Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. It is one of six civilizations globally to arise independently. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology)[1] with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh.[2] The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age. History Map of ancient Egypt, showing major cities and sites of the Dynastic period (c. 3150 BC to 30 BC) Predynastic period A typical Naqada II jar decorated with gazelles. In Predynastic and Early Dynastic times, the Egyptian climate was much less arid than it is today. Early Dynastic Period (c. 3050 –2686 BC)
Ancient Egyptian creation myths The sun rises over the circular mound of creation as goddesses pour out the primeval waters around it Ancient Egyptian creation myths are the ancient Egyptian accounts of the creation of the world. The Pyramid Texts, tomb wall decorations and writings, dating back to the Old Kingdom (2780 – 2250 B.C.E) have given us most of our information regarding early Egyptian creation myths.[1] These myths also form the earliest religious compilations in the world.[2] The ancient Egyptians had many creator gods and associated legends. Thus the world or more specifically Egypt was created in diverse ways according to different parts of the country.[3] Common elements[edit] Another common element of Egyptian cosmogonies is the familiar figure of the cosmic egg, a substitute for the primeval waters or the primeval mound. Cosmogonies[edit] Hermopolis[edit] Heliopolis[edit] Memphis[edit] The Memphite version of creation centered on Ptah, who was the patron god of craftsmen. Thebes[edit] References[edit]
History of ancient Egypt The history of Ancient Egypt spans the period from the early predynastic settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Pharaonic Period is dated from around 3200 BC, when Lower and Upper Egypt became a unified state, until the country fell under Greek rule in 332 BC. Chronology[edit] Note For alternative 'revisions' to the chronology of Egypt, see Egyptian chronology. Egypt's history is split into several different periods according to the ruling dynasty of each pharaoh. Predynastic Period (Prior to 3100 BC)Protodynastic Period (Approximately 3100–3000 BC)Early Dynastic Period (1st–2nd Dynasties)Old Kingdom (3rd–6th Dynasties)First Intermediate Period (7th–11th Dynasties)Middle Kingdom (12th–13th Dynasties)Second Intermediate Period (14th–17th Dynasties)New Kingdom (18th–20th Dynasties)Third Intermediate Period (21st–25th Dynasties) (also known as the Libyan Period)Late Period (26th–31st Dynasties) Neolithic Egypt[edit] Neolithic period[edit] Dynastic Egypt[edit]
Egyptian pyramids A view of the pyramids at Giza from the plateau to the south of the complex. From left to right, the three largest are: the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The three smaller pyramids in the foreground are subsidiary structures associated with Menkaure's pyramid. There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008.[1][2] Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.[3][4][5] The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Historical development The Mastaba of Faraoun, at Saqqara By the time of the early dynastic period of Egyptian history, those with sufficient means were buried in bench-like structures known as mastabas.[10][11] The most prolific pyramid-building phase coincided with the greatest degree of absolutist pharaonic rule. Pyramid symbolism Abu Rawash
Great Sphinx of Giza The Great Sphinx of Giza, 2008 It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 metres (241 ft) long, 19.3 metres (63 ft) wide, and 20.22 m (66.34 ft) high.[1] It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the Pharaoh Khafra (c. 2558–2532 BC).[1][2] Origin and identity The Great Sphinx partly under the sand, ca. 1870's. The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues but basic facts about it, such as when it was built, and by whom, are still debated. These questions have resulted in the popular idea of the "Riddle of the Sphinx,"[3] alluding to the original Greek legend of the Riddle of the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx partially excavated, ca. 1878. Names of the Sphinx Medieval Arab writers, including al-Maqrīzī, call the Sphinx balhib and bilhaw, which suggest a Coptic influence. Builder and timeframe Dissenting hypotheses Early Egyptologists Fringe hypotheses
The Mayan Calendar - The World Will Not End Steep Uphill Climb to 2012: Messages from the Mayan Milieu ©- Copyright 2002 by Steven McFadden In early Autumn 2002, Carlos Barrios journeyed North from his home in Guatemala to the Eastern edge of the Four Corners. In Santa Fe, NM, at the tail of the Rocky Mountain spine, Mr. Barrios spoke in a knowledgeable manner about the Mayan tradition and the fabled Mayan calendars. The Mayan calendars are an object of intense interest for many thousands of people right now, because they focus upon the watershed date of Dec. 21, 2012. Everything changes by then, it is said. Mayan Cholq'ij - an image of the Mayan Tzolkin calendar used on the Altiplano.
