ARCH 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter egypt: Mentuhotep Ii, Basalt, Tutankhamun

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Archaeology
• Course: ARCH 100
• Professor: David Maxwell

Document Summary

Splendor of temples & tombs of ancient egypt evoke: Archaeological research points to intense human activity. Familiar symbols that appear in formal inscriptions & on tomb walls. Egyptian scribes also dvlped cursive hands used for everyday purposes. Unlike mesopotamia, natural resources plentiful near nile. Practically everything & everyone existed along the river. Transportation relatively simple b/c of the river. Sailed south (upstream) against current sing prevailing northerly winds. Our knowledge of egyptian culture very large reflection of history of its archaeological investigation. Due to highly restricted geography, communities tend to be built one upon the other on flood plain. Lots of recycling of materials for rebuilding & mixing of previous occupations. Many early communities buried under meters of silt/below present water table. Prominent sites assoc. w/ temples & mortuary complexes which lie above flood plain on margins of desert. Remarkable dry preservation in tombs & dazzling wealth. Early writing also concerned w/ king lists .