The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt: The Full Story of the New Kingdom

The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt: The Full Story of the New Kingdom

The most successful period in Egyptian history was the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt or the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC). It was launched by the expulsion of the Hyksos by Ahmose I and was extended with a huge empire of Thutmose III and Ramesses II. It is known by legendary figures, such as Hatshepsut and Tutankhamun, the relocation to the Valley of the Kings and the ascension of the god Amun. It was a time of professional armies, chariots and trade which pervaded deep into Asia and Africa. Despite the fact that it was cancelled due to the economic crisis and invasion of other countries, the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt left the greatest monuments in history.

The Peak of Power and the Legacy of the Egyptian Empire

The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt

In the history of the world, there are only a few civilizations that can be compared with that of Egypt at its best. This was an era of great kings, great riches and an army which could not be stopped. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt is where we can find the power of the Pharaohs. It was not only the epoch of monument construction; it was an epoch of society, which had mastered all things, starting with war and ending with art. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was the period when Egypt ceased to be a local kingdom, but a world power that everyone feared and respected.

In this article we shall examine the way this period began and what was so special about it. We will discuss the leaders who took their people to victory and the craftsmen who created the beautiful things that we still see in the museums. With the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt, we have a clear vision of how a single nation can achieve a level that can last thousands of years. It is a tale of survival, development and the foundation of a legacy that continues to bring millions of people to the desert even today.

The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt summary

To give a glimpse view of this period, the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt summary concentrates on how the land was reunited and expanded. It originated around 1550 BC when the ruling elite of the area had forced out foreigners who occupied the land and began a new dynasty of rulers. It is known as the most international period in their history as they went beyond their boundaries to establish an empire.

The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was the period when the society was at its utmost in wealth, art and military technology. Though it ultimately died off after internal power struggles and external attacks, it gave us the most legendary monuments and stories that we now know of.

The Rise of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt

The Rise of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt

No great story can be complete without a commencement, and to this period a fight to attain freedom marked the beginning. There was a land division before the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt could begin. The north had been conquered by foreigners called the Hyksos and the south was grappling with the idea of staying independent. This was an era of misery which lasted many years when a daring king by name Ahmose I resolved to reform. He led a series of battles to push the Hyksos out and bring the country back together under one crown.

Ahmose I was the man who prepared the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. He knew that, to remain safe, Egypt needed to be powerful. He did not merely halt at the boundaries; he tracked his foes and ensured that they could never reappear. This was not only a liberation of people but it was a change of mindset towards people. It was also the birth of a new kind of military spirit which would propel the country over the next five centuries, and the birth of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt.

The success of Ahmose was further extended by the rulers who followed him. They were aware that the secret to a stable life would be found in wealth and power. They began to construct trade routes that extended deep into other territories. This introduced gold, wood, and spices, which the people had never witnessed before. This stream of merchandise contributed to the period known as The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt, making it a period of optimism and vibrancy. These now formed the basis of a society which was soon to dominate the ancient world.

The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt Timeline

Having seen the expansion of the empire over centuries with the help of the new kingdom of ancient Egypt timeline, we can now see the results of the empire in general:

The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt Timeline

• 1550 BC: Ahmose I will be able to unite the country and begin the 18 th Dynasty.
• 1479 BC: Hatshepsut comes to power as a female Pharaoh.
• Thutmose III also took his army into Asia, as far as the Euphrates.
• 1390 BC: The reign of Amenhotep III is the height of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt.
• 1353 BC: Akhenaten starts his religious reform to the sun disk.
• 1332 BC: Tutankhamun reinstates the ancient gods and goes back to Memphis.
• 1279 BC: Ramesses II starts his long period, constructing the Abu Simbel and Karnak.
• 1186 BC: Ramesses III belongs to the series of the great battles with the Sea Peoples.
• 1070 BC: A central government becomes feeble and ends the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt.

