Ancient Egyptian civilization is a fascination source of discovery. In looking into them you will not only discover incredible stories about their complex political and social structure, as well as their incredible architectural achievements; you will also discover how many things they invented. The really fascinating part, however, is the fact that these are not just strange, esoteric inventions, of interest only to the historian. They are inventions that we still use, and benefit from today.
One such invention is the pen. Perhaps the most important invention in human history, their calligraphy began a tradition that has allowed humans to record their goings on so future generations can find out about it, and perhaps learn from them. It has also been an instrumental invention in our cultural developments, including art such as fiction, and poetry. We truly owe the Egyptians a great deal for the pen, for the written word is one of our most valuable assets.
Obviously, in order to invent the pen there must have been other simultaneous inventions that are worth no less applause. One such invention is paper. Back then it was called papyrus, and was woven from reeds into a mat, then pounded together into a hard, thin sheet. Even our word for 'paper' comes from their 'papyrus'. The Ancient Greeks made a similar invention, making parchment out of the skins of animals, but theirs was much later. I take it the importance of paper doesn't need exclaiming.
Medicine was invented by the Egyptians, though their methods were very different. They had a mythology in which disease was an eternal struggle between good and evil, so their ideology was extremely different from our own. Regardless, however, their methodological approach at diagnoses and treating, and the detailed records they took, very much resemble our own.
There are many more inventions credited to the Ancient Egyptians - indeed, far too many to list here. From high heeled shoes, to condoms and makeup; but I believe our greatest debt to them is for the pen. We would not have even been able to learn about the other inventions were it not for their writing them down!
One such invention is the pen. Perhaps the most important invention in human history, their calligraphy began a tradition that has allowed humans to record their goings on so future generations can find out about it, and perhaps learn from them. It has also been an instrumental invention in our cultural developments, including art such as fiction, and poetry. We truly owe the Egyptians a great deal for the pen, for the written word is one of our most valuable assets.
Obviously, in order to invent the pen there must have been other simultaneous inventions that are worth no less applause. One such invention is paper. Back then it was called papyrus, and was woven from reeds into a mat, then pounded together into a hard, thin sheet. Even our word for 'paper' comes from their 'papyrus'. The Ancient Greeks made a similar invention, making parchment out of the skins of animals, but theirs was much later. I take it the importance of paper doesn't need exclaiming.
Medicine was invented by the Egyptians, though their methods were very different. They had a mythology in which disease was an eternal struggle between good and evil, so their ideology was extremely different from our own. Regardless, however, their methodological approach at diagnoses and treating, and the detailed records they took, very much resemble our own.
There are many more inventions credited to the Ancient Egyptians - indeed, far too many to list here. From high heeled shoes, to condoms and makeup; but I believe our greatest debt to them is for the pen. We would not have even been able to learn about the other inventions were it not for their writing them down!
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