Rise of the City: The Lost Cities of Ancient Egypt

Dr. Josef Wegner, Associate Curator, Egyptian Section, Penn Museum, and Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania.
Some of the earliest cities in the world arose along the banks of the Nile. Millennia of change have obscured the remains of these once-great urban centers. Archaeology is increasingly revealing the characteristics of some of these cities of Egypt’s past. The lecture will look at some the earliest, and greatest, cities of the civilization of the pharaohs.

[@nobody8328]

So full disclosure, I came here looking for a nice boring history lecture to put me to sleep. This was not the right video for that! This guy is an engaging speaker, and really knows how to bring his subject to life. I should have been asleep and hour ago! 😒

[@eddiewhitfield3111]

nobody um I uh don’t um know erm about uh all um that uh

[@eddiewhitfield3111]

Barb Mulvaney I think that um the content is uh really ummm interesting. So. However, it um could’ve have been uh about um 10 um minutes shorter with out um you know uh the um speaking

[@eddiewhitfield3111]

Barb Mulvaney i know! Once I caught it I could stop catching it and had to give up at about 35 mins. Love ancient Egypt and things alike. I had to correct my own um problems as I am a speaker myself!

[@sofiakonermann2308]

Rise IT Iberia Colxi lasika IT Georgien 🇬🇪

[@benpayne4663]

interesting and engaging subject. thanks to you and fellow colleague's dedication and research we travel to past civilizations via your words and the display of found objects long lost and forgotten. egypt certainly was one of the fonts of first civilization on this dear earth. keep up your good work.

[@bopaproduction]

4:00 start of the lecture

[@voidremoved]

the other guy already posted this

[@raizelm1578]

Interesting lecture. I enjoyed it.

[@terryhughes7349]

great presentation!

[@JimFortune]

I need an app that will scan a video for the phrase "Thank you for that great introduction." or something similar.

[@mu99ins]

Don't you just love their choice of opening music? I didn't think so. Oh, you have to have music or it wouldn't have that professional touch. No. The video would be much better without the introductions. Why not tag the intros at the end of the video and start right in with the lecture? 4 minutes of intros. "I would like to thank, blah blah blah."

[@lyledeyounges1276]

Exactly!

[@aptasny]

@@mu99ins jy

[@mu99ins]

@@aptasny - I think I know what you mean, Artur Włóczykij, but I wouldn't put money on it. At any rate, no need to mince words, just "jy". Still, suspicious that it might be a back door insult of some sort, I looked it up. Here is what I found: "Top definition jy Used in Asia. It means "I support you!" or kind of like a "I hope you do great!". It's like a good sportsmanship thing. It is an abbreviation of "Jia You". *at an online game* Before the game started, each of the dance teams typed to each other "JY everyone!" and the competition began. by Elleged May 08, 2007"

[@russellpartain1718]

@@mu99ins yyyyuyuy u I uuuuuuuuu u u

[@robertafierro5592]

What a Beautiful illustration on the thumbnail. That's really what made me curious about this series..this is the first one..I'm looking forward to this!

[@danielw832]

Great audio!

[@lyledeyounges1276]

He is sort of a nervous speaker, but good. This topic is a very interesting one about ancient Egypt. Great lecture.

[@RonJohn63]

Lecture starts at 3:40. 1:06:09 The Mississippi River wants to make the Atchafalaya River it's main path to the Gulf of Mexico, so *massive* control structures have been added to keep it in it's current channel.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

There is another time he made this presentation, which also is on youtube, but this one is the better of the two by far.

[@mu99ins]

You mean there's a worse one?

[@maikmost8589]

@@mu99ins it is a very good presentation, but you probably still waiting for the space ship to pick you up

[@mu99ins]

@@maikmost8589 - Are you kidding? You'd have to be a fool to expect an alien landing in California during the Coronavirus emergency.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

I have seen some results of LIDAR, a process that lifts buildings and vegetation to see the topography of land, including clear man-made changes. It is expensive ... maybe it will help locate Thinis and other lost sites in the near future. :)

[@maikmost8589]

yes, that can certainly help. But sadly its still not easy since different layers and sediment can give false data impressions, but it is a (more or less) new tool that could really help in finding and evaluating things like this.

