Inventions of the ancient Egyptians that we use. inventions of ancient egypt. Where to see the artifacts of Ancient Egypt in Russia

About culture ancient egypt there are legends. Every student at least once in his life heard about the pyramids, papyri and ancient philosophers. For hundreds of years, a unique culture has developed in Egypt, bringing together the works of ancient scientists and things that are still used in the 21st century. Consider the legacy of this wonderful country - inventions of ancient egypt.

This heritage can be divided into 2 categories: material (things) and spiritual (knowledge). Below we will talk about the material heritage.

Material inventions of ancient Egypt

pyramids

These structures were needed for the correct transition of dead people to the afterlife. No one doubted the correctness of this case, so all the necessary rituals were observed. So, one of the main rules was that relatives put in the grave to the deceased person all the things he needed during his lifetime - it is believed that they will be useful to him in his next life.

But for modern times, the pyramids do not play this role. Now they are the main legacy of the evolution of architecture in ancient Egypt. Indeed, at that time these were the first structures built of stone, not brick. Special Process- mummification, and in modern times - embalming of the bodies of the dead, appeared in ancient Egypt. Now this process is of great importance in the burial of the dead.

Makeup

Now it is difficult to imagine girls without makeup. But, few people know that it was in Egypt that the "decor" of the face appeared. His goal was not beauty at all, although it was assigned no less a role. It was believed that makeup could cure most diseases. Makeup was worn not only by girls, but also by men. It was considered important element upper class.

Not only the main components of makeup have survived to the present, but also the technologies for their creation, which are still used today. The cooking methods were not particularly diverse: they simply mixed the powders different colors into one whole or combined oils into one liquid. Nevertheless, if it were not for the Egyptians, then we would not have reached: mascara, shadows, blush, pencil, perfume, deodorant and much more that can be found in any girl's cosmetic bag.

Papyrus

The Chinese are considered the inventors of paper, but in fact its analogue was created much earlier in ancient Egypt from papyrus. Papyrus grows along the banks of the Nile. It was used to make solid materials necessary for writing, and later rolled up into rolls of books, letters, religious texts and musical works.

papyrus recipe for a long time was unknown because the Egyptians kept it a secret. It helped them to successfully trade hard paper. And only in the second half of the 20th century did the recipe see the whole world.

Calendar

With the development of writing, too many items were created that were necessary for this process. And also things were created, in the use of which writing plays an important role.

Every modern man knows why a calendar is needed, but in ancient Egypt it was used differently than it is now. He showed the inhabitants of Egypt the time of the flood of the Nile, which was necessary for the Egyptians to work in agriculture.

Plow

For Agriculture used manual labor until people got tired of working under the scorching sun. A lightweight plow was created that scraped off the surface layer. And after a few centuries, the one that replaced human labor after cattle was harnessed to it.

Toothpaste, powder

The first paste does not at all resemble what many use now. Then it was intended only to hide the smell from the mouth. For this, a mixture of mint, incense and other ingredients was used.

Despite the fact that there were many scientists in Egypt, they did not find solutions to many problems in dentistry. So the remains show that caries and abscesses were a common occurrence not only for the elderly, but also for very young people. Nevertheless, many developments and technologies for creating toothpastes have been preserved for the present.

Bowling

This game was created for the first time in ancient Egypt. It is fundamentally different from the modern one, since the goal was not to knock down the skittles, but to roll the ball into a hole in the middle of the field. For modern times, the Egyptians gave the rules of this game, which is important for the entertainment of people.

Shaving and haircut

As you know, in Russia only Peter I opened a window to Europe, while the Egyptians were the first to create the fashion of shaving and haircuts. Shaving came about because of the uncomfortable hot climate - because it spoiled the hair, and it’s not good to constantly walk around with greasy hair and beards. Therefore, people shaved their hair everywhere.

It is the Egyptians who are considered the first inventors of shaving equipment. It was in Egypt that the barber and barber professions appeared. True, members of the upper class could have them. Nevertheless, unshaven body was considered an element low class, so everyone shaved and cut their hair.

