UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
Contributions of prehistoric Egypt
One of the earliest and most remarkable advances made by Egypt was in
the field of economics. At the end of the Neolithic period, around
—5000, the ancient Egyptians gradually transformed the Nile valley (see
Chapter 1), enabling its inhabitants to progress from a food-gathering
economy to a food-producing one, and this important transition in human
development in the valley had great consequences, material as well as
moral. For the growth of agriculture made it possible for the ancient
Egyptian to adopt a settled, integrated village life and this development
affected his social and moral development not only in prehistoric but
also during the dynastic periods.
It is not certain that Asia played the predominant and unique role in the
Neolithic revolution that was formerly attributed to it (see Unesco General
History of Africa, Vol. I, ch. 27). However that might be, one of the
first results of this Neolithic revolution in the valley was that the ancient
Egyptian started to think of the natural forces around him. He saw these,
especially the sun and the river, as gods, who were symbolized in many
forms, especially in the animals and birds with which he was most familiar.
In developing agriculture he also established the principle of co-operation
within the community, for without such co-operation among the people of
the village, agricultural production would have been limited. This led
to another important development: the introduction of a new social system
within the community; that is, the specialization of labour. Specialized
workers appeared in farming, irrigation, agricultural industries, potterymaking
and many other related fields and the large number of archaeological
remains attest to their long-lasting traditions.
Pharaonic civilization was remarkable for the continuity of its development.
Once a thing was acquired, it was passed on, with improvements,
from the dawn of the history of Egypt to its close. This was how
Neolithic techniques were transmitted and enriched in the predynastic
period (—3500 to —3000) and were subsequently preserved when the
historical period was in full flower. The art of stone-cutting is sufficient
evidence.
As early as —3500, the Egyptians, the heirs to the Neolithic period in
the valley, used the flintdeposits there, especially those at Thebes, to
carve instruments of incomparable quality, of which the Gebel-el-Arak
Knife (see Chapter 1 ) is one example among hundreds. Produced by pressure,
the fine and regular grooves of the stone gave the knife an inimitable gently
rippled and perfectly polished surface. To make such weapons required
uncommon manual dexterity. This art remained alive in Egypt and a
scene painted in a tomb at Beni Hasan depicts artisans of the time of
the Middle Kingdom (c. —1900) still fashioning these same knives with
incurvate blades.
156