[@awuma]

Lidar works because it can differentiate between the actual ground or rock and all of the vegetation and loose stuff above, which is perfect for uncovering Mayan cities under the jungle. However, Egypt and the Middle East are barren, and here optical images at various wavelengths from the air or from satellites are most helpful, as well as microwave and other electromagnetic or radioactive probing techniques on the surface.

[@juusohamalainen7507]

A different view on Egypt, thank you.

[@yorgosmouzakitis7052]

this view tries to hide that all the cities of egypt are Greek..

[@maikmost8589]

@@yorgosmouzakitis7052 yes, in 4500 BC the Greeks came, founded "Memphis" left for thousands of years and then came back. Or to say it so you understand: no, you are wrong

[@yorgosmouzakitis7052]

@@maikmost8589 They never "came" They where there from the beging.. Egypt means Αιγυπτος δηλαδη Αιγαιου -υπτως (under the Aegean sea) which was a lake until 5000 BC..

[@sofiakonermann2308]

@@yorgosmouzakitis7052 Artwin Rise Trabison lazika Kolkida IT Iberia Margalep Samargalo Nana wi Ar Kitaisi Georgien 🇬🇪 Old Name it Iberia. OK.

[@ndennant]

The Hyksos invaded northern Egypt, they didn't just "settle in." A very interesting presentation all the same.

[@alexthefan68]

Your a Hyksosist

[@alexthefan68]

As some one of Hyksonian decent I take great offence

[@michaelahern6821]

Why all the waffling at the start..?

[@vecvan]

29:40 It is of course just a place at a bend. Both words for the hippo (there may be more) are possibly from metonymy for the hippo ivory. The etyma would mean "curved", and I would assume that the same holds for Abu, because curvature is hardly descriptive of hippopotamus teeth but elephant tusks fit very well. In this case, the place name could be fair coincidence. I don't know about African and Asiatic languages but the argument generally holds. It could be koinkidink. Also, just by the way, Abu-Dabi anyone?

[@BlueBaron3339]

This was excellent! It's good that archeologists from Europe and the United States continue to be fascinated by ancient Egypt. But the documentary that moved me most in recent years was Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb on Netflix, of all places, because the entire team were Egyptians. The sheer excitement of everyone, at every level of the team was palpable and infectious. Well, of course it was! It's *their* country. It's *their* history 😂

[@MrTheswagcity]

You realize the ancient Egyptians have no connection to modern Egyptians right

[@kwadwo9681]

I don’t he realises that the modern Egyptians are an Arab population (descending from the Arab conquest of around 639AD), although they could have admixture with other groups.

[@BlueBaron3339]

@@kwadwo9681 Today's Egyptians largely share the same mDNA profile of their ancient ancestors. Only difference is an 8% more African component. We may call them Arabs now but that's not exactly scientific.

[@KeinsingtonCisco]

I am afraid to say that you have just answered your own question about the origin of the name of the island; 27:15 ish, "elevated above the reach of the waters" … or Elevated like an elephant. Elevated and steadfast, strong, unmoveable, high place etc.

[@michaelr3583]

No. The island ia long and narrow resembling an elephant tusk

[@KeinsingtonCisco]

@@michaelr3583 Yea of course you picture it as a long and narrow something but I don't think you were thinking about a tusk. Perhaps shaft or rod is a more accurate articulation of your subconscious murmurs? Thank you✋

[@michaelr3583]

@@KeinsingtonCisco Thank you Sigmund Freud. Physician heal thy self

[@CrowdPleeza]

As far as the various foreign groups that took over Egypt. Is there any info that can tell us how much these people changed the makeup of the ancient Egyptian population? How many of those foreign groups settled in Egypt? What were their numbers in comparison to the native Egyptian population?