Door locks

The Egyptians created the simplest - the tension wrench. But since its use was complex and laborious, contemporaries changed the technology of its creation. Although its function was simple and primitive, and the keys themselves were very heavy to such an extent that they had to be carried around like a rocker, nevertheless, these door locks differed from the Roman ones in reliability.

Sun and water clock

It is difficult to imagine a modern person's life without watches. Nevertheless, these first works of human hands appeared in ancient Egypt.

The principle is simple: changing the level of the shadow in sundial and volume of water in a water clock. With the help of them, the longest and the most short days in a year. And the main meaning of this invention is the definition of time at a particular moment.

Thus, summing up, although primitive things and technologies for their creation were created in Ancient Egypt, nevertheless, the culture of Ancient Egypt allowed those discoveries and improvements in which modern man lives to occur.

Egypt has a glorious past. In my time Egyptian civilization was the most highly intellectually and technically advanced. And there is hardly anyone who will undertake to challenge its achievements. Just a few of the most popular inventions made by the Egyptians, in any dispute will act as a weighty argument "against" any doubt.

1. Eye makeup, 4000 BC e.

The Egyptians began to actively use cosmetics for the eyes for a very long time. The first so-called palettes with shadows appeared as early as 5000 BC. e. The most popular colors then were green - it was obtained from malachite (copper dihydroxocarbonate) - and black, mined from galena (lead ore).

2. Writing system (pictograms), 3200 B.C. e.

It consisted of approximately 500 Egyptian hieroglyphs and is considered the first writing system based on graphic illustrations of words and sounds.

3. Papyrus paper, 3000 BC e.

It began to be made from the papyrus plant, which grew on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians were the first to write on the resulting tablets. By 1000 B.C. e. papyrus paper was exported to Western Asia, because it proved to be much more convenient to use than clay tablets.

4. 365-day calendar, 4000 B.C. e.

The ancient Egyptians originally used a 360-day calendar, which had 12 months of 30 days each. Only in 4000 BC it was decided to add another 5 days. Thanks to this, the backlog from the solar calendar was eliminated. In 238 BC, the Egyptians introduced the concept of "leap year".

5. Plow, 2500 BC e.

Numerous agricultural lands were located on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians grew wheat and various vegetables. To alleviate their fate, the farmers invented the plow. At first, however, the device was moved by a person. But then the Egyptians invented a design that would allow cattle to pull plows.

6. Breath freshener

Many Egyptians had serious problems with teeth. This happened because of the impressive amount of sand and pathogens on the stones, which crushed bread and flour. That is why most mummies show traces of large-scale abscesses and empty spaces in the jaws. Ancient people could not cure the problems, but they came up with a way to get rid of bad breath. For this purpose, they used special plates of cinnamon, myrrh, frankincense and honey.

7. Shaves and haircuts

In ancient Egypt, everyone cut their hair and shaved - both men and women. Just excess vegetation on the body was considered a bad manners. Hairy people were associated with barbarians, while smooth skin indicated a noble, intelligent origin.

8. Door lock, 4000 BC e.

The design consisted of a bolt and several pins. Such a lock was opened - the size of which, by the way, reached half a meter - with a key. Remarkably, the Egyptian invention was much more reliable than the Roman one.

9. Toothbrushes and toothpaste, 5000 BC e.

Although unsuccessfully, the Egyptians still tried to solve their problems with their teeth. To do this, they invented toothbrushes and toothpaste. The latter was prepared from burnt eggshells, powder from bull's hooves, ashes, pumice. Instead of brushes, tree twigs disheveled at the ends were used.

10. Pens and ink

The Egyptians invented not only papyrus paper, but also pens with ink (which is absolutely logical - otherwise why then paper?). The latter were made from soot, beeswax and vegetable resin.

In ancient Egypt, they were worn by both men and women. The fair sex used them as a fashion accessory, and the strong one used them to cover their bald head. They made wigs from human hair and date palm fibers.

