Under the pyramids is yellow sand that has been blowing for thousands of years...Goodbye, ancient Egypt!

People say

Her building is so magnificent

How could such wisdom be possible four or five thousand years ago?

It must have been made by aliens.

(Please view the Giza Pyramids in horizontal mode, image source: Visual China)

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People say

Her ritual is so weird

How could a corpse from four or five thousand years ago be preserved?

It must be a curse

(Tutankhamun's golden mask, the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings usually wore masks, picture source @Visual China, map @Li Xueqian/Planet Research Institute)

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here it is

Ancient Egypt

An extremely precocious civilization

5000 years ago

Chinese civilization has just awakened

She has invented the world's earliest paper and the earliest written symbols.

And the first Gregorian calendar with 365 days in a year, which is still used today

(Please watch the hieroglyphics of the Temple of Hathor in horizontal mode. The characters of the same period as ancient Egypt include the cuneiform characters of the Mesopotamian region. Image source: Visual China)

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However, this is also

Ancient Egypt

A civilization shrouded in doubt

1400 years ago

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties

She has disappeared

The remains left behind have become the

Witchcraft, superstition, aliens

A fictional civilization that doesn't even exist

(1963 version of the movie "Cleopatra", ancient Egypt has also become a popular theme in film and television dramas and comics, picture source @Visual China)

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Which one is the real ancient Egypt?

What exactly happened to her?

Why is it so mysterious?

01

A miracle from heaven

The Original Mystery of Ancient Egypt

From a mysterious river - the Nile

It is located in the northeastern corner of the Sahara Desert.

Hidden by the endless yellow sand

7000 years ago

A Sahara tribe is looking for it

As the climate becomes increasingly dry

The riverbed in the area where they originally settled has dried up.

The whole family had to migrate and look for another water source.

(Sahara Desert, the Sahara was once a grassland, and returned to desert around 4900 BC, picture source @Visual China)

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According to legend, there is a river valley in the east that is suitable for living.

They crossed the Sahara

Migration eastward

Over the sand dunes

Across the desert

(Black Desert, since 7500 BC, Sahara tribes have briefly visited the Nile Valley in the summer and then returned to the western Sahara, picture source @Visual China)

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final

A rushing river appeared before their eyes.

Nile River

The world's longest river

Total length: 6,650 km

It flows through Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo,

Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia

Until Egypt

Across 9 countries

Flows from the East African Plateau to North Africa

(Map of Egypt's topography, drawn by @昕恬/Planet Research Institute)

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Saharan tribes enter the Nile from the Western Desert

They walked through the towering desert

What comes into view is a river valley with lush grass and water.

Here is a long and narrow plain

The banks are covered with lush green plants

(Please view the Nile River Valley in horizontal mode. The width of different river sections varies, with the widest reaching more than ten kilometers. Image source: Visual China)

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Go North

The terrain is lower

The Nile River flows through loose sand

Forming an oasis

(The Fayoum Oasis is the largest oasis in the Nile River Basin. In addition, there are many oases in the Western Desert, including the Bahariya Oasis shown below. Image source: @Visual China)

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Or spread across the coastal plains

Divided into many tributaries

Outline a fan-shaped delta

Eventually it flows into the Mediterranean Sea

(Please view the northernmost port of Alexandria in horizontal mode. Image source: Visual China)

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For the Saharawi people

The Nile is a miracle from heaven

In an increasingly arid climate

The Nile will not dry up.

On the contrary, it floods regularly every year.

An endless stream of water flows in from the south

(Aswan section of the Nile River in southern Egypt, image source @Visual China)

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Source of the Nile

On the remote East African plateau

From April to June every year, the northern hemisphere enters summer.

