Settlement - Ancient History: Egypt

Libya is located to the west of Egypt, in the north of the Saharan Desert, on the North African shores of the Mediterranean. Libya was an important rival to Egypt throughout Egyptian history, but especially during the latter years. Libya actually conquered Egypt during the Third Intermediate Period and ruled as the twenty-second and twenty-third dynasties.

Over the course of its existence, Ancient Egypt grew to encompass not only the entire Nile Valley and Delta, but also nearly the entire north-east of the African continent, finally stopping only at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River Valley was the definitive and central location of the Empire – oftentimes, it is referred to as the veritable heart of the Egyptian civilization. The Nile Valley was crucial because of its unique concentration of many valuable natural resources, including animals, fish, stone, gold, minerals, and fertile soil – all of which were absolutely necessary to the survival of the Egyptian people. In some ways, the Nile River Valley is comparable to the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia, for it was in the Nile Valley in which North-East Africa’s first stable living settlements and sustainable agricultural practices initially emerged.

Most major Ancient Egyptian structures—from pyramids and temples to courthouses and palaces—were built in close proximity to the Nile River. While at first glance, this structural clustering might seem arbitrary or random, this phenomenon was not at all accidental. The Ancient Egyptians wisely turned the Nile’s immense length and steady current to their advantage by using the River as their primary means of transporting building materials. Not only was this method much faster than any of the other contemporary options, but it also allowed for the relatively easy transport of especially heavy materials, including the limestone, granite, and sandstone used to construct pyramids, temples, and sculptures.

The archaeological site at Merimde Beni Salama is important because it provides evidence used to date the formation of agricultural settlements in ancient Egypt. The ruins at Merimde Beni Salama date to approximately 5,000 BCE. Merimde Beni Salama is the earliest known agricultural settlement in ancient Egypt, so it tells us that the ancient Egyptians began practicing agriculture at least as early as 5,000 BCE.

The Merimde culture is a Neolithic society that flourished in Lower (northern) Egypt approximately 5,000 BCE. The Merimde culture are one of the earliest groups of people in ancient Egypt who have left some archaeological record behind and thus are very important to informing our understanding of predynastic Egypt.

Merimde Beni Salama is an archaeological site in Egypt. It is one of the earliest known agricultural settlements in Egypt. Pottery found at Merimde Beni Salama appears to be of Near Eastern origin and indicates that predynastic Egyptians traded with the Levant. Some Egyptologists and archaeologists disagree, however, and claim that the pottery is evidence that the inhabitants of Merimde Beni Salama emigrated from the Levant.

Many predynastic communities arose in ancient Egypt around the cult worship of one or more Egyptian deities. The association between a society and a particular deity was important for the construction of a communal identity. The city-state of Nekhen (also called Hierakonpolis) most likely developed around the cult worship of Horus.

Many predynastic Egyptian societies developed around the cult worship of a particular deity. This communal worship helped promote a group mentality within these nascent cultures. The Naqada city-state was one of the most important societies that would eventually lead to a unified Upper Egyptian state. Most Egyptologists believe that the Naqada society developed around the cult worship of Seth.

Hierakonpolis (also called Nekhen) was a regional capital of Upper Egypt during the predynastic period. Along with other notable Upper-Egyptian city-states, it started to decline in influence and importance in the early dynastic period. The rise of Memphis (in Lower Egypt) led to an irrevocable decline in early Upper Egyptian settlements like Nekhen and Naqara.

The ancient city of Elephantine was located on an island in the middle of the Nile River. It was situated right at the border between Egypt and Nubia and so was an important center of trade, as well as a notable Egyptian military fortification.

Memphis was the capital city of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. Memphis was founded, according to classical era historians, by the original Pharaoh Menes. Menes is generally credited with uniting Lower and Upper Egypt and forming the first Egyptian ruling dynasty.

The Great Sphinx can be found in close proximity to the Pyramids of Giza. Much of our understanding of the Sphinx is surrounded in myth and legend, but it is generally believed to have been built during the Old Kingdom, as part of the mortuary complex of a powerful Pharaoh (Khafre, Khufu, and Sneferu are most often claimed to have been associated with the construction of the Sphinx).

Hermopolis is the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian city of Khmun (although it is much more common, even in the exclusive study of Egyptian history, to use the Greek name). Hermopolis was also the origin of the Ogdoad theory of creation and the associated eight Gods of creation. As a result, Hermopolis was often called “eight-town” during the Old Kingdom period.

The second Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, Sneferu's son Khufu, built the Great Pyramid of Giza as his tomb. The Fourth Dynasty featured the prolific building of pyramids and other grand monuments, as Sneferu was responsible for the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both at Dahshur. The Giza Sphinx is traditionally believed to have been built by Khafra, though some alternatively hold that it was constructed by his brother Djedefra (while there are also separate pyramids for both pharaohs), and Shepseskaf's tomb is the Mastabat al-Fir'aun at Saqqara.

Abusir and Saqqara are both necropolises. They were both used during the Old Kingdom period by the rulers of Memphis for their interment. Notable pyramids can be found at both locations and they are two of the most important modern archaeological sites for informing our understanding of Egyptian history.

Throughout ancient Egyptian history, powerful or wealthy rulers (and often upper class elites and government officials) were buried in elaborate monuments, like the Pyramids of Giza or the Valley of Kings. During the Old Kingdom, many rulers were buried at sites along the westbank of the Nile near the capital city of Memphis. Such necropolis sites include Saqqara, Abusir, Giza, Meidum, Dahshur, and Abu Rawash. Faiyum, however, is the name of an oasis located further to the south and was only used as the site of a necropolis beginning in the Middle Kingdom.

Heracleopolis was the capital of Lower Egypt during the First Intermediate Period. This was a period of time when the Egyptian state was not unified. The Ninth and Tenth dynasties ruled Lower Egypt from Heracleopolis, whilst their rivals ruled a separate government in Upper Egypt (from their capital, Thebes).

Thebes was one of the most important cities in ancient Egypt. Along with Memphis it was the most populous city in Egypt for much of the history of ancient Egyptian civilization. It was first established as a capital during the Middle Kingdom, but this was a turbulent time in Egyptian history, and Thebes would not become the permanent capital of ancient Egyptian civilization until the Hyksos were expelled and the New Kingdom began.

Towns built during this time were organized into a grid system, dividing land into square blocks for buildings etc.