Abstract
La nature est le vis-à-vis que la culture s’est inventé pour se donner une contenance. Comme les dieux – ou Dieu – pour échapper au vertige de la toute-puissance de son imagination.
Philippe Derchain
The specific landscape of the valley of the river Nile played an important role in the development of the civilisation of ancient Egypt. At first sight describing this habitat seems to be a simple matter. Using topographical criteria we can say that the inner structure of the Lower Nile Valley is clear. Also there is an abundance of ancient sources we may analyse to obtain information dealing with the landscape occupied by the Ancient Egyptians over more than three millennia from around 3200 bc to ad 400. However, when considered in more depth the situation turns out to be more complicated. There is no proof that an Egyptian in the time of the pyramid-builders of Giza (2579–2486 bc) used the same epistemic structures or applied the same terminologies as his later historical companion of the Ptolemaic period (332–330 bc). Quite to the contrary it would be a rather unexpected result if concepts, technologies, and economic practices related to the environment remained unchanged over a period of 3000 years. Between 3200 bc and ad 400 Egyptian society and culture changed, as did its habitat both in a physical as well as in a conceptual sense. There was a multiplicity of intellectual reactions to the environment they lived in, and so it is more appropriate to speak about the ‘landscapes’ of Ancient Egypt. In contrast to other studies in this volume this chapter deals with a wealth of sources stretching over millennia of intense production of physical environmental features, meaning(s), and symbols.It is the aim of this contribution to offer a first impression of the manifold dimensions of the theme. First we describe the country from a geographical point of view trying to produce an objective point of reference. Then we introduce some very common Egyptian words which have been used over a long period of time designating the land in order to obtain ideas concerning a few basic landscape conceptualisations. In a third step we have a look at an epigraphic programme of a tomb of the Old Kingdom and analyse the way in which it mirrors the environment. Finally we speak about a religious theory of the structure of the world which in the opinion of the Ancient Egyptians resembles the environment of the river oasis of the Lower Nile Valley, that is, the landscape of Ancient Egypt.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abu al-‘Izz, M.S. (1971). Landforms of Egypt. American University of Cairo.Kairo:
Baines, J. (1985). Fecundity Figures. Egyptian Personification and the Iconology of a Genre. Aris & Phillips.Warminster:
Baines, J. (1989). Communication and display: The integrating of early Egyptian art and writing. Antiquity, 63, 471–482.
Baines, J. & Málek, J. (1980). Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Phaidon.Oxford:
Bard, K.A. (Ed.) (1999), Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge.London/New York:
Barta, W. (1963). Die altägyptische Opferliste von der Frühzeit bis zur griechisch-römischen Epoche. Münchner Ägyptologische Studien, 3.Bruno Hessling.Berlin:
Bietak, M. (1975). Tell el-Dab c. a II. Der Fundort im Rahmen einer archäologisch-geographischen Untersuchung über das ägyptische OstdeltaÖsterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.Denkschriften der Gesamtakademie, IV. Wien:
Bonneau, D. (1993). La régime administratif de l’eau du Nil dans l’Égypte grecque, romaine et byzantine. Brill Academic.Leiden:
Butzer, K.W. (1976). Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt. A Study in Cultural Ecology. University of Chicago Press.Chicago:
Dunham, D. (1935). A ‘palimpsest’ on an Egyptian Mastaba Wall. American Journal of Archaeology, 39, 300–309.
