EFFECTS OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATIONS ON THE WORLD & AFRICA
Egyptian civilization which occurred on the bank of River Nile in the eastern corner of Africa affected Africa and the whole word at large, be it political, economical, technical, scientific, medical, Egypt played significant role in shaping the world.
In this today’s lesson, I will explain various ways through which Egyptian civilizations affected Africa and the whole world using their legacies.
The development of a system of writing called ‘hieroglyphics’ by Egyptians impacted the world positively. The hieroglyphics system of writing was not a borrowed one, it was indeed developed by Egyptians. Most of the symbols of this writing were derived from local environment. However, the most extensive and important class of documentary material which has survived today comprises the papyri written in hieroglyphics which is held by the British museum.
The preserving of human body which is rampart in the world now started way back in Egypt. Because of their experience and mastery of science, like physics, made them to discover the chemical characteristics of Natrun. The process of Mummification was achieved by soaking the nostrils while the intestine were removed through an incision made in the side of the body. Such operation bears a testimony of an accurate knowledge of anatomy. While the overall success of the preservation shows that the Egyptians had intimate knowledge of chemistry.
Egypt affected their world positively through astronomy. The Egyptians was able to use religious, luner calender in their everyday life and was able to predict the moon’s phase with adequacy. Moreover, the Egyptian calender had four months with each of the months having thirty days. The calendar was divided into three sessions.
In the aspect of architecture, Egyptians made very astonishing contributions to the world. They applied mathematical knowledge to architectural project. Developing a wide range of architectural forms, Egyptians began with the use of mud briefly, to becoming the first to use hewn stone in construction work.
One of the major effect of Egyptian civilization was the distribution of glass making techniques to the world. Though glass making techniques were discovered by Asia and Nile independently, Egyptian initiated the spread of it to the whole world. It is important to note that it is the Egyptian glass maker who invented the blown glass in the Hellenistic period before Alexandra became the main center of the manufacture of glass ware. However, glass products from Alexandria were exported to far as China.
Egyptian civilization also invented another significant industry for the production of papyrus. Egyptian used this papyrus to maintain inventories, registers and libraries. However, papyrus was used in Egypt from the first dynasty to Pharaonic perid. However, it was later admired by the Greeks, the Roman, the Copt, the Byzantine, the Aramaeans and the Arabs. A large part of Greek and Latin literature has come to us on papyrus.
On the technical aspects of the effects of Egyptian civilization on Africa and world at large was the ability in stone masonry. However, the world began to get the knowledge of this stone masonry through Egyptians because of their search for stone to to build their monuments. Eocene cliffs on the border of the Nile provided magnificent blocks of fine stone used to construct the great pyramids which has their faces made up with block of granite.
Because of the Egyptians expertise in wood working, they were able to build large ships which was capable of plying the farthest maritime routes. However, the word today are making very large ships, it’s not a mistake, Egyptians did it and it’s affected the world positively.
Today, students are offering medicine and surgery as course in the tertiary institutions and finally becoming a surgeon. It started in Egypt. Egyptians had good knowledge of bone surgery and external pathology. It was the knowledge acquired from Mummification led to the development of surgical technique by the Egyptians.
Mathematics are being studied in schools today, while Egyptian made use of this mathematics both their construction and sculptural work. Accurate measurements were required to construct the enormous architectural and sculptural monuments. Their mathematics were categorized under Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. However, they made use of Arithmetic in solving the material problems pertaining to the administration of Egyptian society. The Greek writers, Herodotus and Strabo, supported the view that Geometry was invented by the Egyptians. The impetus for invention arose from the need to calculate the area of land eroded or added echo year by the flooding of the Nile, but Egyptian geometry, like mathematics, was empirical.
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