12. Heels, 3500 BC e.

It was in 3500 BC that the first images of shoes with heels appeared. This was worn by representatives of the nobility - and of all sexes. Commoners usually went barefoot. The only exceptions were butchers - they high heels I had to wear it so as not to get my feet dirty in pools of blood.

Pyramids are the best evidence of the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt. Towering at 139 meters, the pyramid of Cheops looks down on the Statue of Liberty - 93 meters and Big Ben - 96 meters. Of course, the pyramids or the Great Sphinx are only part of the heritage of the ancient Egyptians.

For thousands of years of prosperity of Ancient Egypt, it became, perhaps, the most advanced civilization on Earth for that time, and many modern things and objects were quite common for the Egyptians. For example, Egyptian women wore rich jewelry and wigs, men boxed and wrestled in sports, and their children played Board games, dolls and other toys. They also flourished as inventors, and as you will see in this list of the most amazing Egyptian inventions, their creations changed the world from fashion to agriculture so much so that we still apply them today.

Makeup

Of course, eye makeup may not stand next to opening fire or a wheel as one of the most important discoveries in the history of mankind, but it gives the Egyptians a chance to set a record for the longevity of an invention. After they first applied eye makeup back in 4000 BC, it has never gone out of style. Even more impressive is that all those who are committed to cosmetics modern cultures, still paint their eyes using virtually the same methods and materials as the Egyptians did thousands of years ago. They used the soot of the mineral galena to create a black ointment known as kohl, which is extremely popular today. The Egyptians could also create green eye makeup by mixing malachite with galena.

Among the Egyptians, face painting was not limited to the female circle. social position and appearance walked hand in hand. The upper class believed that the more makeup applied, the better. Fashion was only one reason for the Egyptians' use of eyeliner. They also believed that the application of a thick layer of cosmetics could cure various diseases eyes and even keep the owner of a luxurious make-up from falling victim to the evil eye.

Although eye makeup gave the Egyptians a look that staggered the imagination of the people of that time, they did not stop there, developing all areas of cosmetics - from blush made from tinted clay to nail polish made from henna. Moreover, they created perfumes from various plants and flowers, as well as a deodorant made from frankincense and oatmeal.

Writing

There is nothing new in using pictures to tell stories. Rock carvings have been found in France and Spain dating back to 30,000 BC. But drawings and paintings will not be able to develop into the first writing for thousands of years until the first writing systems arise in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Egyptian writing began with pictograms, the first of which dates back to 6000 BC. The pictograms were simple drawings representing the words they represented, but they had limitations in their use. Over time, the Egyptians added other elements to their writing system, including alphabetic characters for certain sounds and various characters, which made it possible to write out names and abstract ideas.

Today, everyone knows that the Egyptians created hieroglyphs that contained a mixture of alphabetic, syllabic symbols, as well as pictures that stood for whole words. Hieroglyphs have been found in great numbers in Egyptian tombs and other in public places. The Egyptians created many stories about wars, politics, and culture that give us a great deal of insight into ancient Egyptian society. Of course, we must not forget to thank the French scientist Jean-Francois Champollion, who was able to decode a stone streaked with hieroglyphs, which marked the end of the 1500-year period during which Egyptian writing was shrouded in mystery.

papyrus sheets

No one will deny that the Chinese changed the world forever with the invention of paper around 140 BC, but we must not forget that the Egyptians developed a wonderful paper substitute from papyrus thousands of years earlier. This tough, reed-like plant grew and continues to grow in the swampy areas surrounding the Nile River. Its tough, fibrous surface was ideal for creating durable sheets of writing material, along with sails, sandals, rugs, and other essentials. ancient life. The sheets were often combined into scrolls, which were then filled with religious texts, literary works, and even music recordings.

The ancient Egyptians kept the process of papyrus production a closely guarded secret for a long time, allowing them to trade papyrus sheets throughout the region. Because the process was not documented anywhere, it was eventually lost until Dr. Hassan Raghab recreated the way papyrus sheets were made in 1965.