Maya mythology Maya mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Maya tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles. Other parts of Maya oral tradition (such as animal tales and many moralising stories) do not properly belong to the domain of mythology, but rather to legend and folk tale. Sources[edit] The oldest written myths date from the 16th century and are found in historical sources from the Guatemalan Highlands The most important of these documents is the Popol Vuh or 'Book of the Council'which contains Quichean creation stories and some of the adventures of the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque Yucatán is an equally important region. In the 19th and 20th centuries, anthropologists and local folklorists have committed many stories to paper. Main gods[edit] Important mythical themes[edit] Creation and end of the world[edit] Creation of mankind[edit] Actions of the heroes: Arranging the world[edit] Notes[edit]
Ancient World TURKS :: Chronology The Turkic speaking Uighurs were one of many distinct cultural groups brought together by the trade of the Silk Route at Turfan in Chinese Central Asia. The Uighurs, primarily pastoral nomads, observed a number of religions including Manichaeism, Buddhism, and Nestorian Christianity. Many of the artefacts from this period were found in the 19 th century in this remote desert region of China. The Seljuks were another Central Asian nomadic group. The Seljuks were Sunni Muslims . The last Seljuk sultan died in battle in 1194 when the Great Seljuks were defeated by the Mongols. These enigmatic paintings are by Muhammad Siyah Qalam – ‘Muhammad of the Black Pen’. Timur (1336-1405) is known in the west as Tamerlane. It was during Timur’s reign that the nomadic steppe culture of Central Asia fused with the settled culture of Iran. Contemporaries noted Timur’s preoccupation with history.
Vikings in the East: Rus and Varangians Dear Viking Answer Lady: In almost everything you read about the Vikings, we're told about how intrepid warriors, traders, and explorers fared out westwards into Iceland, Greenland, and the New World, while others were the scourge of the Christian peoples of Europe. Did the Vikings ever travel eastwards, into Russia? (signed) Easterner Gentle Reader: Vikings in the East: Rus and Varangians The Scandinavian Advance Eastwards Prior to the advent of written Scandinavian history, the Danes and Swedes were launching raids and settlements Eastwards across the Baltic. The usual pattern of Scandinavian advance was begun with armed traders, who having once detected a lucrative source of goods, established fortified centers with permanent warbands in residence to hold their gains. Silver was the main lure which brought Scandinavian traders into Russia. Return to Top Who were the Rus? Due to civil strife in Russia, the leaders invited Rurik and his Rus kinsmen to come rule over them: Bibliography
The 13 American Colonies: Massachusetts The 13 Colonies of America Massachusetts Founded: 1630 by John Winthrop and others, at Massachusetts Bay Major Industry: Agriculture (fishing, corn, livestock), Manufacturing (lumbering, shipbuilding) Major Cities: Boston, Quincy, Plymouth, Salem, Lexington, Concord Colony Named for: Massachusetts tribe (word means "large hill place") Became a State: February 6, 1788 More on Colonial Massachusetts The Massachusetts Colony Colonial History of Boston Salem Witch Trials Back to Clickable map Back to 13 Colonies article Graphics courtesy of ArtToday <A HREF=" 13 Originals The history of the original 13 colonies is a tangled tale indeed. There are many ways to view the events and, in hind sight, it is easy to think you understand. But no one knew where they were headed at the time and it could have ended up very different. A Map of the Colonies At the End of the Revolution A new Colonial Time Line Hargrett Rare Library Map Collection - Colonial America Boundaries of the Contiguous United States - Animation Other maps from the Colonial Period (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Colonial Charters, Grants and Related Documents [ Massachusetts | Rhode Island | Connecticut | New Hampshire ] [ New York | Delaware | New Jersey | Pennsylvania ] [ Virginia | Maryland | North Carolina | South Carolina | Georgia ] Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh : 1584Everybody remembers Jamestown, Capt. Based on George Weymouth's accounts of voyages to the New England area in 1606, two private companies were formed to seek a patent for colonization on the Atlantic Coast.
St. Augustine Exhibition - Introduction Welcome to St. Augustine... Seventy three years after Columbus sailed to America, another Spanish admiral, Pedro Menéndez de Aviles, landed in Florida and established a colony among the Timucua Indians. He named it St. Augustine on September 8, 1565. The settlement was already forty two years old when Jamestown was founded, and has survived until today as the oldest European town in the United States. Much of St. This exhibit was funded in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Historic Preservation Advisory Council. Southern Colonies The New World had been discovered for a century, and the territory of the present United States was still a wilderness, uninhabited except by the native savage.1 It was not possible that such a condition could endure. North America presented wonderful opportunities for future development. It was bounded by two oceans, while Europe had but one; its central river valley for extent and fertility was unequaled in the world; nor could Europe match the Great Lakes, the cataract of Niagara, the Mississippi River, the Rocky Mountains, or the Grand Cañons of the Colorado and the Yellowstone. The chances all seemed to favor Spain. For nearly a hundred years Spain had held undisputed sway in the New World. Meantime Spain had a clear field. While Spain was declining through her own inherent weakness, France and England were rapidly rising. Various were the motives of the British in turning their attention to colony building. Raleigh was one of the best representative Englishmen of his age.