, Chemistry and Medicine , Alexander Fleming was not the first to discover the use of molds as antibiotics.
According to Nelson, the Egyptians were the first to discover the antibiotic properties of certain molds of bread; As well as certain medical papyri.
8- Philosophy
The ancient Egyptians also entered the field of philosophy. Ptahhotep was one of the most important Egyptian philosophers of the time; This figure was the administrator and vizier of Dyedkara - Isesi and is known to be the creator of the"Maxims of Ptahhotep".
These maxims are instructions in forms of proverbs that regulate certain aspects of life. The treaty of Ptahhotep is prior to the works of Confucius, Socrates and Buddha, for which it represents one of the first documents on the philosophy of life.
9- Literature
The contributions of the ancient Egyptians were immortalized through writing and literature. They developed texts on astrology, metallurgy and cooking.
Also there are Egyptian texts on legends of this civilization, interesting experiences, stories of adventures, religious and philosophical thoughts, among others.
Among his prose writings, The story of the two brothers (13th century BC) and The story of Sinuhe . Among the religious treatises are the texts on the pyramids, on the sarcophagi and the book of the dead. There are also historical texts on the various dynasties of Ancient Egypt.
References
- Baivab Ghosh. Contributions of the Egyptian Civilization to the Worl Civilization. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from historydiscussion.net.
- Bahaa, Ahmed (2012). 5 Contributions from Ancient Egypt. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from prezi.com.
- 10 Major Contributions Ancient Egyptians Made to Modern Medicine. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from atlantablackstar.com.
- Rice, Michael. Egypt's Legacy. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from archetypalmind.files.wordpress.com.
- The Legacy of Egypt. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from teachersites.schoolworld.com.
- Ancient Egypt. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from nsm6thgradesocialstudies.weebly.com.
- Tyldesley, Joyce. Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from washoeschols.net.