The plateau intercepts the monsoon moisture

Large-scale rainfall

Provides most of the water in the Nile River

Enter flooding period

(Summer precipitation in Africa. The Nile River has two sources, Lake Victoria and Lake Tana. Map by @昕恬/Planet Research Institute)

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The Nile flows from its source

Heading North

Over the plateaus and valleys

Washed away rock debris, dissolving rich minerals

Forming nutrient-rich humus soil

Flowing through waterfalls

(Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopia, image source @wikimedia commons)

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Across the grassland

(Giraffes, antelopes, gorillas, and hippos in Africa, image source: Visual China)

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Finally Entering Egypt

Through the flood year after year

Developed into a fertile alluvial plain

Bringing the possibility of farming to the desert

(Please watch the Nile River at sunset in horizontal mode, image source: Visual China)

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As the climate becomes increasingly dry

More and more Saharawi peoples are migrating to the Nile

They slowly adapted to the new geographical environment

Understand the law of Nile River flooding

A vibrant prehistoric civilization was born because of the river

People in the narrow river valley

Livestock breeding, grazing, fishing

(Cattle are one of the important livestock. The picture shows an ancient cattle breed in Africa, the Ankora longhorn cattle. Image source: @Visual China)

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The vast delta

Influenced by the farming culture of West Asia

People grow wheat and flax along the river

(Herodotus, Histories)

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"Farmers there just have to wait for the river to overflow on its own.

It flows to the fields for irrigation and then returns to the riverbed.

Then everyone spread the seeds on his own land,

Let the pigs step on the seeds.

After that, it’s just a matter of waiting for the harvest.”

(Farmland on the west bank of Luxor. Farming technology later spread to the river valley and became the most important production method in ancient Egypt. Image source: @Visual China)

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Every year when the Nile flood season ends

The river receded, revealing the high land

The ancients called this phenomenon of hills rising from the water

Seen as the beginning of creation

Legend has it that a lotus flower grew out of the water.

The sun god was born in the lotus.

He brought light to the world, then created air, water vapor

Time begins to flow

therefore

Whether it is the sky, the earth, the bull, the cat

The ancients believed that all things were incarnations of gods.

People use their image as a symbol

Hieroglyphics took shape quietly

(Buges sacred bull relief, the sacred bull wears the sun wheel on its head, photographer @张琪)

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Different regions worship different gods

People named it in hieroglyphics

In the second half of the fourth millennium BC

Dozens of prehistoric towns gradually emerged in the Nile River Basin

They play a vital role in commerce, technology transfer, and war.

Mutual annexation and integration

The southern valley is called "Upper Egypt"

The northern delta is "Lower Egypt"

(Please watch Elephantine Island, the southernmost island of Upper Egypt, in horizontal screen. The ancient Egyptians called the place where they lived "Black Land", which was divided into "Upper and Lower Lands". "Egypt" was the name given by later generations. Image source: Visual China)

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At this time in faraway China

Liangzhu culture just emerged

The Nile River Basin hidden in a corner of North Africa

It is already a lively and vibrant atmosphere

Around 3100 BC

A strong king through war and marriage

Successfully unified "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt"

A kingdom full of vitality - Ancient Egypt

Born

02

Eternal Life

Pyramids, mummies

These cultures are difficult for modern people to understand

For ancient Egypt

It is the important foundation for the operation of its kingdom.

Because this is the first time that every king of ancient Egypt ascended the throne

A ceremony that must be planned

- Construction of mausoleum

(The Pyramid of Khafre, the pyramid is the royal tomb of ancient Egypt, picture source @Visual China)

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In the eyes of modern people

Building a mausoleum is a large-scale project

It requires a lot of time, money and manpower

However, for the ancient Egyptians

This is not a project

It was a religious ceremony to honor the king.

(Golden Mask of Amenempu. The ancient Egyptian king lived in a huge palace. During the New Kingdom, people referred to it as the "Great Palace", which is pronounced as "Pharaoh". Image source: @Visual China, map by @Li Xueqian/Planet Research Institute)

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King of Ancient Egypt

He is both the king of a country and the god of the world.

Respected as "Son of the Sun God"

Among the many gods

The sun god is the most important

People think the world works according to its own laws

On the first day of every year, the sun god would raise the water level of the Nile River.

People created the solar calendar based on this, dividing the year into

Flooding season, growing season, harvesting season

It is the law of the sun god that enables people to have a good harvest every year

The king of a country must be as great as the sun god

(In ancient Egypt, there were many gods related to the sun, such as Ra and Kepal. Obelisks were built to honor the sun god. The picture shows the obelisk of the Karnak Temple. Image source: @Visual China)

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The sun rises in the east and sets in the west

People also live according to their rules

The Nile River Basin is divided into 42 administrative districts.

