الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 286 |  |  |
| | | from | 286 | | |
Abstract
The ancient Egyptians have fascinated centuries of generations who have glimpsed or visited their splendid ruins along the Nile. Such wisdom kept the Egyptians vital and prospering for 4,000 years and bequeathed remarkable concepts to the generations to follow
them. Throughout these entire four thousand years of ancient Egypt, the market was the center of all economic activities. The aim of this study was to prove the existence of market in ancient Egypt and prove that the present local market in ancient Egypt was a typical image of the pharaonic market through displaying the mural representations of the market in ancient Egypt. By searching in the ancient Egyptian history of Egypt which provides an overall view of the nation in good times and in bad, the study will try to prove the main aim which is the existence of the market in ancient Egypt through presenting some inquiries may come into mind when hearing the sentence of “Pharaonic Market” such as: If markets really exist, what was it looking like and where it was used to be held? Were they different from the markets of today?
What were the elements that led to the market in its final shape which we will see in the
scenes of the third chapter?
What about the products and where they come from? Is that really that most of it were
agriculture products?
Did they have imports and exports and that good relation with other countries?
Did markets exist in all the Old, Middle and New kingdom, what is the proof?
What about the means of exchange and how did they sell and buy?
What about the prices and was it watched by the government or not?
The study will answer all these inquiries and dealt with some market scenes, and also the will
try to prove that the present local market is a typical image of that ancient Egyptian one.
The ancient Egyptian country as a whole which was dependent on the system of redistribution
which is like a circle; begin with the distribution of raw materials and produce through the king’s
agents. This applies not only to importations but, to an even extent, to barely, emmer, cattle,
wine, linen, and other native produce. These goods were turned over or redistributed by the royal
store houses as wages and salaries to artisans, officials, priests, and others not directly engaged in
food production. Surplus could be traded at the local markets. As there was no money in ancient
Egypt so wages were paid in basic commodities like sacks of grain, oil for cooking and lighting
and length of linen. So if you wanted a pair of sandals, you needed to have something the sandal
maker wanted that was worth about the same as a pair of sandals and this kind of exchange is
called the barter system. You would take your item to the open-air market and try to trade for the
item you want.
The ancient Egyptian market is look like the local markets of today, full sunshine of a noisy little
square. Sheep, geese, goats, asses, large horned-oxen, scattered in unequal groups in the centre, in the centre,
are awaiting a purchaser. Peasants, fishermen, small retail dealers, squat several deep in front of
the houses, displaying before them, in great rush baskets or on low tables, loaves or pastry, fruit,
vegetables, fish, meat raw or cooked, jewels, perfumes, refreshments were sold in inn, and sealmakers
and barbers offered their services. Some are going to market, others coming from it. The
customers stroll past and leisurely examine the quality of the commodities offered for sale; each
carries something of his own manufacture in his hand- anew tool, some shoes, a mat, or small
box full of rings of copper, silver, even of gold, which he proposes to barter for the objects he
requires.
The results confirmed the idea that our present is an extension to our past and also proved that
the present local market is a typical one of our pharaonic one and even the passing time couldn’t
be able to change it except in some few differences such as: The style of clothing or textile, the
hair style, and the means of exchange: This is barter in ancient Egypt and money of today.
Except the previous changes, many things still as it is in the past such as: The shape of the market still as it is with the sellers setting either on the ground or on a
small stool infront their baskets which full with different kinds of commodities.
The same commodities being sold and also the same shape of the baskets in which the
commodities being sold.
The presence of balances or scales which was in use in ancient Egypt from at least the
beginning of the 3rd millennium and probably from pre-dynastic times in its familiar
shape and spanned through ages till our current time and the photos I captured for the
local market from different places in Egypt is a live proof that asserts my idea.
This unguent cones over the head of the woman maybe similar to that thing over the head
of the seller woman in the present local market. If you look at the woman of the market
of today and stare in that thing above her head you will discover that it is a tall and big
piece of cloth rolled in a very professional way to look like a circle and placing it above
her head to carry her baskets with full of different kinds of goods. So I think as an
Egyptian woman went to the local markets of present days many times, I can confirm that
these unguent cones were not unguent cones, it were that piece of cloth that woman put
on her head to carry her basket on.
At last the market places, in the time of the pharaohs it used to be held along or very
close to the River Nile, but now unfortunately due to the changes and what they call
developments around the Nile , you will not find any more local markets around the Nile,
you will find the huge bridges, but you can find another shape of the market personalized
in that peddlers go around the Nile bridges selling their different products such as
jewelry, toys for children, pop corn, houmos, cold and hot drinks, and sometimes clothes.
But the only big and positive difference is the slave trade which let us think of the tolerance of
Islam which prevents slavery. Not for Islam we might find one of us treated as cattle.