Episode 2 Prehistoric Egypt

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

Brier defines prehistory as time before writing. According to archeologists, Egypt first acquired writing around 3200 BC. The scientific study of prehistoric Egypt began around 1859 when archeologists discovered the first stone tools.

Paleolithic 700,000 BC

The first pre-humans migrated to Egypt from southern Africa around 700,000 BC, at a time when Egypt was lush Savannah. They had speech and used stone axe heads and fire. The axe head was the only tool found in Egypt until the Neanderthals arrived in Egypt between 70,000 and 43,000 BC. The latter buried their dead, cared for the sick and made specialized tools such as scrapers (to prepare hides as clothing).

Around 43,000 BC modern man arrived to replace the Neanderthals. They are fish and molluscs and lived in clans of 25-30 people. Their life expectancy was 30 years, and they made tools from obsidian, which forms a sharper edge than flint. New tools included a sickle to harvest crops (which were intensively cared for but not planted) and a bow and arrow, making tiny specialized arrowheads for hunting birds.

Mesolithic 10,000 – 5,000 BC

This period saw the development of grinding stones to grind grain and cosmetics (used for religious and aesthetic purposes).

Neolithic 5,000 BC to present

From 5,000 BC on, there is clear evidence people were growing grain in Egypt and making pots to cook it and make beer. A total population of 2,000 were living in communities of 150, with clear evidence of a division of labor that included crafts people as well as farmers. Upper and Lower Egypt each has their own king and people start burying their dead in sand pits. Burying bodies in dry sands leads to natural mummification. This may have inspired the Egyptian science of mummification.

There’s early evidence of art, with cosmetic grinding plates carved in animal shapes,  decorated pots and small female figurines.

The date of these artifacts is mainly confirmed via carbon 14 dating* or pollen dating (comparing the pollen zones in different rock layers**)

*Carbon 14, present in all living things, begins breaking down the moment they die. Carbon 14 has a haf-life of 5,700 years.

**Non-living objects can sometimes be dated by Carbon 14 dating of pollen found in the same rock layer.

Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492795