Where the Sun Rises

Mostly people's daily residence

On the contrary, the place where the sun sets is the resting place of the dead.

(Map of ancient Egyptian towns. Upper Egypt has 22 administrative districts and Lower Egypt has 20. Most of the tombs are located in the west. Map by @昕恬/Planet Research Institute)

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In the eyes of the ancient Egyptians

The sun sets and it will rise again

People can be reborn after death

Life is eternal.

The king is the son of the sun god

Must have eternal life like the sun

Therefore, we only need to build a mausoleum for him to prepare for his rebirth.

Eternal Life Is a Share for All

(The world's first pyramid, the Djoser Pyramid, was built by King Djoser in the 27th century BC. Image source: Visual China)

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In pursuit of eternity

A project of living towards death has begun

First up is the most learned group in ancient Egypt.

priest

They are proficient in astronomy

Ability to determine the location of the mausoleum through astrology

Proficient in mathematics, able to calculate and plan projects

You can also leave records through text

Developed a highly developed knowledge system

(Texts on papyrus, priests collected a large number of scriptures to protect the king's rebirth. Depending on the carrier, it developed from pyramid inscriptions to coffin inscriptions and books of the dead. Photographer @梦物如颜)

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Next on the scene is the “state organ” of ancient Egypt

Officials

They each have their own duties and the division of labor is orderly

There are officials who manage taxation

Responsible for the production of bread, pottery, beer and

Dedicated to the king, the royal family and the priests

Develop a complete tax system

(The offerings from each administrative district, "Gnom" means administrative district, picture source @Cleveland Museum of Art, marked @李雪茜/Planetary Research Institute)

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There are officials in charge of engineering

Responsible for coordinating the required materials

Large amounts of stone, gold, and copper

Loaded onto reed boats and wooden boats

And on large cargo ships that can carry hundreds of tons of cargo

Transport to the project area via the Nile River

Form a smooth transportation system

(Please view Dahab in the Sinai Peninsula in horizontal mode. Ancient Egyptians went to the Sinai Peninsula to mine turquoise and copper all year round. Image source: @Visual China)

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The last to appear is the pious

civilian

They believe that building a mausoleum is a very noble thing.

A large number of civilians either traveled far to remote border areas

Collect and cut the required stones and minerals

Or temporarily live near the project area

According to the instructions of officials, they moved stones and built the mausoleum.

(The Nubian Desert south of ancient Egypt contains a large amount of gold mines, and mining teams often go there. Therefore, Nubia is influenced by ancient Egyptian culture. The picture shows the Nubian pyramids. Image source: @Visual China)

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Some civilians who are skilled in crafts

Then make the ore into something for the king to use after his rebirth.

Headdress, necklace, ring, armband

Bed, stool, slippers, board games

The most important thing is to protect the king to pass through the underworld smoothly.

amulet

(Ancient Egyptian amulet, image source @Visual China & Metropolitan Museum of Art, map @Li Xueqian/Planetary Research Institute)

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For the King

Building a mausoleum can gather the wealth of the kingdom

It can also strengthen the management of various regions

With the devout participation of priests, officials, and civilians

A theocratic regime that combines divine power and royal power

Gradually mature

The Pyramids, a miracle that is incredible to modern people

In this unique divine regime

Build one by one

(Please view the restored diagram of the ancient Egyptian royal tomb in horizontal mode. The pyramids have different colors due to different stones. Map by @李雪茜/Planet Research Institute)

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The construction of the mausoleum lasted for more than ten years.

On the day of the king's death

The body will be made into a "mummy" by a priest who is good at medicine.

Meaning: mummy

Preserved intact for rebirth

(Sketch of the mummification process, image source @Cleveland Museum of Art, map @Hanqing/Planetary Research Institute)

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The priests chanted the verses to protect the king

Place the mummy in a coffin made of pure gold

Two-layer coffin

Three-layer coffin

Then put it into layer after layer of coffins

(Tutankhamun's coffin, image source @wikimedia commons, map @李雪茜/Planetary Research Institute)

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The king's coffin was carried on a specially made "sun boat"

Crossing the Nile

Entering the Tomb

Finally, sealed in a secret inner chamber

(Sketch of the internal structure of the pyramid, drawn by @李雪茜/Planetary Research Institute)

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People believe

The mausoleum is like a "ladder to heaven"

The king's life will rise from the highest point to the sun

Finally reborn, with the gods

Successor King

The ritual will be used to become one with the life of the previous king.

