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# Ancient Egypt

# Ancient Egypt

## Overview
Ancient Egypt was a civilization centered along the Nile River in northeastern Africa, lasting from ~3100 BCE to 30 BCE. It produced monumental architecture, a complex writing system, and one of the longest-lasting state structures in history.

## Key Facts
- Region: Nile Valley and Delta, northeastern Africa
- Period: ~3100 BCE – 30 BCE (Roman annexation)
- Capital cities: Memphis, Thebes, Amarna, Alexandria (Ptolemaic)
- Language: Egyptian (Afro-Asiatic family)
- Writing systems: Hieroglyphic, Hieratic, Demotic
- Religion: Polytheistic with pharaoh as divine intermediary

## Major Periods
- Early Dynastic (~3100–2686 BCE): Unification under Narmer/Menes
- Old Kingdom (~2686–2181 BCE): Pyramid age, centralized power
- Middle Kingdom (~2055–1650 BCE): Cultural golden age
- New Kingdom (~1550–1069 BCE): Imperial expansion, Ramesses II, Tutankhamun
- Ptolemaic Period (305–30 BCE): Greek-ruled Egypt after Alexander's conquest

## Achievements
- Great Pyramid of Giza, built ~2560 BCE under Khufu [^1]
- Developed hieroglyphic writing ~3200 BCE
- Advanced mummification and funerary practices
- Sophisticated medicine, mathematics, and astronomy
- Monumental temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor

## Decline
Egypt fell under Persian rule (525 BCE), then Macedonian (332 BCE), and finally became a Roman province after the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BCE.

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[^1]: Lehner, M. *The Complete Pyramids* (Thames & Hudson, 1997)
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## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Region: Nile Valley and Delta, northeastern Africa" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Period: ~3100 BCE – 30 BCE (Roman annexation)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Capital cities: Memphis, Thebes, Amarna, Alexandria (Ptolemaic)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Language: Egyptian (Afro-Asiatic family)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Writing systems: Hieroglyphic, Hieratic, Demotic" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 15: "Religion: Polytheistic with pharaoh as divine intermediary" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Early Dynastic (~3100–2686 BCE): Unification under Narmer/Menes" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Old Kingdom (~2686–2181 BCE): Pyramid age, centralized power" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Middle Kingdom (~2055–1650 BCE): Cultural golden age" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "New Kingdom (~1550–1069 BCE): Imperial expansion, Ramesses II, Tutankhamun" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Ptolemaic Period (305–30 BCE): Greek-ruled Egypt after Alexander's conquest" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Great Pyramid of Giza, built ~2560 BCE under Khufu [^1]" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "Developed hieroglyphic writing ~3200 BCE" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 27: "Advanced mummification and funerary practices" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 28: "Sophisticated medicine, mathematics, and astronomy" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 29: "Monumental temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Region: Nile Valley and Delta, northeastern Africa" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Period: ~3100 BCE – 30 BCE (Roman annexation)" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Capital cities: Memphis, Thebes, Amarna, Alexandria (Ptolemaic)" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Language: Egyptian (Afro-Asiatic family)" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 14: "Writing systems: Hieroglyphic, Hieratic, Demotic" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 15: "Religion: Polytheistic with pharaoh as divine intermediary" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Early Dynastic (~3100–2686 BCE): Unification under Narmer/Menes" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Old Kingdom (~2686–2181 BCE): Pyramid age, centralized power" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Middle Kingdom (~2055–1650 BCE): Cultural golden age" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 21: "New Kingdom (~1550–1069 BCE): Imperial expansion, Ramesses II, Tutankhamun" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Ptolemaic Period (305–30 BCE): Greek-ruled Egypt after Alexander's conquest" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "Developed hieroglyphic writing ~3200 BCE" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 27: "Advanced mummification and funerary practices" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 28: "Sophisticated medicine, mathematics, and astronomy" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 29: "Monumental temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor" - what is the source?
> Lehner (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 21: "New Kingdom (~1550–1069 BCE): Imperial expansion, Ramesses II, Tutankhamun" - what does "II" mean in this context?
> Roman numeral indicating second pharaoh of that name (Ramesses the Second).
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 25: "Great Pyramid of Giza, built ~2560 BCE under Khufu [^1]" - Lehner source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Great Pyramid dating is well-established.