Stephanie

=Egyptian Society during the Ramesside period, Dynasties XIX and XX =

- Syllabus Content -  Map - Pharaohs - Past Questions - Oral Presentations -

Oral Presentation by Stephanie
3.1 importance of the Nile: agriculture, animal husbandry, transport · Transformed a desert into one of the most fertile areas · Source from tropical Africa · Construction of Aswan dam- flow interrupted 6 times by rocky cataracts (rapids) · Boundary of ancient Egypt at 1st cataract · Elephant land/Abu/elephantine island-river plunged and swirled over huge granite obstructions · Fertile strip of land bordering the Nile/muddy river flats on either side of the Nile · Nile flowed into a depression below sea level, it caught the surplus of floodwaters/acted as a reservoir when level was low/rich in wildlife-faiyum · North of Memphis river divided into large branches/smaller ones which wound its way to the Mediterranean sea · Silt deposited in a large triangular fan shaped formation called the delta

source 1: 'Throne decoration, colossal statue of Ramesses II, Luxor temple, 19th dynasty' · Dual depiction of hapy-god of the nile and its flood- two lotus’ represent upper and lower Egypt · Two plants are tied symbolically together in the ‘sema-tawy’ unification of the two lands · The plants represent the fertile vegetation brought upon by the inundation

source 2: 'Agricultural scenes in the Theban tomb no.1 at Deir el-medina belonging to sennedjem of the reign of sethos I 19th dynasty' · Sowing-ground was prepared by plowing with an oxen <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Agricultural workers often faced difficulties from possible seasonal catastrophes – low flood levels/drought/famine/plagues-heavy taxation-the annual corvee <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· successful farming-depended on a ‘good’ Nile flood <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Drought affected the annual harvests <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Carry out large scale water and land management-government conscripted labour in order to do so-corvee <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Men were put to work <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Wealthy man could pay for a substitute to take his place <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Bulk were farmers/field workers/slaves <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Usually away from home for long periods of time perit-november 'season of coming forth'-time for sowing seeds-king also celebrated the heb-sed festival (30 year jubilee)-purpose of festival to rejuvinate kings powers-should be celebrated when the land has been rejuvinated by floodwaters.
 * Agriculture **

source 3: nileometer at the temple of edfu


 * Animal husbandry **

<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Cattle herders-on every estate <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Cattle raised for their milk/meat/as beasts of burden/ritual purposes <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· In tombs- officials are shown inspecting and counting their cattle and overseeing branding of animals <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Herders-looked after cattle-lived harsher life than farmers-always in search for better grasses <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Negotiate swamps-crocodiles-during flood they hand fed cattle in stables <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Punished severely if any were stolen/died source 4: 'herders'

source 5: 'depicts a procession of boats on the nile ' <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The river linked and united villages and towns from the delta to the 1st cataract <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· They did not have wheeled vehicles so the nile became their main source of transportation <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Travel was made easier by the wind and nile current-prevailing wind blew from north to south and the river current ran from south to north so boats heading north or down stream (towards the mouth) were helped by the current
 * Transport **
 * during akhet-season of the flood in july large scale building activities were carried out-extensive floodwaters allowed barges, transporting massive blocks of stone to building sites
 * Transportation and trade were not the only reasons for seaworthy boats to be built in ancient Egypt. The pharaohs also recognized the need for a powerful navy, as is evidenced in this account written by Rameses III to Amen:

source 6: //"I built you ships, freight ships, arched ships with rigging, plying the Big Green// (the sea)//. I manned them with archers, captains and innumerable sailors, to bring the goods of the// //Land// //of// //Tyre// //and the foreign countries at the end of the world to your storage rooms at// //Thebes// //the Victorious."//

source 7: 'the festival of opet'
 * barges or barques or boats were used as ritual transportation and used in festivals to transport gods
 * beautiful feast of the valley-allowed the living to commune with their loved ones in the afterworld
 * The festivities began at Karnak temple on the east bank where the sacred image of the god Amun was placed atop a ceremonial boat and carried down to the Nile by the priests


 * BIBLIOGRAHY**


 * Baines, John, and Jaromir Malek. __Atlas of ancient egypt__. Oxford: Phaidon press ltd, 1980.
 * De beler, Aude Gros. __Egyptian mythology__. Trans. Aly Maher El sayed. Kent: Grange books, 2004.
 * __Egypt index__. 2001. 9 Mar. 2009 [].
 * Seawright, Caroline. __Khnum, Potter God of the Inundation Silt and Creation__. 5 Mar. 2009 [].
 * Springer, Ilene, and Jimmy Dunn. __Grand Festivals in Ancient Egypt__. 10 Mar. 2009 <http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/festival.htm>.