The Tale of Sinuhe is among the most prominent examples of literature that came from Ancient Egypt, one of history's longest-lasting civilizations.
For nearly three thousand years, Ancient Egypt was a civilization based around the Nile River in northern Africa that began with its unification around 3100 BC and lasted until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. In modern times, Ancient Egypt has become one of the most studied and well-known ancient human societies in large part because of the many artifacts and monuments that have been recovered. Egyptologists have attributed the longevity of Ancient Egypt to its being situated around the Nile. Compared to other rivers, the Nile was well-suited to surrounding agricultural settlements due to its regular flow and predictable flooding pattern, which left behind reliably easy-to-farm silt. The result was an abundance of grain, figs, pomegranates, and wheat. The Nile was also easy to “tame” using basin irrigation, a means of channeling floodwaters in canals and basins.
The food security afforded by the Nile enabled large food surpluses with relatively little effort, leaving time for the people of Ancient Egypt to develop their unique culture. The abundance in everyday Ancient Egyptian life likely contributed to optimistic conceptions of the afterlife, which was assumed to be a continuation of life. This led to Egyptian rulers, or pharaohs, being buried in tombs filled with exquisite objects. Among artifacts recovered from Ancient Egypt have been examples of hieroglyphics, a writing system produced by the highly literate civilization.
The world's first major stone buildings were the Ancient Egyptian pyramids, constructed as funerary monuments to Egyptian rulers. Built between 2575 and 2465 BC, during the period of Ancient Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom, the pyramids required the cooperation of thousands of builders. Egyptian law required that peasants work for the government until they fulfilled a certain quota. It was these peasants, in tandem with slaves, who constructed the pyramids for their rulers, who were thought to become gods in death.
While most pharaohs’ tombs were plundered by ancient peoples, the mummified body of King Tutankhamun, a New Kingdom pharaoh who lived to the age of seventeen, was discovered by British Egyptologists in 1922. The tomb was found nearly intact, with over five thousand artifacts and the king's gold death mask, which remains a popular symbol of Ancient Egypt.
