Author: Karin Sowada
Publisher: Saint-Paul
ISBN: 9783525534557
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and its relationship to the well-known textual sources. The material demonstrates that while Egypt's most important relationships were with Byblos and the Lebanese coast generally, it was an active participant in the geo-political and economic affairs of the Levant throughout much of the third millennium BCE. The archaeological data shows that the foundation of these relationships was established at the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period and essentially continued until the end of the 6th Dynasty with ebbs, flows and changes of geographical and political emphasis. It is argued that, despite the paucity of textual data, the 4th Dynasty represents the apogee of Egypt's engagement in the region, a time when the centralised state was at the height of its power and control of human and economic capital. More broadly, this study shows that Egyptian interaction in the eastern Mediterranean fits the pattern of state-to-state contact between ruling elites which was underpinned by official expeditions engaged in gift and commodity exchange, diplomatic endeavours and military incursions.
Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean During the Old Kingdom
Author: Karin Sowada
Publisher: Saint-Paul
ISBN: 9783525534557
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and its relationship to the well-known textual sources. The material demonstrates that while Egypt's most important relationships were with Byblos and the Lebanese coast generally, it was an active participant in the geo-political and economic affairs of the Levant throughout much of the third millennium BCE. The archaeological data shows that the foundation of these relationships was established at the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period and essentially continued until the end of the 6th Dynasty with ebbs, flows and changes of geographical and political emphasis. It is argued that, despite the paucity of textual data, the 4th Dynasty represents the apogee of Egypt's engagement in the region, a time when the centralised state was at the height of its power and control of human and economic capital. More broadly, this study shows that Egyptian interaction in the eastern Mediterranean fits the pattern of state-to-state contact between ruling elites which was underpinned by official expeditions engaged in gift and commodity exchange, diplomatic endeavours and military incursions.
Publisher: Saint-Paul
ISBN: 9783525534557
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and its relationship to the well-known textual sources. The material demonstrates that while Egypt's most important relationships were with Byblos and the Lebanese coast generally, it was an active participant in the geo-political and economic affairs of the Levant throughout much of the third millennium BCE. The archaeological data shows that the foundation of these relationships was established at the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period and essentially continued until the end of the 6th Dynasty with ebbs, flows and changes of geographical and political emphasis. It is argued that, despite the paucity of textual data, the 4th Dynasty represents the apogee of Egypt's engagement in the region, a time when the centralised state was at the height of its power and control of human and economic capital. More broadly, this study shows that Egyptian interaction in the eastern Mediterranean fits the pattern of state-to-state contact between ruling elites which was underpinned by official expeditions engaged in gift and commodity exchange, diplomatic endeavours and military incursions.
Egypt, Israel, and the Ancient Mediterranean World
Author: Gary N. Knoppers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 616
Book Description
These studies on the history, art, religions, and literature of Egypt and the ancient Near East include discussions of previously unpublished archaeological excavations and ancient inscriptions. Some essays engage specific literary texts; others are comparative, interpreting the finds, art, and inscriptions, from a variety of ancient societies.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 616
Book Description
These studies on the history, art, religions, and literature of Egypt and the ancient Near East include discussions of previously unpublished archaeological excavations and ancient inscriptions. Some essays engage specific literary texts; others are comparative, interpreting the finds, art, and inscriptions, from a variety of ancient societies.