Erman, A. & Grapow, H. (1957a–e). Wörterbuch der aegyptischen Sprache I-V. Akademie-Verlag.Berlin:
Fitzenreiter, M. & Herb, M. (Eds.) (2006). Dekorierte Grabanlagen im Alten Reich. Methodik und Interpretation. Internet-Beiträge zur Ägyptologie und Sudanarchäologie, 6. Golden House.London:
Gardiner, A.H. (1957). Egyptian Grammar. Oxford University Press for the Griffith Institute.Oxford:
Harpur, Y.M. (1987). Decoration in Egyptian Tombs of the Old Kingdom. Studies in Orientation and Sciene Content. Studies in EgyptologyKegan Paul.London, New York
Herb, M. (2001). Der Wettkampf in den Marschen. Nikephoros. Beiträge zu Sport und Kultur im Altertum. Beihefte, 5. Olms-Weidmann.Hildesheim:
Herb,. M. (2006). Ikonographie – Schreiben mit Bildern. Ein Essay zur Historizität der Grabdekorationen des Alten Reiches. InFitzenreiter & MHerb (Eds.), M. Dekorierte Grabanlagen im Alten Reich. Methodik und Interpretation, (pp. 111–124). Internet-Beiträge zur Ägyptologie und Sudanarchäologie, 6Golden House.London:
Ibrahim, F.N. (1996). Ägypten. Eine geographische Landeskunde.. Wissenschaftliche Länderkunden, 42Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.Darmstadt:
Jacquet-Gordon, H.K. (1962). Les noms des domaines funéraires sous l’Ancien Empire.. Bibliotheque d’Étude, 34IFAO.Kairo:
Kahl, J. (1994). Das System der ägyptischen Hieroglyphenschrift in der 0.-3. Dynastie.. Göttinger Orientforschungen, IV. Reihe: Ägypten, Band 29Harrassowitz Verlag.Wiesbaden:
Kanawati, N. (1980). The Rock Tombs of El-Hawawish. The Cemetery of Akhmim I. Aris & Phillips.Warminster:
Lapp, G. (1986). Die Opferformel des Alten Reiches unter Berücksichtigung einiger späterer Formen.. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Abteilung Kairo, Sonderschrift, 21Philipp von Zabern.Mainz:
Lichtheim, M. (1973). Ancient Egyptian literature. A Book of Readings I: The Old and Middle Kingsdoms. University of California Press.Berkeley/Los Angeles/London:
Osborn, D.J. (1998). The Mammals of Ancient Egypt. The Natural History of Egypt, 4.Aris & Phillips.Warminster:
Said, R. (1993). The River Nile. Geology, Hydrology and Utilization. Pergamon Press.Oxford/New York:
Sauneron, S. (1963). Le temple d’Esna II. Publications de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale. IFAO.Kairo:
Seidlmayer, S. (2001). Historische und moderne Nilstände. Untersuchungen zu den Pegelablesungen des Nils von der Frühzeit bis in die Gegenwart. Achet: Schriften zur Ägyptologie, A.1.Verlag.Berlin:
Sethe, K. (1914). Urkunden der 18. Dynastie. Verlag.Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums, IV. Leipzig:
Shaw,. I. (1993). Málek (Ed.), JEgypt: Ancient Culture – Modern Land University of Oklahoma Press.Norman: pp. 12–27.
Simpson, W.K. (1992). The Offering Chapel of Kayemnofret in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. William Kelly Simpson.Boston:
Smith,. H.S. (1979). Ruffle, JGaballa & G.A. Kitchen (Eds.), K.A. Glimpses of Ancient Egypt. Studies in Honor of H.W. Fairman Aris & Phillips.Warminster: (pp. 161–166).
Smith, W.S. (1981). The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt. Revised with Additions by W.K. Simpson. Yale University Press.London/New York:
Stricker, B.H. (1956). De overstroming van den Nijl. Brill Academic.Leiden:
Wiebach, S. (1981). Die ägyptische Scheintür. Morphologische Studien zur Entwicklung und Bedeutung der Hauptkultstelle in den Privat-Gräbern des Alten Reiches.. Hamburger Ägyptologische Studien, 1. PhD thesisVerlag.Hamburg:
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Herb, M., Derchain, P. (2009). The ‘Landscapes’ of Ancient Egypt. In: Bubenzer, O., Bollig, M. (eds) African Landscapes. Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation, vol 4. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78682-7_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78682-7_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-78681-0
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-78682-7
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)