To inherit his divinity

The life of the "Son of the Sun God" is passed on continuously in this way.

By King Mentuhotep I

Passed to Mentuhotep II

Passed on to Mentuhotep III

Passed to Mentuhotep IV

In people's eyes

The king's divinity is as eternal as the sun

In the King's Eyes

Its royal power can also be passed down through the inheritance of divine power and last forever.

(Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. Ancient Egypt had multiple kings with the same name, and scholars distinguished between them as the first and the second. Image source: Visual China)

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Ancient Egyptian Kingdom

In this way, we continue to grow in the pursuit of "eternity"

16th century BC

The Shang Dynasty just rose

Ancient Egypt relied on the fertile Nile River basin

And the unique God-King regime

Has grown into a mature and wealthy empire

Next she will face the north wind

World Domination

03

The Center of the World

Some people once said that ancient Egyptian civilization is fictional.

Because it is rarely seen in the history books of other civilizations

See her trace

However, in West Asia

Hittite, Assyrian, Mitanni and other great powers

Ancient Egypt was a country with a great military record.

A powerful opponent that is difficult to surpass

(War relief of Ramses II. Kings of the New Kingdom often appeared as military commanders. Image source: @Visual China)

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Mid-17th century BC

Several groups of people from Palestine fled to escape the war.

Entered the Nile River Basin with chariots and weapons

At this time, the water level of the Nile River in ancient Egypt dropped

Famine and unrest

The originally unified regime was divided into local forces

The invasion of foreign groups escalated the situation.

Ancient Egypt fell into a century of division and civil strife

The King in Troubled Times

No longer just a noble god king

You must also be a brave military commander to quell the war.

So, after the war

A brave and warlike ancient Egypt is reborn from the ashes

Relying on superior military strength to expand the territory to West Asia

(Many small countries in Palestine swayed between ancient Egypt and the big countries in the Mesopotamian region. The picture below shows the ancient city of Megiddo. Image source: @wikimedia commons)

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1457 BC

A young king, Thutmose III, had just come to power.

The small countries in West Asia that were vassal states of ancient Egypt united to rebel.

So he decided to launch an expedition

He selected an elite army and headed to West Asia

final

Syria-Palestine: a small country

Defeated by a well-trained army

Only to surrender

(Karnak Inscription on the Battle of Megiddo, No. 94)

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"Bow down before your majesty, kiss the ground,

Pray for them to breathe."

Ancient Egypt thus established its position in the West Asia-North Africa region.

Dominance

(Please view the New Kingdom territory in horizontal mode. Thutmose III launched 17 expeditions, the farthest expansion being to the Euphrates River. Map by @昕恬/Planetary Research Institute)

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Looking around the world at this time, there is no country more powerful than ancient Egypt.

The Rise and Fall of the States in the Mesopotamian Region

The alliance of small countries in West Asia gathers and disbands

Only ancient Egypt had a stable regime

Society operates in an orderly manner

As the territory expanded, wealth also increased greatly

(Amarna Letters)

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"Gold is as plentiful in your country as dust,

You just have to collect it.”

(Luxor Temple, the wealth gained from war and trade was used to build temples and tombs, picture source @Visual China)

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Looking across the Mediterranean, there is no land safer than the Nile River

Ancient Egypt's military might was unrivaled

Its natural geographical environment is impeccable

East of the Nile

The vast Red Sea is a natural barrier

(Please watch the Red Sea in horizontal mode. Many tributaries of the Nile River have been built into waterways connecting to the Red Sea, and there are many trade exchanges with Siadiya. Image source: Visual China)

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West of the Nile

The endless desert is difficult to cross

(Please watch the White Desert in horizontal mode, bordering the Libyan Desert west of Egypt, picture source: Visual China)

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Desert, sea

Confining ancient Egypt to the narrow Nile River basin

For the King

Even if we conquer the territories of other civilizations

There is still no land better than the Nile

The agricultural products here are rich

Military is easy to defend but difficult to attack

This was the center of the ancient Egyptian world.