Ancient Egyptian Imperialism
Author: Ellen Morris
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405136774
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Offers a broad and unique look at Ancient Egypt during its long age of imperialism Written for enthusiasts and scholars of pharaonic Egypt, as well as for those interested in comparative imperialism, this book provides a look at some of the most intriguing evidence for grand strategy, low-level insurgencies, back-room deals, and complex colonial dynamics that exists for the Bronze Age world. It explores the actions of a variety of Egypt’s imperial governments from the dawn of the state until 1069 BCE as they endeavored to control fiercely independent mountain dwellers in Lebanon, urban populations in Canaan and Nubia, highly mobile Nilotic pastoralists, and predatory desert raiders. The book is especially valuable as it foregrounds the reactions of local populations and their active roles in shaping the trajectory of empire. With its emphasis on the experimental nature of imperialism and its attention to cross-cultural comparison and social history, this book offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating subject. Organized around central imperial themes—which are explored in depth at particular places and times in Egypt’s history—Ancient Egyptian Imperialism covers: Trade Before Empire—Empire Before the State (c. 3500-2686); Settler Colonialism (c. 2400-2160); Military Occupation (c. 2055-1775); Creolization, Collaboration, Colonization (c. 1775-1295); Motivation, Intimidation, Enticement (c. 1550-1295); Organization and Infrastructure (c. 1458-1295); Outwitting the State (c. 1362-1332); Conversions and Contractions in Egypt’s Northern Empire (c. 1295-1136); and Conversions and Contractions in Egypt’s Southern Empire (c. 1550-1069). Offers a wider focus of Egypt’s experimentation with empire than is covered by general Egyptologists Draws analogies to tactics employed by imperial governments and by dominated peoples in a variety of historically documented empires, both old world and new Answers questions such as “how often and to what degree did imperial blueprints undergo revisions?” Ancient Egyptian Imperialism is an excellent text for students and scholars of history, comparative history, and ancient history, as well for those interested in political science, anthropology, and the Biblical World.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405136774
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Offers a broad and unique look at Ancient Egypt during its long age of imperialism Written for enthusiasts and scholars of pharaonic Egypt, as well as for those interested in comparative imperialism, this book provides a look at some of the most intriguing evidence for grand strategy, low-level insurgencies, back-room deals, and complex colonial dynamics that exists for the Bronze Age world. It explores the actions of a variety of Egypt’s imperial governments from the dawn of the state until 1069 BCE as they endeavored to control fiercely independent mountain dwellers in Lebanon, urban populations in Canaan and Nubia, highly mobile Nilotic pastoralists, and predatory desert raiders. The book is especially valuable as it foregrounds the reactions of local populations and their active roles in shaping the trajectory of empire. With its emphasis on the experimental nature of imperialism and its attention to cross-cultural comparison and social history, this book offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating subject. Organized around central imperial themes—which are explored in depth at particular places and times in Egypt’s history—Ancient Egyptian Imperialism covers: Trade Before Empire—Empire Before the State (c. 3500-2686); Settler Colonialism (c. 2400-2160); Military Occupation (c. 2055-1775); Creolization, Collaboration, Colonization (c. 1775-1295); Motivation, Intimidation, Enticement (c. 1550-1295); Organization and Infrastructure (c. 1458-1295); Outwitting the State (c. 1362-1332); Conversions and Contractions in Egypt’s Northern Empire (c. 1295-1136); and Conversions and Contractions in Egypt’s Southern Empire (c. 1550-1069). Offers a wider focus of Egypt’s experimentation with empire than is covered by general Egyptologists Draws analogies to tactics employed by imperial governments and by dominated peoples in a variety of historically documented empires, both old world and new Answers questions such as “how often and to what degree did imperial blueprints undergo revisions?” Ancient Egyptian Imperialism is an excellent text for students and scholars of history, comparative history, and ancient history, as well for those interested in political science, anthropology, and the Biblical World.
Understanding Collapse
Author: Guy D. Middleton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110715149X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 463
Book Description
In this lively survey, Guy D. Middleton critically examines our ideas about collapse - how we explain it and how we have constructed potentially misleading myths around collapses - showing how and why collapse of societies was a much more complex phenomenon than is often admitted.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110715149X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 463
Book Description
In this lively survey, Guy D. Middleton critically examines our ideas about collapse - how we explain it and how we have constructed potentially misleading myths around collapses - showing how and why collapse of societies was a much more complex phenomenon than is often admitted.
Ceramic Perspectives on Ancient Egyptian Society
Author: Leslie Anne Warden
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108898211
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
This Element demonstrates how ceramics, a dataset that is more typically identified with chronology than social analysis, can forward the study of Egyptian society writ large. This Element argues that the sheer mass of ceramic material indicates the importance of pottery to Egyptian life. Ceramics form a crucial dataset with which Egyptology must critically engage, and which necessitate working with the Egyptian past using a more fluid theoretical toolkit. This Element will demonstrate how ceramics may be employed in social analyses through a focus on four broad areas of inquiry: regionalism; ties between province and state, elite and non-elite; domestic life; and the relationship of political change to social change. While the case studies largely come from the Old through Middle Kingdoms, the methods and questions may be applied to any period of Egyptian history.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108898211
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
This Element demonstrates how ceramics, a dataset that is more typically identified with chronology than social analysis, can forward the study of Egyptian society writ large. This Element argues that the sheer mass of ceramic material indicates the importance of pottery to Egyptian life. Ceramics form a crucial dataset with which Egyptology must critically engage, and which necessitate working with the Egyptian past using a more fluid theoretical toolkit. This Element will demonstrate how ceramics may be employed in social analyses through a focus on four broad areas of inquiry: regionalism; ties between province and state, elite and non-elite; domestic life; and the relationship of political change to social change. While the case studies largely come from the Old through Middle Kingdoms, the methods and questions may be applied to any period of Egyptian history.