[@jahuti5065]

The term, "foreign" in the modern sense is perhaps not applicable to ancient Egypt (or Kemet, if you prefer) because the society built up as a result of a great number of people from all over North Africa, all of whom were fleeing the desertification that was making their former homelands uninhabitable. What existed in Egypt was a strong sense of culture and anyone from anywhere could become Egyptian if they spoke the language (which was itself split into dialects, apparently) and adopted the accepted cultural mores. Note that when the Ptolemies took over in around 300 BCE, they had themselves depicted in an Egyptian art style, even though they were, of course, Greek. This was seen as essential for their acceptance. (it didn't quite work, in their case) Going right back to the Old Kingdom, there was the tendency to bring back large numbers of "prisoners of war" from areas both to the north and to the south of Egypt and make them into Egyptians as a labour force was always welcome and people were often only too happy to move to Egypt as the standard of living would have been higher than in other regions. The upshot of this is that the population was probably in a constant state of flux as contingents from various vassal states settled there and adopted local language and customs. Even the royal families were not all from the same regions. The 18th dynasty were Theban (southern) but the 19th were from the northern delta. Egypt appears to us as this coherent state but that is largely due to geographical factors, it was very hard to invade or attack the region en masse, but the constant comings and goings of those engaged in trade and who then opted to settle would have population showing highly disparate backgrounds.

[@CrowdPleeza]

@@jahuti5065 I've brought up foreign rulers on Twitter. The general view is that despite Egypt being taken over by various foreign groups the native Egyptian population was always much larger than any settlers from the foreign group. So those settlers would get absorbed into the much larger native Egyptian population. So this kept foreigners from significantly changing the Egyptian population.

[@caesarillion]

Any Minoan influence seen? A lost captol of Atlantis/Egypt??? Indicators of very long distance trade to the Mediterranean world?

[@xiaoxiaodragon]

ｌｅｃｔｕｒｅｒ　ｄｉｄ　ｎｏｔ　ｐｒｏｖｉｄｅ　ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ　ｓｉｚｅ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｚｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｅｔｔｌｅｍｅｎｔ　，　ｔｈｏｓｅ　ｓｅｔｔｌｅｍｅｎｔ　ｓｅｅｍｓ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｔｏｍｂｓ　ｓｔｅｗａｒｄｓ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ　ｅｓｔａｔｅｓ，　where　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｉｔｙ　ａｖｅｒａｇｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ＇ｓ　ｑｕａｒｔｅｒｓ　ａｎｄ　ｗｈａｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｚｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｅｔｔｌｅｍｅｎｔ　？any agriculture production? any production artifacts？

[@jaygoings5790]

Ancient Kemet Rises Again!

[@aaroniouse]

Did you ever find out what happened to Ptah?

[@davidwalters61]

aaroniouse Check out, emerald tablets of thoth, aka ptah,metraton,hermes etc. Well maybe ul git it. Ps its still hapnin.old

[@maikmost8589]

@Barb Mulvaney you where lucky he did not elaborate, the stupidity could have blown our minds

[@casteretpollux]

Better played at 75

[@darorobot]

answer

[@yorgosmouzakitis7052]

Egyptos comes from the Greel word Αιγ-Υπτως (κατω απο το Αιγαιον πελαγος) Under Aegean sea. Of course because it lies there.

[@MikkGG]

This is the origin: From Egyptian ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ (literally “The temple of the ka of Ptah”), referring to Ptah’s temple in the important city of Memphis. See also the Mycenaean Greek demonym 𐁁𐀓𐀠𐀴𐀍 (ai-ku-pi-ti-jo, “Egyptian”) (Ancient Greek Αἰγύπτιος (Aigúptios)).

[@darorobot]

did u know the fibonacci numbers it's about the sound which we do not hear, They are long period of time, sound of the time. That's way trees growing this way and sunflowers seeds are constructed, sound resonant making this shapes what we call fibonacci sequence, i will call soud of universe, fibonacci numbers or fibonacci sequence come from the soud of universe, sound voice builds them

[@sammyelalami1818]

Thank you Dr. for all the info in this in this presentation, but the Nile (bed) used to be further east, so the timeline you giving doesn't match the beginning of Ancient Egypt nor the weathering of the Sphinx to say the least!