Therefore, no matter how much territory is occupied

Finally, we have to return to our roots, to the Nile River Basin

(Please watch Luxor in horizontal mode. It was part of Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom. Image source: Visual China)

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At the center of the world

The king's ultimate goal is

Keep the world as it is

The best compliment to a king is:

(Yan Haiying, "Pious Forgery")

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“Behold, his reign will be like the reign of his father”

Therefore, successive kings liked to "expand"

Expand the existing town

Expansion of the original palace

The original temple was expanded, expanded, and expanded again

(The Luxor Temple is connected to the Karnak Temple to the north by a nearly three-kilometer-long Sphinx Avenue. Image source: Visual China)

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The most important thing is eternal life

During this period, the king no longer built pyramids

Instead, the rocky desert on the west bank of the Nile was carved into a tomb.

Expand, expand, and expand underground space

Forming a mausoleum complex with 63 tombs

Valley of the Kings

(Exterior view of the Valley of the Kings and the interior tombs, image source: @Visual China & Wang Rui)

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The ancient Egyptians believed they were born at the center of the world

His life's mission is to keep the world going.

We must restrain ourselves with moral standards

Cannot disrupt the existing order

(Book of the Dead, Chapter 124)

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“I didn’t steal the dead man’s cake;

I have not added weight to the scales;

I have not killed anyone; I have not committed adultery;

I didn’t take the child’s milk…”

(Sunrise at the Karnak Temple. After death, people must pass the judgment of the god of death before they can be reborn. Photographer @歪杰)

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Ancient Egypt was at the center of the world.

Old Kingdom - Middle Kingdom - New Kingdom

The Three Kingdoms Period

Unification, division, reunification, division, and so on.

First Dynasty

Second Dynasty

Third Dynasty

Until

Thirty-first Dynasty

A full 3000 years

However, in this seemingly stable order

Some changes are happening quietly

(Sinai Peninsula, the only way to enter ancient Egypt from West Asia, picture source @Visual China)

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The Nile River, always so fertile

From 13th century BC

A large number of Libyans, Nubians, Syrians,

Palestinians migrate to the Nile Valley

Ancient Egypt's population rises to 3 million

As long as the Nile continues to flood

People only need to dredge the river siltation, increase planting

That is, it can increase food production and feed the whole country

However, in addition to agricultural advantages

The Nile River's habitable area has shrunk as the population has exploded

There was no increase in arable land

Deserts and seas have trapped millions of people along the river banks.

The fertile river gradually became an inescapable siege

(People in the Old Kingdom used baskets to fetch water, in the Middle Kingdom they carried buckets on their shoulders, and in the New Kingdom they invented hanging buckets. There was no fundamental change in farming technology. Image source: Visual China)

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The God-King's rule has been so stable for thousands of years

The kings of the New Kingdom still regarded themselves as "sons of the sun god"

Offering the wealth gained from war to the gods

However, wealth was transferred to the priests through sacrifice.

As time went by, the priests gradually gained real power

Form a force that can threaten the king's power

13th century BC

A king once launched a religious reform to weaken the power of priests.

However, its influence has penetrated every corner of society

The reforms failed

The stable rule of the God King gradually became an inescapable dilemma

The balance between divine and royal authority is becoming increasingly unsustainable

(King Akhenaten launched reforms for more than 20 years, during which time religion, culture and art underwent great changes. The picture shows his queen Nefertiti, photographer @徐同学, map @李雪茜/Planet Research Institute)

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Late New Kingdom

As population increases, class struggle gradually emerges in society

The ruling class also has financial problems due to corruption and fraud

The Dilemma of Ancient Egypt

In this way, it is tightly entangled with the arrogance of its overlord

1312 BC

Ramses II, a high-spirited king

Even if the expedition fails

He also returned to the country and declared that he had won a victory.