First Civilizations
Author: Robert Chadwick
Publisher: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 9781904768784
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
First Civilizations is the second edition of a popular student text first published in 1996 in Montreal by Les Editions Champ Fleury. This much updated and expanded edition provides an introductory overview of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. It was conceived primarily for students who have little or no knowledge of ancient history or archaeology. The book begins with the role of history and archaeology in understanding the past, and continues with the origins of agriculture and the formation of the Sumerian city-states in Mesopotamia. Three subsequent chapters concentrate on Assyrian and Babylonian history and culture. The second half of the book focuses on Egypt, begining with the physical environment of the Nile, the formation of the Egyptian state and the Old Kingdom. Subsequent chapters discuss the Middle Kingdom, the Hyksos period, and the 18th Dynasty, with space devoted to Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, the Ramesside period. The text ends with the Persian conquest of Mesopotamia and Egypt. First Civilizations also contains sections on astronomy, medicine, architecture, eschatology, religion, burial practices and mummification, and discusses the myths of Gilgamesh, Isis and Osiris. Each chapter has a basic bibliography which emphasizes English language encyclopedias, books and journals specializing in the ancient Near East.
Publisher: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 9781904768784
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
First Civilizations is the second edition of a popular student text first published in 1996 in Montreal by Les Editions Champ Fleury. This much updated and expanded edition provides an introductory overview of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. It was conceived primarily for students who have little or no knowledge of ancient history or archaeology. The book begins with the role of history and archaeology in understanding the past, and continues with the origins of agriculture and the formation of the Sumerian city-states in Mesopotamia. Three subsequent chapters concentrate on Assyrian and Babylonian history and culture. The second half of the book focuses on Egypt, begining with the physical environment of the Nile, the formation of the Egyptian state and the Old Kingdom. Subsequent chapters discuss the Middle Kingdom, the Hyksos period, and the 18th Dynasty, with space devoted to Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, the Ramesside period. The text ends with the Persian conquest of Mesopotamia and Egypt. First Civilizations also contains sections on astronomy, medicine, architecture, eschatology, religion, burial practices and mummification, and discusses the myths of Gilgamesh, Isis and Osiris. Each chapter has a basic bibliography which emphasizes English language encyclopedias, books and journals specializing in the ancient Near East.
Old Kingdom, New Perspectives
Author: Nigel Strudwick
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN: 9781789258813
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Recent research on all aspects of the Old Kingdom in Egypt is presented in this volume, ranging through the Pyramid Texts, tomb architecture, ceramics, scene choice and layout, field reports, cemetery layout, tomb and temple statuary. The contributions also show how Egyptology is not stuck in its venerable traditions but that newer forms of technology are being used to great effect by Egyptologists. For example, two papers show how GIS technology can shed light on cemetery arrangement and how 3D scanners can be employed in the process of producing facsimile drawings of reliefs and inscriptions. The authors cover a wide range of sites and monuments. A large part of the work presented deals with material from the great cemeteries of Saqqara and Giza of the Old Kingdom capital city of Memphis but all the smaller sites are discussed. The book also includes a paper on the architecture of mastabas from the lesser-known site of Abu Roasch. The provinces are by no means overlooked, with articles on material from Deir el-Bersha, el-Sheikh Said and Akhmim. Between them, the authors discuss material from the milieu of the king right down to that which concerned the tomb workmen and those who supplied their basic needs, such as bakers, brewers and potters. Containing papers presented at a conference at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge in May 2009, this book continues a series of publications of the latest research presented at previous meetings in Paris, Berlin and Prague. Much new material is published here and the papers are fully illustrated, with over 200 photographs and drawings.
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN: 9781789258813
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Recent research on all aspects of the Old Kingdom in Egypt is presented in this volume, ranging through the Pyramid Texts, tomb architecture, ceramics, scene choice and layout, field reports, cemetery layout, tomb and temple statuary. The contributions also show how Egyptology is not stuck in its venerable traditions but that newer forms of technology are being used to great effect by Egyptologists. For example, two papers show how GIS technology can shed light on cemetery arrangement and how 3D scanners can be employed in the process of producing facsimile drawings of reliefs and inscriptions. The authors cover a wide range of sites and monuments. A large part of the work presented deals with material from the great cemeteries of Saqqara and Giza of the Old Kingdom capital city of Memphis but all the smaller sites are discussed. The book also includes a paper on the architecture of mastabas from the lesser-known site of Abu Roasch. The provinces are by no means overlooked, with articles on material from Deir el-Bersha, el-Sheikh Said and Akhmim. Between them, the authors discuss material from the milieu of the king right down to that which concerned the tomb workmen and those who supplied their basic needs, such as bakers, brewers and potters. Containing papers presented at a conference at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge in May 2009, this book continues a series of publications of the latest research presented at previous meetings in Paris, Berlin and Prague. Much new material is published here and the papers are fully illustrated, with over 200 photographs and drawings.