Calendar

In ancient Egypt, the calendar meant the time between feast and famine. Without calendar locals would not have been able to know when the annual flood of the Nile would begin. Without this knowledge, their entire agricultural system would be in jeopardy.

Their civic calendar was so closely tied to agriculture that the Egyptians divided the year into three main seasons: the flooding of the Nile, the growth of crops, and the harvest. Each season had four months divided into 30 days. If we add all this up, we get 360 days a year - a little less than the actual year. To make up the difference, the Egyptians added five days between the harvest and the flood season. These five days were designated as religious holidays dedicated to the gods.

Plow

While historians are still not entirely sure where exactly the plow originated, evidence suggests that the Egyptians and Sumerians were among the first societies to use it around 4000 BC. These plows, of course, were imperfect. Most likely built from modified hand tools, the plows were so light and inefficient that they are now called "scrape plows" due to their inability to sink deep into the ground. Egyptian wall paintings show four men pulling such a plow across a field - not The best way spend the day in the scorching Egyptian sun.

Everything changed in 2000 BC, when the Egyptians harnessed oxen to their plows. Early plow designs were tied to animal horns, but it turned out that this affected the ability of oxen to breathe. Later versions consisted of a belt system and were much more efficient. The plow revolutionized agriculture in ancient Egypt and, combined with the constant rhythm of the Nile River, made farming easier for the Egyptians than perhaps for any other human society of the time.

The plow undoubtedly made the process of cultivating crops much easier, but farming still required back-breaking labor. Egyptian farmers used short, hand-held hoes to work the land in the hot sun all day long. The Egyptians also collected ripened grains in baskets and used scythes to harvest. Perhaps the most inventive farming tools were the pigs and sheep, which the cunning Egyptians drove across the field to trample the seeds into the mud as they were planted.

Fresh breath

We have the ancient Egyptians to thank for developing a way to hide the bad odors our mouths sometimes give off. Just as in our time, bad breath in ancient Egypt was often a symptom of bad health teeth. Unlike us, the Egyptians did not eat sweet soft drinks and foods that contribute to tooth decay, but the stones they used to grind grains into flour for bread added a lot of grit to the ancient Egyptian diet, which ruthlessly wore away tooth enamel, leaving teeth vulnerable to infection.

The Egyptians had specialists to deal with many medical problems, but unfortunately they did not have dentists or maxillofacial surgeons to fix their deteriorating teeth and gums. Instead, they simply suffered, and the scientists who examined the mummies found severely worn teeth and evidence of abscesses even in young Egyptians. To deal with the bad smells from their sick mouths, the Egyptians invented the first "mint tablets" which contained frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon, boiled with honey and shaped into pellets.

Bowling

At Narmuteos, a village 90 kilometers south of Cairo that dates back to the period of Roman occupation in the second and third centuries AD, archaeologists have discovered a site containing a set of bands carved in stone and a collection of orbs of various sizes. The grooves are about 4 meters long, 20 centimeters wide, and 10 centimeters deep. In the center was a square hole with a side size of 12 centimeters.

Unlike modern bowling, in which players aim to knock down the pins set at the end of the lane, the Egyptian balls were directed to the hole in the middle. Competitors stood at opposite ends of the strip, trying to get balls of various sizes into the central hole and, in the process of throwing, also knock the opponent's ball off course.

Shaving and haircut

Perhaps the Egyptians were the first ancient people to take care of their hair. In any case, in their opinion, wearing hair was unhygienic, and the sweltering heat North Africa made wearing long braids and beards uncomfortable. Thus, they shaved or cut their hair short and shaved their faces regularly. Priests shaved their entire bodies completely every three days. For most of ancient Egyptian history, being clean-shaven was considered fashionable, and being unshaven was seen as a sign of low social status.

To this end, the Egyptians invented tools that may have been the first shaving implements - a set of sharp stone blades fixed in wooden handles, then replaced by razors with copper blades. They also invented the barber profession. The first hairdressers worked at the homes of wealthy aristocrats, while ordinary clients were served outdoors, sitting under shady trees.

