The old kingdom in kemetic (egypion) history Research Paper

The old kingdom in kemetic (egypion) history - Research Paper Example The high level of the development of the Egyptian civilization during this period created the foundation from which this kingdom would not only remain in existence for thousands of years. However, also for its expansion as in later years, it came to expand southwards into Nubia and towards the north into the Sinai Peninsula and beyond in to the Middle East. The Old Kingdom is of great significance to the rest of the ancient Egyptian period because it set precedents, which would be followed in the further development of its civilization as well as the basis upon which its society would become the most civilized in the ancient world. While there is still some debate concerning the duration of the Old Kingdom, it is estimated that it existed between the Third and Sixth Dynasties, and this period marked a time when there was incredible development in ancient Egypt. This development was not only administrative but also social and economic and these came to a large extent, to affect the li ves of all the Egyptians. In this period, the capital of the kingdom was based in Memphis, which had been founded by Menes, the first pharaoh of a united Egypt, as an administrative center. Memphis was probably chosen as the sight of the new capital of this kingdom because it was centrally placed between the two kingdoms which had been united to form Egypt, namely Upper and Lower Egypt. Because of its central position, the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom were able to administer their kingdom easily, meaning that the old divisions between Upper and Lower Egypt were set aside and the entire nation developed as a single cohesive unit, with little variation between them.1 It was during this period that Memphis achieved its place not only in Egypt but also in the ancient world as being among the most sophisticated places and this meant that it was able to attract individuals, mostly merchants and diplomats, from as far as Babylonia who came to conduct their business within it. It also served not only as the administrative center of the Egyptian state but also as its religious center, and being the latter, it was the sight of many pilgrimages, especially by the Egyptian nobility from the different parts of the state. Starting from the Third Dynasty, there were large-scale construction projects, which either had a direct impact on the lives of many Egyptians because many of the men were directly or indirectly employed in the constructions instituted by the pharaohs. The swift development of the Egyptian civilisation during the Old Kingdom saw the construction of numerous pyramids, which served as the tombs of the kings of this ancient nation. The power of the pharaohs had come to be so great and absolute that many of their subjects came to consider them to be living gods whose every command was to be accomplished unquestioningly by their subjects.2 This created a situation where a lot of dedication was involved in ensuring that the final resting places of these pharaohs were built to last for posterity. The fact that the pharaohs of this period were considered living gods meant that a lot of time and effort as well as the resources of the Egyptian state was diverted to satisfy their large construction projects and this trend was to continue for the next three thousand years as succeeding dynasties continued to demand the same dedication. The large constructio