Pharaoh's Land and Beyond
Author: Pearce Paul Creasman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019022908X
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
The concept of pharaonic Egypt as a unified, homogeneous, and isolated cultural entity is misleading. Ancient Egypt was a rich tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic interconnections among numerous cultures from disparate lands. In fifteen chapters divided into five thematic groups, Pharaoh's Land and Beyond uniquely examines Egypt's relationship with its wider world. The first section details the geographical contexts of interconnections by examining ancient Egyptian exploration, maritime routes, and overland passages. In the next section, chapters address the human principals of association: peoples, with the attendant difficulties of differentiating ethnic identities from the record; diplomatic actors, with their complex balances and presentations of power; and the military, with its evolving role in pharaonic expansion. Natural events, from droughts and floods to illness and epidemics, also played significant roles in this ancient world, as examined in the third section. The final two sections explore the physical manifestations of interconnections between pharaonic Egypt and its neighbors, first in the form of material objects and second, in the powerful exchange of ideas. Whether through diffusion and borrowing of knowledge and technology, through the flow of words by script and literature, or through exchanges in the religious sphere, the pharaonic Egypt that we know today was constantly changing--and changing the cultures around it. This illustrious work represents the first synthesis of these cultural relationships, unbounded by time, geography, or mode.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019022908X
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
The concept of pharaonic Egypt as a unified, homogeneous, and isolated cultural entity is misleading. Ancient Egypt was a rich tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic interconnections among numerous cultures from disparate lands. In fifteen chapters divided into five thematic groups, Pharaoh's Land and Beyond uniquely examines Egypt's relationship with its wider world. The first section details the geographical contexts of interconnections by examining ancient Egyptian exploration, maritime routes, and overland passages. In the next section, chapters address the human principals of association: peoples, with the attendant difficulties of differentiating ethnic identities from the record; diplomatic actors, with their complex balances and presentations of power; and the military, with its evolving role in pharaonic expansion. Natural events, from droughts and floods to illness and epidemics, also played significant roles in this ancient world, as examined in the third section. The final two sections explore the physical manifestations of interconnections between pharaonic Egypt and its neighbors, first in the form of material objects and second, in the powerful exchange of ideas. Whether through diffusion and borrowing of knowledge and technology, through the flow of words by script and literature, or through exchanges in the religious sphere, the pharaonic Egypt that we know today was constantly changing--and changing the cultures around it. This illustrious work represents the first synthesis of these cultural relationships, unbounded by time, geography, or mode.
Pyramids and Literature in Ancient Egypt
Author: Asher Benowitz
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 123
Book Description
Pyramids have been around for thousands of years, but we still don't know exactly how they were built. The oldest pyramids are found at Giza and Saqqara. The Great Pyramid at Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was built during the fourth dynasty (2575-2150 BC). During this time, there was also an increase in writing, literature, and artisanship. The Westcar Papyrus tells us of three royal women who lived during the 4th dynasty: Khufu's mother Henutsen, his wife Hetepheres I, and her sister Meresankh II. The latter was also his daughter-in-law because she married his son Khafre (ruled 2558–2532 BC). She may have been buried inside this pyramid when she died at age 26. The first hieroglyphic text was written on papyrus in about 3100 B.C. It is from a chapter from The Book Of Journey To Heaven (called book 6), which describes how Ra travels with Thoth as they visit each nome (district) throughout Egypt during a period called "the Festival Of Night," where they praise Osiris while traveling through space towards his underworld kingdom every year at midnight between June 21st/22nd - July 21st/22nd when Orion rises as Sirius sets below it just before dawn on these days known later as Dog Days because dogs often suffer heat exhaustion then too due to lack of moisture caused by intense sunlight reflecting off asphalt surfaces like sidewalks or blacktop parking lots heating up too much due to all that reflected energy bouncing back into our faces which makes us sweat which causes dehydration if we don't drink enough water!
