Middle Kingdom Egypt

MIDDLE KINGDOM EGYPT

Chronological location

2133-1991 B.C.E.

Geographical location

 AFRICA

Historical Background

·      Lifestyle

o   Peasants girls usually married around the age of 12 and the boys were few years older.

o   Cooking was done in clay ovens and open fires. Wood was used for fuel.

o   Beer was the most important beverage.  

o   Everyone in Egypt wore jewelry

·      Religion

Osiris became the god of the necropolises and the pharaohs had participated in mystery rites for Osiris.  

·      Government

During this period, there were two dynasties (11^th and 12^th) in each dynasty different pharaohs were the ones who had the power and the control of the whole kingdom.

One of the most important kings of the 11^th dynasty was Mentuhotep II, who reunited Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, since that, middle kingdom initiated. 

They had a feudal hierarchy. 

·      
  Culture

Thebes became the artistic center of the Middle Kingdom during the Eleventh Dynasty. Mentuhotep II built a huge mortuary complex on the cliffs of the western part of the city, based on funerary monuments built by his ancestors in Thebes. This period also marked a cultural reawakening and an appreciation for the arts of the Old Kingdom. Rulers restored temples and built new pyramids. The written language developed into its classical form and writers created some of the greatest works of Egyptian literature. Trade flourished thanks to artists and craftsmen creating beautiful gold jewelry and painted statues.

Art

·      Role of art

The art during that period was very important for the royalty class, because most of the sculptures represented them. The physical features of the paintings were painted more realistically.

The jewelry had two purposes, the first one, to show in which social class were they belonged. The second purpose was to decorate or simply represent the way of art.

·      

•    Examples 

     Hippopotamus

			Black statue

Pectoral of princess Sit-Hathor-Yunet

·      


             Material

o   Paintings were made of limestone

o   Sculptures were made out of granary, ceramic, quartz, cooper and rock crystal

o   Jewelry made from gold, garnet and  turquoise 

Uses

o   Decoration

o   Jewelry

o   For showing respect and admiration to the kings

o   Role of the society

o   Express of feelings

    

Characteristics

o   Somber

o   Realistic

o   Detailed

o   Meticulous delicacy

o   Formalism

Answers. (2014). Egypt’s middle kingdom Available on: http://history.answers.com/ancient/egypts-middle-kingdom (September 5, 2014, 12:34hrs.)

Gill, N. (2014). About education: Middle kingdom Egypt Available on: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/egyptperiods/p/022008MidKingdm.htm (September 5, 2014, 12:13hrs.)

(2014). St. Petersburg Times: Middle kingdom Egypt daily life: Available on:http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/EgyptCredit.4.2.html (September 5, 2014, 12:48hrs.)

Dorman, P. (2014) The metropolitan art museum: Time line art history Available on:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/14.3.17 (September 5, 2014, 12:53hrs.)