The Old Kingdom

      Prior to 3100 BCE, Egypt was probably a collection of unorganized societies. Lower Egypt, or the Delta Kingdom, was ruled by a monarchy symbolized by the red crown; the white crown represented the power of Upper Egypt. The legendary King Menes is believed to have been the first to unite Egypt and wear the double crown symbolizing the unity of the two kingdoms. Between 3100 BCE and 2700 BCE, Menes and his heirs were able to consolidate their power and achieve absolute rule in Egypt. By the time of the Old Kingdom, the king was ruler of all of Egypt and considered a god. He was the supreme ruler of all affairs, secular and religious.

      The Old Kingdom reached its peak during the Fourth Dynasty ( a dynasty is a series of rulers belonging to the same family). By engaging in trade throughout much of the Mediterranean, and by mining copper in the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptians acquired tremendous wealth in both material goods and new ideas. Timber from Syria, wine and oil from Crete, and the potter's wheel from Mesopotamian were all introduced to Egypt during the Old Kingdom. 

      The greatest symbols of the wealth of the Old Kingdom, however, were the three massive pyramids at Giza. Build between 2600 and 2500 BCE, these pyramids were the chief undertaking of the kings of the Fourth Dynasty -- Khufu (also known as Cheops), Khafre, and Menkure. To this day, these monumental structures stand as testimonials to the greatest of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. 

Imhotep: An Egyptian Genius

      Seldom were the lives and accomplishments of individuals other than Pharaohs recorded by the Egyptians. One worthy exception was Imhotep, a man whom historians have called a genius. Imhotep;s contributions to Egyptian society were so profound that he was essentially deified, and rose to serve at the right hand of the Pharaoh Djoser. Living during the reign of Djoser,in the Third Dynasty (ca. 2686-2613 BCE), the brilliant Imhotep was the first individual (non-ruler) whose life has been recorded and passed on through history. On a statue of Imhotep in the royal funeral complex, we see the extent of his titles and the roles he played. The inscription reads: "The Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, the first after the King of Upper Egypt, administrator of the great palace, hereditary lord, the High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep the builder, the sculptor, and the maker of stone vases."

      Evidently, Imhotep was all this and more. He was the founder of the Egyptian system of medicine -- highly regarded for hundreds of years as the best of the ancient world. He was also the architect who designed and supervised the construction of the word's first stone building, and the first pyramid (also made entirely of stone blocks). In fact, the Step Pyramid created by Imhotep for the Pharaoh Djoser was the embodiment of Egyptians religious beliefs -- it captured for eternity the majesty of Pharaonic Egypt. Imhotep;'s genius did not end with the creation of a huge and eternal tomb for the Pharaoh. Inside the tomb, Imhotep immortalized in stone every aspect of life within the royal palace at about 2650 BCE. From the furnishings of the palace and everyday goods such as straw baskets and metal pots, to the exploits of the Pharaoh, his family, and Imhotep himself, all were captured and frozen in time in carefully sculpted stone images. In the end, the Step Pyramid emerged as the first piece of monumental architecture created by an artist. Imhotep's vision was to create a tomb that use space and design to capture the essence of the life of a Pharaoh, not merely a place to hod his final remains.  

The Step Pyramids of Djoser, the first monumental architecture in Egypt, built ca. 2650 BCE. 

Writing: ECHOES from the Past publihed by McGraw-Hill Ryderson Ltd.