(Pu Muzhou's "Literary Talent on the Nile River")

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"I chased them like a beast,

I attack all enemies alone"

In fact, due to the domestic difficulties

Ancient Egypt had no time to worry about external wars

The hegemony in West Asia is gradually weakening

(The Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel by Lake Nasser. The king of the late New Kingdom built a lot of buildings, which also led to a financial crisis. Image source: Visual China)

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Internal stability and external power

Like a scale that is difficult to balance

While ancient Egypt was still carefully adjusting

Little did they know that there was a more powerful enemy

Already appeared

04

The Last Storm

Why did ancient Egypt disappear?

The answer to this question

Hidden in the ever-changing Mediterranean

31 BC

Cleopatra VII, later known as the "Queen of Egypt"

Waiting for a reply

A few months ago, she sent her navy to Greece

Aid his ally, the Roman general Antony

Hoping to defeat their common enemy

But a few months later

Anthony still has no response.

This reply will determine the fate of ancient Egypt

(Corfu, Greece. In 31 BC, Antony allied with ancient Egypt and launched the Battle of Actium with his opponent Octavian on Corfu. Image source: Visual China)

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Long before Cleopatra VII was born

The fate of this vast empire has repeatedly drifted

The edge of destruction and survival

11th century BC

In faraway China, King Wu defeated King Zhou and established the Zhou Dynasty

However, ancient Egypt was caught in a dilemma of internal and external troubles.

Libya, Nubia, Persia and other ethnic groups successively seized power

Self-proclaimed God King in the Nile River Basin

This situation continued until 332 BC.

Alexander the Great - Young King of Macedonia

Came to Egypt and was crowned king

He appointed his general Ptolemy as governor to govern Egypt

(Please view the Royal Docks of Alexandria in horizontal mode, image source: Visual China)

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Ptolemy I

Cleopatra VII's ancestors

He brought with him the Greek method of administration

Retain the God-King government

At the same time, positions such as Minister of Finance and Garrison General were set up

Weakening the power of the priests

This will establish a hierarchical management system with clear responsibilities.

The Ptolemy family that succeeded him used this method to govern the country.

Gradually restored the power of ancient Egypt

(During the reign of the Ptolemaic family, many temples were built. The Temple of Hathor in the picture below is one of them. Photographer @Visual China)

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The Ptolemaic family also preserved the agricultural traditions of ancient Egypt

At the same time, Greek soil improvement and irrigation technology was introduced

So that people can grow wheat

You can also cultivate orchards and gardens, grow grapes and roses

Developing handicraft industry

Produces papyrus, beer, flax, glass, alabaster

Exported to various parts of the Mediterranean via seaports

Ancient Egypt's economy recovered quickly

Transformed into the largest "granary" around the Mediterranean

(Egyptian farmers and loofahs. In addition to being edible, loofahs can be made into bath sponges and their seeds can be used to extract oil. Image source: Visual China)

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Under the rule of the Ptolemaic family

Ancient Egypt was able to escape from its past difficulties

Restoration

Turning to a bigger world

The world is in turmoil

Persia, Athens, Sparta, Rome, etc.

Several Mediterranean civilizations rose in turn

Who can compete with us in war, plague and technological revolution?

(Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The 5th to 4th century BC was the heyday of ancient Greek civilization, and its influence radiated across the Mediterranean region. Image source: Visual China)

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When Cleopatra VII was growing up

Ancient Egypt's former rivals in West Asia have disappeared

However, constrained by the many civilizations of the Mediterranean

It is difficult to regain the dominant position

Cleopatra VII knew this well.

So when she was 21 years old, she was officially crowned as the God King

During his reign, he used more aggressive diplomatic tactics

Mediating between many forces

44 BC

The Roman Republic splits

Cleopatra VII seizes her opportunity

Joined forces with Antony, one of the Roman triumvirate

Fighting against other forces

(The Roman "Big Three" Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus each occupied one side and competed for the position of supreme ruler. The picture shows the Colosseum in Rome, which reflects the warlike characteristics of Roman civilization. Image source: @Visual China)

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However, in 31 B.C.

