Chapter 3 of 10All chapters
Chapter 3 of 10
Ancient Egypt
Three thousand years.
The river and the state
The predictable Nile flood supported dense farming and a centralised state that lasted, with interruptions, for three millennia across Old, Middle and New Kingdoms.
- Pyramids belong to the Old Kingdom, far earlier than Cleopatra.
- Hieroglyphs were deciphered using the Rosetta Stone.
Belief
Elaborate funerary practice reflected a belief in continued existence, and much of what survives comes from tombs rather than houses, which skews the picture towards the elite.