How ancient Egyptian civilization influenced the modern world
BY READERS DIGEST
30th Sep 2020 Life
Ancient civilizations have always held a special fascination for people, with their rich history and enthralling mysteries that transport us back in time, and they’ve all had their contribution at shaping the world as we know it today. But out of all ancient civilizations known to humankind, the ancient Egyptians are probably the ones that capture our imagination the most.
However, there’s more to ancient Egypt than the amazing stories we hear about the pharaohs and the dynasties that have ruled the land of sand and pyramids for thousands of years. Egyptians left us a valuable legacy through their inventions and discoveries that changed the course of history and led to the development of the modern world. So, let’s take a trip through Egypt’s history and explore the most notable creations that ancient Egyptians gave us.
Medical science
Ancient Egyptians were quite knowledgeable when it came to understanding different ailments and they were quite skilled at treating them as well. Several medical texts have been discovered, describing medical procedures and recipes in great detail. They used herbs and animal parts to cure wounds and other health issues, so they didn’t rely on magical powers or unearthly forces to ensure their good health and wellbeing. But what’s even more impressive is that they also performed surgeries. The bronze surgical tools and the papyrus logs that have been discovered stand proof of their advanced medical skills, so Egyptians can be considered the precursors to modern medicine.
Egyptians were also great mathematicians, knowing how to perform calculations such as additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions in effective ways, and there’s evidence proving they were the first to come up with the concept of basic fractions. They also had knowledge in geometry and they made use of these skills to help them take accurate measurements and build their impressive monuments. Just think about the Great Pyramids and the level of mathematical and geometrical knowledge this civilization had to possess in order to build such massive structures.
Written language
Although the Egyptian alphabet is no longer in use today, they were the first civilization to use symbols to represent individual sounds, thus developing written language. Egyptians initially used hieroglyphs to express their ideas in written form, but over the course of time they invented 24 alphabets. They also took one step further by leaving behind the common practice of carving these symbols into stone and started using papyrus for their writings, crafted from the plant with the same name that grew on the banks of Nile. This inspired other civilizations to develop similar materials such as parchments and then the Chinese finally invented the paper in 100 BC.
It’s quite obvious that ancient Egyptians excelled in both art and architecture. Numerous structures and art pieces have stood the test of time and still amaze us today with their beauty and intricacy. It remains a mystery how such an ancient civilization could create these mesmerizing monuments. Archaeologists have discovered countless art pieces from different dynasties which make the object of fasciation to this day. So much so that people even try to replicate the style and artistry of ancient Egyptians, searching for Egyptian antiquities for sale to decorate their homes and bring an unique accent to their space.
Makeup and wigs
In ancient Egypt, both men and women were equally interested in makeup and enhancing their physical appearance. For them, beauty was related to sacredness, and people from all classes indulged in the art of makeup. We all know the stories about queen Cleopatra’s ravishing beauty, so for Egyptians outward appearance was a matter of no small importance. Women from upper classes would use creams and powders to make their skin look lighter, but the most popular beauty trend was of course the use of heavy eye makeup. Egyptians would use either grepond eye-paint or black kohl to contour their eyes. Another widespread beauty trend in ancient Egypt was wearing wigs. It was a sign of nobility as most nobles would shave their heads and cover their heads with wigs made from natural hair.
The Egyptian calendar is amongst the first dating systems known to mankind. The Egyptians who were skilled astronomers discovered the lunar year and created a calendar based on the phases of the moon, but they later introduced a civil calendar that very much resembles the one we use today. According to the Egyptian civil calendar, the year had 365 days and consisted of three seasons of 120 days each. The seasons would have four months of 30 days and at the end of each year there would be 5 epagomenal days added. So, we can all thank ancient Egyptians for forming the basis of the modern-day calendar.
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