However, the presence of facial hair, or at least the appearance of such presence, was highly valued. The Egyptians took sheep's wool and made wigs and false beards out of it, which, oddly enough, were sometimes worn by Egyptian queens, as well as pharaohs. Fake beards were various forms to indicate dignity and social status their owner. Ordinary citizens wore small beards about 5 cm long, while the pharaohs wore square-shaped beards. The Egyptian gods had even more luxurious long beards that were braided.

Door locks

The earliest such devices, made around 4000 BC, were mostly with falling pins. These wooden or metal cylinders, which served as locks, protruding from the lock shaft, could be manipulated using a tension wrench, which pushed them up from the holes in the shaft. After lifting all the pins, the shaft could be turned, thereby opening the lock. The tension wrench is the simplest key of all currently known. Its function was only to push the pins up, so even a thin screwdriver could act as a key.

One of the disadvantages of these ancient castles was their size. The largest of them were of such dimensions that the key had to be carried on the shoulders. Despite the primitive mechanism with falling pins and pull keys to open them, Egyptian locks were actually more reliable than the Roman technology for making door locks.

Dentifrice

As we mentioned earlier, the Egyptians had many problems with their teeth, largely due to the fact that their bread contained sand that wore away tooth enamel. Due to the lack of dentistry among the Egyptians, they made some effort to keep their teeth clean. Archaeologists have found toothpicks buried next to mummies, apparently intended to clean food debris from the deceased's teeth. afterlife. Along with the Babylonians, the Egyptians are also credited with inventing the first toothbrushes, which were the soaked ends of wooden rods.

But the Egyptians also contributed to innovations in oral hygiene, in the form of tooth powder. Early ingredients included grated ox hooves, ashes, burnt eggshells, and pumice stone. Archaeologists have recently discovered a more advanced recipe for toothpaste. The manual is written on papyrus, which dates back to Roman occupation in the fourth century AD. Unknown author explains how to mix exact amount rock salt, mint, dried iris flower and peppercorns to form "powder for white and fine teeth".

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It seems that the ancient people must be different from us. Strange customs, an unknown language, etc. But no, as archeology shows, we are not as different as we think.

website collected interesting discoveries about the life of the ancient Egyptians, who will convince you of this.

1. They mined iron from meteorites

Archaeologists have found metal beads in an ancient Egyptian tomb. Their uniqueness is that iron in Egypt began to be smelted only after 2,000 years. Where did these beads come from then? The answer is given by the hieroglyph that denoted iron - it translates as "metal from the sky." Most likely, the beads were made from a meteorite.

2. Invented toothpaste

There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians already from 5000 BC. e. they made toothpaste, a powder made up of various ingredients available at the time (among them burnt eggshells and pumice stone). However, information has not reached our times how exactly they used this paste. Here we can only guess.

3. Were treated with antibiotics

Despite the fact that antibiotics were officially invented in the 20th century, ancient Egyptian doctors used moldy bread cakes as a cure for festering wounds, and such lotions worked very effectively.

5. Founded the world's first police force

The world's first police force appeared during the Middle Kingdom (circa 2050-1800 BC). It was formed from the most dedicated warriors and foreign mercenaries. The ancient policemen were accompanied by dogs and monkeys. Warriors defended temples and squares, nobles and caravans from criminals - just like modern policemen, just without monkeys.

6. One of the first to start making beer

It is a well-known fact that the builders of the great pyramids were given 4-5 liters of beer. This suggests that their brewing was very developed. Egypt was one of the first to make this foamy drink.

7. Surgeons did very complex operations.

The ancient Egyptians had a unique medical knowledge comparable to modern medicine. Modern scientists, studying mummies, have found traces of such operations as heart bypass surgery, organ transplants, and even plastic surgery. It is a pity that their knowledge was lost, it is not known what heights the ancient doctors would have reached now.

