At first, Egypt was made up of two kingdoms. One was Upper Egypt, which lay in the southern part of the Nile River valley. The other was Lower Egypt, which lay in the north delta.
Narmer, also known as Menes (me' ne5z), was a king of Upper Egypt. About 3100 B. C., he led his armies from the valley north into the delta. He conquered Lower Egypt and married one of its princesses, uniting the two kingdoms. He wore a double crown, the high white one of the south and the shallow red one of the north. Narmer had many titles. He was called "Lord of Upper and Lower Egypt," "Wearer of Both Crowns," and "Lord of the Two Lands." He set up a new capital at Memphis, a city on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt.
About 2600 B. C., the Old Kingdom started in Egypt. It lasted for nearly 500 years. During the period of the Old Kingdom, Egyptian cities became centers of religion and government. Kings, priests, government officials, and artisans lived there.
Most Egyptians, however, did not live in cities. They lived on large estates along the banks of the Nile. The rich Egyptians who owned these estates lived in wood and brick houses with beautiful gardens and pools. Walls were decorated with brightly
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Diets Change The diet of poor laborers and farmers in ancient Egypt consisted largely of bread, made of wheat and a grain called emmer. Today most villagers and poor city dwellers in Egypt eat a simple diet based on bread and fool, or broad beans. For a typical evening meal, each person dips bread into a large communal bowl of vegetable stew.
EGYPTIAN LIFE Paintings from tombs offer much information about everyday life in ancient Egypt. Here, a wall painting shows a man and woman plowing and planting their fields. How did the lives of the rich differ from those of the poor in Egypt?
World History
