The sons of priests, Pharaohs, and administrative families were educated in a more formal manner, but these classes also passed on the father's position. Literacy was if great importance in running the highly bureaucratic Egyptian society. Teaching children to read and write was a priority. Children learned two types of writing: the rewriting of existing poetry and prose, and business wiring. Business writing was required for the varied tasks that gave the scribe his rank and importance in society. Mathematics also received considerable attention in the curriculum. Overall, the Egyptian system of education was highly respected in the ancient world for its efforts at creating a well-rounded individual who could become a valuable member of society.
Science and Technology
The conservatism and practicality of the Egyptians are also evident in their scientific and technical achievements. They created what was needed and refined it until it was practical and could be used efficiently. Examples of this very practical nature include the development of Egyptian writing, medicine, their techniques for preserving the dead for thousands of years, and a calendar that allowed the Egyptians to predict accurately the yearly flooding of the Nile.
Writing
The ancient Egyptians' form of writing, known as hieroglyphics, dates back to the earliest periods of their history. It is though that the Egyptians likely borrowed from the Mesopotamians, who had developed cuneiform script -- a script that had evolved from a series of pictographs. The Mesopotamians developed a more comprehensive system of writing to replace pictographs, but Egyptian hieroglyphics retained their pictographic nature. By about 3100 BCE, the Egyptians had a fully developed written language that used a combination of ideaograms (symbols that express a whole word or idea) and pnograms (symbols that suggest a particular sound).
At the time of the New Kingdom, there were about 700 hieroglyphs in common usage, of which about 100 remained strictly visual, while the rest were phonograms. The system of hieroglyphic writing, while aesthetically pleasing and well-suited to the adornment of temples and tombs, proved impractical for day-to-day use. From the earliest period, scribes adapted hieroglyphic symbols in order to create handwriting known as hieratic writing. This simplified form of hieroglphics was more suited to rapid writing using a brush on wood or a reed pen on papyrus. A further refinement of hieratic script ular script, came into use for secular matters such as letters, accounts, and record keeping.
As ancient Egyptian civilization waned, hieroglyphics faded from use. The last recorded use of hieroglyphics is found on the Temple of Isis at Philae dating to 394 CE. By this time, hieroglyphics were a mysterious text used only by a few priests who kept their meaning secret. It was not until the nineteenth century when Jean Francois Champollion cracked the hieroglyphic code, that we were able to unlock the secrets of ancient Egyptian writing.
Medicine
Names marked on Egyptian tombs clearly indicate that there were doctors in Egyptian society. Medicine was a literate profession, and medical knowledge was recorded from a very early date, the oldest text dating back to 2000 BCE. These accumulated texts were a mixture of observation, medical and surgical descriptions, diagnosis, and prescriptions. They contain medical knowledge, plus observations mingled with nonsense, magic, and religion. Some of the inaccuracies stem from an inadequate knowledge of anatomy and the belief that disease was imposed as a punishment by the gods.
Some common medical problems that appear in the texts -- and can easily be verified by examination of mummies -- are worm infestations, arthritis, small pox, tuberculosis, and gallstones. The medicines concocted were made of beer, milk, oil, plants, herbs, and animal substances. Bandages, splints, and disinfectants were used and doctors usually treated and stitched open wounds.
The texts comprised a sacred and unchangeable wisdom that was greater than the abilities of the doctors. This resulted in a stagnation of the development of medicine since no further research or modification was seen to be necessary. Resourcefulness and practicality were part of the Egyptians' mentality, as was the confining conservatism. They created the tools necessary to live a comfortable life in the Nile Valley.
Egypt's Legacy
One of the great achievements of Egyptian culture was its longevity. For over two thousand years, Egypt remained a dominant political and cultural force in the Near East. In fact, its influence spread throughout the Mediterranean, helping to shape, first, Minoan culture and , later, the culture of mainland Greece. As one of the world's first civilizations and one of the earliest powers to dominate the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt played a critical role in the development of the Near East. Although conservative, the ancient Egyptians made significant advances in many fields, including art, architecture, and technology. In the end, although we may marvel at the pyramids and be intrigued by the tombs and treasures of the Pharaohs, we must not lose sight of the ancient Egyptians as a people. They had a rich and vibrant society whose costumes and traditions reflected their dependence on nature and their optimistic view of the afterlife.
Writing: ECHOES from the past, published by McGraw-Hill Ryderson Ltd.
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