Antony was defeated and killed

Cleopatra VII made the wrong bet

His opponents then sent troops to invade ancient Egypt

Seeing that ancient Egypt had fallen into the fate of being at the mercy of others

Cleopatra VII could no longer turn the tide

Eventually chose suicide

(Please view the Temple of Isis in horizontal mode. Cleopatra VII often regarded herself as the goddess Isis. Image source: @wikimedia commons)

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The Roman army marched into ancient Egypt

But I found that this place has become another "Greece"

300 years of Ptolemy rule

Greeks had become the dominant group in ancient Egyptian society

Egyptians had low status

More and more Egyptians are choosing to move closer to Greek culture

(Liu Wenpeng, History of Ancient Egypt)

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"They despise me because I am a barbarian

I don’t know how to act like a Greek”

(Style comparison of pharaoh statues, the first two are ancient Egyptian style, and the last is Greek style, picture source @wikimedia commons, map @李雪茜/Planet Research Institute)

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The ancient Egyptians originally spoke Egyptian

However, the official language of the Ptolemaic dynasty was Greek.

in this case

The ancient Egyptian language gradually changed

A "Coptic" language emerged that combined the Greek alphabet

Greek civilization has deeply penetrated this land

(Hieroglyphs gradually became a type of writing used only in religious places. Later, as Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, hieroglyphs eventually died out. Image source: @Visual China)

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Ancient Egyptian civilization before the gears of time

Forced to turn

But the trajectory of the turn has been a challenge for generations of Egyptians.

But it's so slow that it's hard to notice

As the Roman Empire and the Arab Empire successively ruled

The Christian and Islamic civilizations they brought

Gradually, the unique worship of the god king in ancient Egypt

Erased from people's consciousness

(The Muhammad Ali Mosque faces the slums, picture source: Visual China)

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With the invasion of France and Britain

Ancient Egypt stumbled into the modern era amidst struggle

People build a dam at Aswan at the southern end of the Nile

Through power generation and flood storage

Promoting more diversified economic production

As Egyptians gradually embrace the wave of modernization

Left the worship of the Nile

(Cairo bazaar, modern Egypt no longer relies solely on agriculture, and nearly half of the national economic income comes from tourism. Image source: @Visual China)

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Such Egypt

Walking slowly in the long river of time for two thousand years

Until I look back

Only to find that the former civilization is no longer there

(The life and death of ancient Egyptian civilization, after the Ptolemaic dynasty, it entered Roman rule, Arab rule, Ottoman rule and British colonial rule, picture source @Visual China & Metropolitan Museum of Art & Wikimedia Commons & Zhang Qi, map @Li Xueqian/Planet Research Institute)

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When did the ancient Egyptian civilization disappear?

Some say he was the last God King.

——The year Cleopatra VII committed suicide

Others say it was the year when Alexander ruled Egypt.

That is, before the gradual Hellenization of ancient Egypt

However, for the people living on this land

This is an unsolvable puzzle

Because the grandeur of thousands of years ago is still

(Temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, picture source @Visual China)

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The Nile River, which has been flowing for thousands of years, is still flowing.

(The luxurious yacht and the Temple of Kom Ombo are like a gaze between the ancient and modern times, picture source: Visual China)

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The desire for life is still there

(Medina Habu Temple, picture source @Visual China)

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However, ancient Egyptian civilization

But has quietly said goodbye in the long years

What's left is only the unfinished love

(Adapted from Book of the Dead)

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A man who loves Thebes and lives in Thebes

May you live a million years

May you face the north wind

May your eyes see beautiful places

(Please watch the pyramid in the wind and sand in horizontal mode, image source: @Visual China)

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This article was created by

Written by : Isis

Image : Xu Ying

Design : Li Xueqian & Han Qing

Map: Xintian

Proofreading: Huang Taiji & Li Chuyang & Zhou Jinyu

Cover source: Visual China

Audit Expert

Xu Shiwei, Associate Professor of History Department, Nankai University

Professor Yuan Zhihui from the School of History and Culture of Tianjin Normal University

Li Zhi, Assistant Professor of History Department, Sun Yat-sen University

Note

[1] Mainstream academic circles generally believe that the Narmer Palette, unearthed between 3200 and 3000 BC, marks the beginning of ancient Egypt’s entry into civilization. However, the identity of King Narmer and whether he was the first king to unify Upper and Lower Egypt remains controversial.

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