Museum Exhibit: Legacy of a Civilization

     Ancient Egypt has made many contributions to modern society, three of these are reed pens and writing, dental work, and the pyramids and architecture, all of which have each left a lasting legacy. As I discussed in my first museum exhibit, papyrus can be considered one of the most historically significant artifacts in ancient Egypt. As a result, the tools used for writing on papyrus are just as important. Also, the Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to practice and study dentistry, something that is still used and taught today. Ancient Egypt also quite literally laid the foundation for modern architecture today as can be seen from the pyramids which are still standing tall thousands of years later.

  The first legacy we will discuss is that of ancient Egyptian writing tools such as the reed pen, wooden palette and ink. In ancient Egypt, knowing how to write was a luxury and as a result very few knew how to do it. Among these few were the scribes who had access to these writing tools, the wooden palette would hold black and red ink and contained slots to keep several reed pens in place.[1] These artifacts are significant because they contributed to the legacy of the written word. Although the Mesopotamians were the first to establish a form of writing, the Egyptians followed soon after and were some of the first to develop writing tools. This helped to pave the way towards modern pens and pencils, along with thousands of other similar writing utensils. Now, there are thousands of different kinds of ink for pens in hundreds of colours which would not be possible had the ancient Egyptians not taken that first step. The creation of these writing tools must have been quite shocking to the ancient Egyptians since those who could draw or write before their creation would have most likely used their hands. Surely, it would have taken time for many scribes to adjust to using these tools and many would probably have been surprised by the amount of fine details they were now able to create using these reed pens. Pens, pencils and writing tools are objects we easily take for granted despite the fact that we tend to use them almost every day. These tools still continue to be developed in modern time, this can be seen with new high-tech pens that allow you to write on an electronic tablet, thus continuing the legacy of ancient Egyptian writing tools. But this is not the only legacy left behind the ancient Egyptians, next we will examine dentistry. 

          Long before your family dental office came to be, the ancient Egyptian began to practice oral care. At around 3000 B.C the Egyptians learnt that they could cure dental problems by pulling teeth and drilling out cavities.[2] They even started developing early forms of mouthwash to relive inflammation and pain in the mouth. Many skeletons have been found in ancient Egypt containing fake teeth and metals wires to hold these implants in place. As was mentioned earlier, dentistry is still very much present today and has continued to progress after its discovery. The ancient Egyptians helped many to who were experiencing oral health problems to alleviate their pain and heal cavities and rotting teeth. Today, dental care is practiced worldwide, something that was not readily available to thousands in the ancient world. People now go to dentists for annual check-ups where their teeth are cleaned and monitored even if the patient’s mouth is in excellent health. Also, many universities and colleges now have dentistry programs where people can become professionally trained in oral hygiene and health care. The discovery of dentistry has opened a plethora of job opportunities in other areas of dental care such as orthodontics. People without any teeth problems can now get their teeth straightened or their wisdom teeth removed if they are experiencing crowding. Surely many ancient Egyptians with toothaches were relived with the development of dental care, however it is most likely that this service was only available for the wealthy since it was a very new practice. Also, the antiseptics used in ancient Egyptian dentistry were much weaker than those used today so it must have been hard to get children treated as a result of the pain. Nonetheless, ancient Egyptian dentistry left a legacy that can still be felt today and has helped millions around the world take one step closer towards maintaining good health.

The last legacy left to examine is that of ancient Egyptian architecture which can clearly be seen by the great pyramids they left behind. These pyramids were the first monuments to be constructed on such a large scale, they provide a clear message that the Egyptians knew how to distribute weight and to use posts for extra support. The ancient Egyptians were also one of the first to use stone for their structures and houses, something that still remains popular today.[3] It was common for Egyptians to build their homes with extremely think walls as well as external walls to keep the structure stable.[4] This is similar to how houses are built today using different materials to add layers to walls, for example modern homes also have external walls which normally are made of brick, a material also used by the ancient Egyptians. Another similarity between modern and Egyptian architecture is the use of triangles. This can clearly be seen in the thousands of pictures of the pyramids online as well as on the roofs of just about every house here in Canada. These types of roofs are durable, hence why the pyramids have lasted so long while many ancient cities with flat roofs crumbled. Out of the seven ancient world wonders, these pyramids are the last remaining and as a result millions of tourists come to Egypt solely to visit them every year. To make these pyramids even more impressive, no one knows how they were built, despite the fact that some archaeologists have studied them for decades! This is clear evidence of Egypt’s architectural ingenuity which helped pave the way for modern architecture, many of which still involves triangles. For example, this can be seen in Toronto when standing outside the Royal Ontario Museum or even in Paris, France at the Louvre. 

 

In conclusion, ancient Egyptian writing tools, dentistry and architecture left legacies that can still be felt today and have greatly impacted the modern world. Egyptian writing tools were some of the first pens and inks invented, and although they have advanced and changed forms, these tools are still very much present in our modern world.  The same can be said about dentistry, whose discovery has benefited millions around the world, we went from gold wires in teeth to braces and brackets. Lastly, the ancient Egyptian pyramids clearly demonstrate the profound knowledge of the Egyptian architects who created them who have greatly influenced architecture worldwide. These are the three greatest legacies left behind by ancient Egypt.

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[1]                “Teaching History with 100 Objects,” accessed January 3, 2022, http://www.teachinghistory100.org/objects/about_the_object/ancient_egyptian_writing_equipment

 

[2] “Ancient Egyptian Dentistry,” accessed January 3, 2022, https://dentalsave.com/blog/ancient-egyptian-dentistry/

[3] “5 Strongest Historical Architecture Influences To Architecture,” accessed January 3, 2022, https://architecturecompetitions.com/5-strongest-historical-architecture-influences-to-architecture

[4] “Egyptian architecture: Characteristics of Egyptian Architecture” accessed January 3, 2022, https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/arts/visual/architecture/egyptian-architecture/characteristics-of-egyptian-architecture

Bibliography:

Ancient Egyptian pyramids. Photograph of ancient artifacts. From Archinect News, https://archinect.com/news/article/150094687/ancient-ramp-discovery-could-help-explain-construction-of-egyptian-pyramids (accessed January 3, 2022).

 

Ancient Egyptian stationary. Carved wood. From The British Museum, http://www.teachinghistory100.org/objects/about_the_object/ancient_egyptian_writing_equipment (accessed January 3, 2022).

 

“Egyptian Architecture: Characteristics of Egyptian Architecture.” Accessed January 3, 2022. https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/arts/visual/architecture/egyptian-architecture/characteristics-of-egyptian-architecture

 

Example of ancient Egyptian dentistry. Metal wires and bones. From Dental Save, https://dentalsave.com/blog/ancient-egyptian-dentistry/ (accessed January 3, 2022).

 

“5 Strongest Historical Architecture Influences To Architecture.” Accessed January 3, 2022. https://architecturecompetitions.com/5-strongest-historical-architecture-influences-to-architecture