Wiktionary
n. A civilization that existed in the valley of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile%20River from ca. 3150 BC to 30 BC. Noted for building the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giza%20Necropolis.
Wikipedia
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient 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 to arise independently. Egyptian civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh Narmer (commonly referred to as Menes). 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.
Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom, during the Ramesside period, where it rivalled the Hittite Empire, Assyrian Empire and Mitanni Empire, after which it entered a period of slow decline. Egypt was invaded or conquered by a succession of foreign powers, such as the Canaanites/ Hyksos, Libyans, the Nubians, the Assyrians, Babylonians, the Achaemenid Persians, and the Macedonians in the Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period of Egypt. In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death, one of his generals, Ptolemy Soter, established himself as the new ruler of Egypt. This Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom ruled Egypt until 30 BC, when, under Cleopatra, it fell to the Roman Empire and became a Roman province.
The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and social development and culture. With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs.
The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats, Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied, and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries. A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.
Ancient Egypt is a magazine that deals with the subject of Egyptology. It is published bi-monthly. Ancient Egypt magazine is pitched somewhere between an academic journal and a travel magazine - bringing the spectacular sights of the ancient world together with the latest archaeological discoveries and theories from the world's leading authorities on the subject, illustrated with numerous photographs.
The magazine has been published bi-monthly in the UK since April 2000. The contents concentrate mainly on a wide range of subjects related to ancient Egypt, though it does occasionally include items on Coptic or Islamic Egypt and also items of interest to visitors to Egypt. Edited by Peter Phillips, Ancient Egypt seeks to explain the mysteries of this ancient civilisation in a concise manner.
The magazine does not just deal with the past, but has a correspondent in Cairo who provides updates on the latest travel information and assesses the impact Egyptology has on modern Egypt.
Usage examples of "ancient egypt".
On the wall to my left was a list of 120 of the gods of Ancient Egypt, together with the names of their principal sanctuaries.
With vivid depictions of battle and intrigue, of love and passion, with fascinating characters both good and evil, Wilbur Smith brings to life in colourful detail the world of ancient Egypt.
There was one in ancient Egypt, known as Ramses the Damned to the Egyptian court, though he was hardly damned as far as I can tell.
I told this woman of the blood dreams, the dreams of ancient Egypt in which I had drunk blood - the altar, the Temple, the desert, the sun rising.
I told this woman of the blood dreams, the dreams of ancient Egypt in which I had drunk blood the altar, the Temple, the desert, the sun rising.
Any reader steeped in the history of Western civilization would be forgiven for assuming that African food production began in ancient Egypt's Nile Valley, land of the pharaohs and pyramids.
David's drawing might have served as an illustration for a romantic novel about ancient Egypt.