Ancient Egypt

The developing of a sophisticated civilization existed in Egypt more than 3000 years before the Christian era began.  Being one of the great powers of the ancient Middle East, Egypt held on the its position for more than 2000 years.

Although Egypt wasn't the earliest civilization, Egyptian achievements have certainly left a significant mark in the history of civilization.  As early as Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of 1798, scholars exhibited a great interest in ancient Egypt.  The pyramids, the Sphinx, and other ancient relics amazed the French conquerors and study of the ruins and artifacts began immediately.  This launched the field of research known as Egyptology.

The Rosetta Stone supplied the key to Egypt's written history while tombs & temples provided evidence which gave a detailed picture of ancient Egyptian life.  A great deal of research and study has been devoted to Egypt.  Sir Flinders Petrie & Howard Carter are among the archeologists known for their work in Egypt.

Three forms of Egyptian writing were developed.  They were archaic hieroglyphics; hieratic, an abbreviated form of hieroglyphics; and demotic, a formal and abbreviated form of hieroglyphics.  Ideograms, determinatives, syllables of a word, or the most important single letters were represented by specific signs.  The hieroglyphics were written horizontally or vertically, and generally the lines of hieroglyphics are read from right to left.

Another form of writing in which pictures represent objects, known as pictographic writing, originated around the time the Two Lands were united.  Pictographic writing actually preceded hieroglyphic writing.  When the system of hieroglyphics evolved, pictographs came to represent ideas as well as objects.