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 123
Book Description
Pyramids have been around for thousands of years, but we still don't know exactly how they were built. The oldest pyramids are found at Giza and Saqqara. The Great Pyramid at Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was built during the fourth dynasty (2575-2150 BC). During this time, there was also an increase in writing, literature, and artisanship. The Westcar Papyrus tells us of three royal women who lived during the 4th dynasty: Khufu's mother Henutsen, his wife Hetepheres I, and her sister Meresankh II. The latter was also his daughter-in-law because she married his son Khafre (ruled 2558–2532 BC). She may have been buried inside this pyramid when she died at age 26. The first hieroglyphic text was written on papyrus in about 3100 B.C. It is from a chapter from The Book Of Journey To Heaven (called book 6), which describes how Ra travels with Thoth as they visit each nome (district) throughout Egypt during a period called "the Festival Of Night," where they praise Osiris while traveling through space towards his underworld kingdom every year at midnight between June 21st/22nd - July 21st/22nd when Orion rises as Sirius sets below it just before dawn on these days known later as Dog Days because dogs often suffer heat exhaustion then too due to lack of moisture caused by intense sunlight reflecting off asphalt surfaces like sidewalks or blacktop parking lots heating up too much due to all that reflected energy bouncing back into our faces which makes us sweat which causes dehydration if we don't drink enough water!
Art, Architecture, and Temples in Ancient Egypt
Author: Ezra Ivanov
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 154
Book Description
Ancient Egyptian art and architecture are fascinating, beautiful, and complex. I've always been fascinated by the pyramids of Egypt and how they were built. They are incredible feats of engineering—but also religious centers where worshipers would go to pray and make offerings to their gods. In addition to temples, there were also tombs for royalty (known as mastabas) and commoners (known as shaft tombs), which were all made with an eye toward eternal life. Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses were important in Egyptian culture. They were often represented in art or architecture and played an integral role in daily life. Though the god Osiris was known to be king of the dead, he did not hold the same power as other gods such as Ra or Hathor (a cow-headed goddess). The priesthoods of these deities generally ruled over specific cities or professions; for example, priests at a temple dedicated to Amun would preside over all matters related to agriculture. Such temples were built throughout Egypt's history; one example is Deir el-Bahari (meaning "monastery of the northern valley"), which served as both a royal mortuary temple and monastery for Nefertari during her lifetime. Many structures built during this period reflect traditional architectural practices: thick columns made from stone support large roof beams made from wood; outer walls are covered with painted plaster decorated with scenes depicting daily life—for example, artists working on wall paintings inside temples such as this one often described themselves taking part in those very activities! You may have heard that pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs, but there's more to it. The pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings, part of the Great Pyramids complex. The pyramids are made up of stone blocks of limestone, built with ramps rather than cranes or scaffolding so that workers could move them into place. In terms of shape, they're somewhere between a cube and a cone; this helps keep them stable during construction and makes them look good from afar! Temples were the most important buildings in ancient Egypt. They were places of worship and learning, government, and justice. The temple was the most important place for any Egyptian because it was where people could connect with their gods and get guidance on how to lead a good life.
Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 154
Book Description
Ancient Egyptian art and architecture are fascinating, beautiful, and complex. I've always been fascinated by the pyramids of Egypt and how they were built. They are incredible feats of engineering—but also religious centers where worshipers would go to pray and make offerings to their gods. In addition to temples, there were also tombs for royalty (known as mastabas) and commoners (known as shaft tombs), which were all made with an eye toward eternal life. Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses were important in Egyptian culture. They were often represented in art or architecture and played an integral role in daily life. Though the god Osiris was known to be king of the dead, he did not hold the same power as other gods such as Ra or Hathor (a cow-headed goddess). The priesthoods of these deities generally ruled over specific cities or professions; for example, priests at a temple dedicated to Amun would preside over all matters related to agriculture. Such temples were built throughout Egypt's history; one example is Deir el-Bahari (meaning "monastery of the northern valley"), which served as both a royal mortuary temple and monastery for Nefertari during her lifetime. Many structures built during this period reflect traditional architectural practices: thick columns made from stone support large roof beams made from wood; outer walls are covered with painted plaster decorated with scenes depicting daily life—for example, artists working on wall paintings inside temples such as this one often described themselves taking part in those very activities! You may have heard that pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs, but there's more to it. The pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings, part of the Great Pyramids complex. The pyramids are made up of stone blocks of limestone, built with ramps rather than cranes or scaffolding so that workers could move them into place. In terms of shape, they're somewhere between a cube and a cone; this helps keep them stable during construction and makes them look good from afar! Temples were the most important buildings in ancient Egypt. They were places of worship and learning, government, and justice. The temple was the most important place for any Egyptian because it was where people could connect with their gods and get guidance on how to lead a good life.