The kings of this period were among the greatest people of all time. One of the first was a queen who ascended to power and ruled as a Pharaoh, Hatshepsut. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was an affluent and tranquil period during its time. She also focused on trade and building and sent a renowned mission to the Land of Punt to bring in trees, incense and gold. Her rule proved the fact that the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt did not necessarily need the participation of war to grow as well as sometimes, a brilliant ruler could build a great empire without involving the war and suffering.

Thutmose III succeeded Hatshepsut, as the latter was succeeded by the former, the latter being the so-called Napoleon of Egypt. He was a soldier who had never lost in battle. He used his armies to go through the mountains so as to conquer the Battle of Megiddo which was one of the most well-known battles in history. Under his reign was founded the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt, with the broadest boundaries, extending northward along the Euphrates River and southward deep into Nubia. He made sure that the name of the Pharaoh and tribute were given by all the neighbouring nations to keep the peace.

And then there is Amenhotep III, who was the King that lived in the greatest wealth. During his time, the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was a fancy and artistic residence. He was not a man of war, because the toil of his fathers had made the country so safe that no man would venture to attack it. Instead he spent his time erecting great temples and statues which to this day still continue to amaze us. His day was the very zenith of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt, and a period of relative stability when the biggest worry was how to spend the gold that was pouring in the treasury.

We are later made to see Ramesses II who is also known as the Great. He was an excellent builder as well as a soldier who fought the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh. He scattered the ground with gigantic figures of himself and erected the famous temples of Abu Simbel. The face of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt to most people is that of Ramesses II. He had reigned over sixty years and the nation had been strong and united even after the former monarchs had been buried. This was added to the legacy of this era that was bequeathed to generations.

Religion and the Aten Shift

Ancient Egyptians’ Religion

The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was the focal point of life, which was centered on religion. During the majority of this period the most significant god was the god Amun. He was considered king of the gods and his temple at Karnak was the centre of religious life. The Amun priests were extremely mighty and frequently possessed as much land as the pharaoh himself. It was among the main elements of how the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt functioned as a society. It was also considered that in case they still continued to appease the gods, the Nile would overflow and crops would grow.

But there was one king who desired to reform all. Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten and told the people that they could worship only one deity the Aten also known as the sun disk. He transferred the capital to a new city and shut down the old temples. It was a huge jolt to the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. It was a great inconvenience and left the folk pretty out of humour. The strength of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt had started to crumble as the enemies saw an opportunity to strike and in the short term, this great epoch of the Ancient Egyptian religion began to crumble.

Akhenaten died when he was still young and a young king by the name of Tutankhamun came to the throne. And he was only a boy, and he had taken the great decision of reviving the old gods and the old manners. It is this nostalgia that saved The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt from its demise.

He restored the capital to Memphis and granted the priests leave to resume their worship. Though he did not live long, his tomb is the best testimony we can gather as to the fabulous wealth of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. The things discovered in his tomb reveal that even in such a desperate situation, the artisans were still experts at their job.

The religious life also concerned life after death and this was also found in the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. People had lived out their whole life in preparation to go to the next world. They built rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings and filled them with all that they could need. It is this faith in a life after death that gave us what we have today, in the way of beautiful paintings and writings. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was a culture that looked forward to the future and even now, their names and their souls will live on eternally in the minds of the gods and their fellow men.

The Military Power of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian Military soliders

It was due to its military that Egypt was able to remain as strong as it did as long as it did. The army in the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was transformed to a professional army. They were not mere farmers who grabbed down spears, but rather men who had spent their lives in training to go to war. The most important tool they had was the chariot. This was a speedy, light carriage drawn by two horses. It enabled the soldiers of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt to move swiftly through the sand and to shoot their bows with a high degree of accuracy.

The tactics used during the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt were very advanced. They possessed various contingents of soldiers to carry out various duties such as archers, shield-bearers and scouts. The Pharaoh himself frequently took the troops into battle and stood in his golden chariot to demonstrate his courage. This leadership played a major role towards why the army was so loyal. With each victory wealth and land would be restored making people back at home very happy and keeping the economy of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt moving forward.

