Ancient Egyptian Inventions
Studying ancient Egyptian inventions makes you realize that Egypt is the starting point for everything! For thousands of years, the ancient Egyptians ruled over a large empire, taming enormous swaths of wilderness, constructing structures that have survived the test of time, and crafting stories that have become legendary.
Many lesser-known ancient Egyptian inventions have been passed down to us, which are still in use today. This article examines ancient Egyptian innovations, including how they came to be, their role in Egyptian culture, and how they are remembered now.
Ancient Egypt has one of the world’s most extensive collections of antiquities and monuments. It also had a huge cultural influence on nearby ancient and modern civilizations, influencing issues like language, mathematics, and architecture.
Ancient Egyptian inventions were also recognized for their vast range of diversity, many of which are still in use today. Continue reading to learn about ten of the most significant Ancient Egyptian innovations.
The following is a list of ancient Egyptian inventions and discoveries:
Ancient Egyptian Inventions in Language and Literature
Language is one of the most important ancient Egyptian inventions; they invented the art of writing to express their ideas. Initially, the Egyptians used pictures and pictographic signs to express their ideas, but after a few thousand years, they invented 24 alphabets (where each symbol represents a sound rather than a whole word).
In 3200 B.C.E, this caught on with Egypt’s neighbors, the Phoenicians, who created their own alphabet, which spread throughout the Near East. This affected speech and writing by serving as the catalyst and foundation for alphabets all throughout the ancient world.
The discovery of the Rosetta stone in 1799 A.D. brought all of this knowledge to light. In 3000 B.C.E., the ancient Egyptians were the first to abandon stone tablets in favor of writing on papyrus using ink. They were able to utilize their creativity to produce eternal literature like “The Pyramid Texts,” “The Coffin Texts,” and “The Book of the Dead,” which expressed their feelings, tales, myths, experiences, and religious views.
They spoke a variety of languages, including
- Archaic Egyptian (before 2600 B.C.E.)
- Old Egyptian (2600–2000 B.C.E.)
- Demotic Egyptian (7th century B.C.E.–4th century C.E.)
- Coptic (3rd–12th-century C.E.)
- Middle Egyptian (2000–1300 B.C.E.)
- Late Egyptian (1300–700 B.C.E.)
Ancient Egyptian Mathematical, Geometrical, and Architectural Inventions
The ancient Egyptians were talented in mathematics; they were quick at addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and they were the first to create simple and complicated fractions, as evidenced by remnants discovered on a papyrus written around 1650 B.C.E.
In 3100 B.C.E., there was also the first confirmed usage of a decimal system. They possessed better practical mathematics than the Greeks or Mesopotamians. Egypt possessed the oldest records of geometry, as they had a variety of ways for performing these calculations, which we now use in current computing.
Using their sophisticated understanding of building and the science underlying triangles, squares, quadrangles, and other shapes for measuring the land, the ancient Egyptians created some of the most amazing monuments the world has ever seen.
They were able to construct magnificent masterpieces such as the Giza Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the whole city of Karnak, and a large number of well-designed and built monuments that have survived the test of time. This inspired other civilizations to follow in the footsteps of the Greeks and build magnificent structures.
The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent custom-made bricks of the same size and cement, to use copper plumbing in 3000 B.C.E, to use precise surveying in 2700 B.C.E to construct their breathtaking structures, and to invent the Astronomical calendar in 2400 B.C.E, which we still use today for its accuracy and regularity.
Inventions in Medicine by the Ancient Egyptians
They put a lot of effort into learning the art of human anatomy, which dates back to 3000 B.C.E. In the ancient world, Egyptian medicine had a good reputation since numerous doctors could stitch up wounds, mend shattered bones, and even amputate limbs.
They utilized opium as a pain reliever, and they ate onions and garlic on a regular basis for their medicinal advantages. Because they were concerned about their oral hygiene, they were the first to develop and utilize a toothbrush and toothpaste.
The world’s oldest documented usage of the word surgery was in ancient papyrus around 2700 B.C.E. They utilized numerous herbs to heal wounds and performed highly sophisticated surgeries utilizing several surgical bronze instruments. Egyptian doctors were well-known throughout the Mediterranean for all of these reasons.
Ancient Egyptian Ships, Trade, and Farming Inventions
Boats were initially used in internal and international trade and commerce by the ancient Egyptians. Egypt was a major trading hub in the Mediterranean, exporting and importing a variety of products such as livestock, Asian wine, valuable stones from Persia, and copper from Senia. Sudan, Phonecia, Crate, and Persia all had excellent trading connections with them.
They were the first to establish their own fleet, utilizing superior aerodynamics and shipbuilding skills. In 1160 B.C.E., they also constructed the first known geologic and topographic map. They were the first to investigate and invest in the full potential of agriculture and farming, as they studied the Nile’s cycles, which led to the development of the earliest irrigation systems and the employment of sickle blades and oxen-driven plows to soften the parched soil.
Craftsmanship, Art, and Entertainment Inventions in Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians were genuine artists, combining science and beauty to create something magnificent. They were the first to abandon wood and stone in favor of metal as a means of self-sufficiency. They were metallurgy pioneers since they created bronze about 3300 B.C.E. by fusing copper and tin, and utilizing it to create a variety of implements.
All of the hunting tools, such as knives, arrows, heads, and fishing hooks, as well as weaponry like swords, helmets, and shields, and many construction equipments, such as saws, axes, and chisels, were made of bronze. They were the first to create the pottery wheel, which allowed them to mass-produce vases and crockery in large quantities.
The Egyptians were able to make glass about 3500 B.C.E. by heating a substance made of silica sand and soda to the greatest attainable temperatures. Ancient Egyptians were excellent artists, as evidenced by the many exquisite paintings and sketches that have survived the passage of time on temple walls.
They were also the first to design and employ natural-resource wigs, fashionable jewelry, and cosmetics. They also invented Senet, the world’s first board game, about 2900 B.C.E., which influenced many subsequent games such as chess.
Book an Egypt Tour to know more about the ancient Egyptian inventions
Ancient Egypt was the envy of all its neighbors because it left a beautiful legacy by birthing an unlimited number of innovations and ideas that continue to influence our lives today.
So, during your Egypt vacation packages or Nile river cruise, don’t miss the opportunity to uncover the secret world of Egyptian mythology, temples, tombs, and much more across the eternal cities of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria.
