Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Egypt has always been fascinating to me. The fact that huge structures, like the Great Pyramids, could have been built by hand in such primitive times is amazing.  Add in the fact that those structures have stood the test of time and survived in what can be considered pristine condition given their age is very impressive. Ancient Egypt also ushers us into a time period where daily artifacts were preserved as well as built structures. Because people were buried in tombs where everyday items were buried with them to take into the afterlife, a lot can be learned about their furniture, home life, society, and much more. For basically the first time, scholars can discern what daily life was probably like in this ancient time period.

This time period is also the start of architecture being focused around the temple. Religion played a huge role in Egyptian society and because of this temples became structures with great detail and fascinating architectural elements. To think that all the statues and engravings were made by hand and the time that must have taken is incredible. Certain aspects of building from ancient civilization are still widely used today, such as mortise and tenon joints and dovetail joints. There are many buildings and furniture that plainly show this technique. Furniture has also been influenced by Ancient Egypt, beds have evolved from Egyptian prototypes as well as end tables, stools, and so much more.

Here is a great example of dovetail joints, originally used during Ancient Egyptian Civilization, being used in a very modern piece of furniture.

If you look at the coffee table in this room closely you will see that it resembles folding chair design of Ancient Egypt. The crossed legs imitate the crossed legs of the chair.