We also find that the army was employed to protect the trade routes. They ensured the safety of the gold mines in Nubia and the cedar wood in Lebanon. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt would have been hard pressed to construct its fine temples without this protection. The military was the cloak which enabled the artists and the priests to continue with their work in peace. It was a properly designed system that comprised supply lines, military camps and even doctors who would accompany the troops.

The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt Map

The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt Map

When studying the new kingdom of ancient Egypt map, we can see to what extent the Pharaohs penetrated at their height. The empire was not just limited to the Nile Valley. At its height, the borders went as far north as modern day Syria and the Euphrates River. To the south they dominated the land well into the Nubian territory until they reached the fourth cataract of the Nile. This immense growth in the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt meant that they had all the major trade routes between Africa and Asia. It was this geography that allowed them to remain so rich and powerful so long.

The warriors of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt stood their ground even when they had to face such powerful adversaries as the Hittites. The Battle of Kadesh demonstrated that the Egyptians were the masters of survival. They could even turn the tide when it was they who were ambushed and they could force a peace treaty. This treaty is one of the first in history and it demonstrates that the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was not only about fighting; it was also about clever diplomacy and how to make a deal bringing the world to a stable situation which can be taken over by the next generation.

Art and Building Projects

Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt

The riches of the empire were not squandered on erecting monuments that were huge and out of proportion. When you walk through Egypt today, you can hardly imagine a big temple which was not erected or extended during the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. The largest religious site that ever had to be built became the center of the world to the people of that period. Every king attempted to add something new to it in his attempts to demonstrate his devotion to the gods and his own strength. This is a competition to construct the largest and the finest which is a characteristic of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt.

The art of this period was also more realistic and beautiful than that of the past. In the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt, artists started depicting people more naturally. They painted bright colours prepared of minerals and painted pictures of everyday life, hunting, and revelry. We can have these in the tombs of the nobles, where we can see people fishing in the Nile or listening to music. It is this love of life and beauty that is a significant portion of what makes The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt what it is to us today.

Furniture and jewelry as well were at the pinnacle of quality. The fact that the objects of the gold industry were found in royal tombs implies that the workers of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt could work with minute details. They made crowns, necklaces and rings that appear to have been cut using the current technology. They employed precious stones such as lapis lazuli and turquoise to give their gold color. This luxurious inclination was not to be enjoyed by the king alone; the wealthy nobility were no exception; they lived in beautiful houses with gardens and pools.

Statues were another means through which the kings could prove their existence. They carved gigantic shapes out of single blocks of stone some of which are over sixty feet in height. The reason behind these statues was to attract people to the temples by having the statues placed at the doors of the temples to show the glory of the Pharaoh. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was the period when the human scale was stretched to its utmost limits. Standing before the statues of Ramesses II in Abu Simbel we can say that they were able to reach their goal.

Daily Life and Social Structure

The Ancient Egyptian Social Pyramid

The country was run by the common people as the Pharaohs were too busy with war and construction. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was a period that was founded on the Nile cycle. The river flooded every year and it left behind fertile land to be cultivated. The majority of the population was farmers who cultivated wheat, barley and flax. They inhabited little houses constructed of mud-bricks and spent their days toiling in the fields. That was the real push of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt and a food supply that provided food to the soldiers and the laborers.

During the Pharaoh, there were quite a large number of scribes and officials. These were the men who were able to read and write. They even had a register of the grain, the taxes and the population. A scribe was a very good job, especially during the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. It was a means for an individual to ascend in the world. It was they who ensured that the laws were adhered to and that the government was functioning properly. Without these intelligent men, the extremely advanced society of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt would have deteriorated into anarchy.

had many rights of women as well. They were even given the right to own property, sign contracts and even appear in court. They were highly respected members of society although they mostly worked at home. Even some women came to power in the royal court like Queen Tiye, who was a close advisor to her husband and son. It is one of the reasons why the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was so stable. Individuals were aware of their location and were aware that the system would safeguard them.