[@darorobot]

sound is vibrations

[@jayh9529]

Who made starforts

[@jayh9529]

What happened to Tartarian empire

[@edwardmgamboajr9479]

Indiana buro. Buro is a walled city

[@aryehbenyehudah9965]

City/Seti

[@bigcrackrock]

:)

[@phillynise]

These universities always refer to theses African sites with Greek and Arab names. Kemet is in AFRICA, but they will always hide this in their speeches and lectures.

[@kwadwo9681]

That’s right. They always do it.

[@edwardmgamboajr9479]

Indiana university pennsylavina. Lavant. The private golf course. Lost city of David Jesus is here

[@kwadwo9681]

At 22:07 why has your wife whitewashed the reconstruction? You guys just can’t help it. Apart from the whitewashing this was actually an interesting lecture. What a shame. Just be honest.

[@Smolir1]

Second

[@sandman2382]

It's all about africa history, What happened to Europe Ancient history they never talk about it, wondered why, do it exist

[@casteretpollux]

No. It was primitive and sparsely inhabited. Not civilised.

[@LibertyandJustice76]

Learn more about the early Egyptians and you’ll see the connection

[@LibertyandJustice76]

@@casteretpollux completely wrong

[@karenabrams8986]

This man is a you tuber born to early. Thank goodness. Birth vids are so cringe. Especially home birth. Dying in childbirth Bronze Age style is not cool. Go to the damn hospital.

[@vyvyncruxbutt8836]

Uh oh.. They mentioned minecraft. There goes my recommended feed. :B

[@tevinmagadani3201]

Africans where at the frontier of the ancient world, their achievements will out live this modern world as it embodies their cultures and way of life

[@misombra]

The ancient Egyptians shouldn't have to share credit with people across a giant trackless desert just because you can say they are technically on the same continent if you have a modern globe. The fact that you have some kind of deranged need to conflate these two things just means you won't ever be able to learn about history until you figure out your embarrassing personal garbage.

[@tevinmagadani3201]

@@misombra you are a disgrace, you fail to acknowledge the facts, you are still stuck with the whitewashing of Egypt, white people didn't build any civilization they just copied from ancient Egyptians and know that they don't have roots they want to hold on African history that made them who they are today, even their very first gods where Egyptians. I did my research, Cheick Diop, prof Ivan van Sertima, Dr John Henry Clark have proved over and over again that these where African people even some of white Egyptologist are starting to admit it.

[@1N2themystic]

By 14 min in I was cringing from the ridiculous amount of his reliance on the sounds "um", and "Uh". I couldn't continue any further. If it was a drinking game I would be on my face in two minutes.

[@edwardmgamboajr9479]

32 40. Jim struzzi. James struzzi. King James all the lawyers. Makes. The steward. Come on now. Please do t make me

[@d.l.l.6578]

This would be far easier to listen to if you smoothed out your speech and stopped saying Um every other word. Polish your presentation.

[@jayh9529]

Checkout wise up channel 👀👀👀👀👀

[@chakaalakak]

Only a dude would think of such a thing. Good thing She said no.

[@tribequest9]

He lost me at we like to ridicule someone who had an interesting and plausible idea but undermines my years of forced narrative learning and study.

[@maikmost8589]

i fear you may have lost your mind a loooooong time before that

[@tribequest9]

@@maikmost8589 really that's a fear you have? you know irrational fears also called phobias is a good sign to seek psychiatric help......

[@joes6108]

Haha he lost you in the first minute. You're dumb.

[@tribequest9]

@@joes6108 you're mom is dumb for not aborting you.

[@thenrepeat9124]

I came hoping t6 hear a cool lecture but now im bored.

[@prestonphelps1649]

Guy is knowledgeable but can't speak properly

[@josephdodd5770]

This guy puts me to sleep

[@maikmost8589]

you dont have to listen, do you?

[@sasupo5277]

What is this guy talking about? Did he just choose what he wanted, from What? Listen Mister Kemet is all about the original people. PLEASE STOP.

[@Harryjay6]

W E W U Z

[@maikmost8589]

cute how you can show ignorance AND arrogance in such a short space