8. Used a door lock

Door locks were invented in Egypt, China and Mesopotamia. Probably because they were needed. How more people live side by side, the more reasons to close the door to the castle. They were made of wood and were the simplest locking mechanism.

Of all the ancient civilizations, the Egyptians are by far one of the most well known. The pyramids they built stand to this day, and their mummies and sarcophagi are valuable exhibits in the most famous museums. But at the same time, few people know that much of what is used modern people, was invented in ancient Egypt.

10. Mathematics

The Egyptians had a remarkable knowledge of mathematics. The earliest records of geometry come from Egypt, where the geometry specialists were called "arpedonapti". They used ropes to calculate the area of ​​land, and then eventually passed this knowledge on to the Greeks. The Egyptians also developed efficient ways of multiplying and dividing, as well as fractions.

2. Bowling

The Egyptians played a game very similar to modern bowling. Archaeologist William Matthews Flinders Petrie discovered a child's grave, which contained coarse pins and small balls, and concluded that they were play equipment. More solid evidence for this theory has been found in excavations of a residential area from the second century. In one of the rooms, several balls and a track with a hole in the middle were found.

3. Alphabet

Of course, today people don't use the Egyptian alphabet, but the idea of ​​a phonetic alphabet (where each character represents a sound, not a whole word) came from Egypt. Ordinary Egyptian hieroglyphs used a character for each word, but there were also 24 characters that were used to represent sounds to somehow write borrowed foreign words.

4. Paper and writing

Although the Egyptians did not invent the paper that is used today, papyrus was a huge step up from carving texts on stone and clay tablets, both in terms of ease of writing and easier to carry around. The Egyptians invented papyrus (and the reed pens they used to write on it) in 3000 B.C., but did not begin to use it en masse until 500 B.C.

Papyrus became one of Egypt's biggest exports: it was very expensive and its technology was heavily guarded. Inspired by the example of Egypt, Europe eventually switched to parchment, and then China invented paper in 100 BC, making it from mulberry bark and hemp rags.

5. Wigs

The ancient Egyptians had a dilemma: they didn't want to wear long hair in the hot sun, but they also didn't want to cut their hair bald so that the sun's rays didn't burn their scalp, and also for fashion reasons. The end result was wigs. protection from high temperature was far from the only reason, according to which the Egyptians began to use wigs. They also protected against head lice.

People have been treating wounds with all kinds of herbs and crushed animal parts for a long time. However, thanks to their new and convenient writing methods, the Egyptians left behind some of the oldest descriptions of medical procedures and medicinal prescriptions. So far, scientists have found nine separate papyrus journals that talk about how the Egyptians treated patients.

7. Surgery

Continuing the theme of medicine, the Egyptians were the civilization that owned the earliest discovered surgical instruments. They were found in the tomb of Kara, who was known as "the palace physician and keeper of the pharaoh's secrets." Several bronze surgical instruments were found in the burial near the head of Kara, each of which had a hole for hanging on a hook.

8. Door locks

Actually, the Egyptians did not invent door locks (the Assyrians did), but the Egyptians popularized them and improved on the original design. Egyptian designs are remarkably similar to those in use today, except that the mechanisms were made of wood or brass. After all, it was much cheaper than hiring a security guard. Eventually, castles spread throughout Greece and the Roman Empire.

9. Toothpaste

Methods for keeping teeth clean have been around for some time, but the Egyptians invented the first ever oral health remedy. In some Egyptian tombs, toothbrushes were found that were made from a twig that had been ground at one end. A recipe for toothpaste was found in papyrus documents: 1 drachma (0.3 grams) of rock salt, 2 drachmas of mint, 1 drachma of dried iris flower and some pepper.

10. Glass

Evidence that humans created and used glass in crafts can be found as early as 3500 BC. - Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Glass was mainly used in the form of small glass beads. The Egyptians then opened effective method making vases by pouring molten glass into molds of packed sand. The earliest Egyptian vases discovered were dedicated to Pharaoh Thutmose III and date back to around 1500 BC. e.