We also have a great deal of fun in the regular life of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. Individuals enjoyed celebrating with food, wine and dancing. They also engaged themselves in board games like senet and hunted in the marshes. They were also people who enjoyed the fruits of the land and wanted to celebrate the same. This part and that of not only striving hard to please the gods, but also having fun with friends is what made The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt such a vibrant culture. It was not merely a place of death and tombs, but a place where life was lived to the full on a day to day basis.

Technical Skills and Craftsmanship

The Dynasty, 15th Century, Brick and Mortise & Tenon Construction

The degree of skill in the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was truly ahead of its time. Looking at the manner in which they handled stone, we observe people who knew geometry and physics. They were able to drag blocks which weighed many tons across the sand and bring them into position with the most primitive tools. Thousands of people were proud to be a part of the great works of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. They were not slaves, but paid workers, who were taken care of by the state.

Glassmaking was also a significant art form during the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. They were taught how to colour glass and how to make pretty bottles and beads. All these things were so valued that they could be exchanged over the sea to other countries. This art of fire and minerals is an ideal specimen of the great degree of knowledge which was so general at the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. They also had their expertise in medicine, using plants and honey to treat wounds and illness and this showed that their genius was in many different senses.

Another field that they excelled in was carpentry. As the Nile valley had few big trees, they needed to be very clever in the way they used wood. They invented such techniques as the mortise and tenon joint to create furniture that will last centuries. They used imported wood, such as the cedar of Lebanon to construct ships and doorways of the temples. All the pieces of furniture including a simple stool up to the throne of the king were works of art and revealed the high standards of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt.

The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt Facts

The Decline of The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt

Nothing is everlasting and even this great era finally came to an end. Things began to go askew after the death of the last great Pharaoh of the New Kingdom, Ramesses III. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt had numerous causes of its demise. One was the increasing strength of the priests of Amun at Thebes. They became so wealthy and powerful to the extent that they began acting like kings themselves and disregarding the commands of the Pharaoh in the north. The divisiveness rendered the nation feeble and difficult to govern.

Economic problems were also experienced. Running the empire was very expensive, as well as constructing huge temples. Tax was high in the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt and at times the workers were not paid on time. This saw the first recorded strikes ever recorded in history where the tomb workers at Deir el-Medina went on strike due to a lack of grain. This inner disturbance made it difficult to counter any external threat such as the so called Sea Peoples who were storming the coasts.

Another factor was climate change. The Nile floods proved to be less dependable, and this implied that crops failed and people were hungry. Hungry people are difficult to keep in check and this resulted in increased crime and burial site robbery. It was no longer safe even the royal tombs found in the Valley of the Kings. The glory of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt started to decrease as the central government lost its control over the country. The boundaries began to decrease because the army was not able to defend the faraway territories.

Towards the close of the 20 th Dynasty, Egypt had been split once again. The vision of a Great Empire was gone, and the nation was plunged into foreign domination and feebleness. But the legacy of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt never died. Histories of the great kings and the beautiful art they created remained in the minds of the people. Even thousands of years later, we still consider this time to be the time when Egypt was at its peak. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt has become a high-water mark of human civilization.

Conclusion

The story of the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt is one of the most exciting in human history. It is a story of how a country can rise out of the ashes and form something which will change the world. All the stages of this new course give evidence of the power of human will and imagination, since the expulsion of the Hyksos. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt was a period when the unthinkable was becoming a reality, and where a society had come to reach out to the stars through its art, its religion and its military might.

We watch, when we see the ruins of Karnak or the treasures of Tutankhamun we are watching the heartbeat of one of the peoples who did not want to be forgotten. They built for the gods, and to us, and left us a kind of map of what it takes to build a great civilization. The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt will always be the yardstick on which we ascertain the greatness of the ancient world. It educates us that when people come together as a single unit, and with a clear vision, any person can be able to leave a legacy which will live to be remembered.