TOP 13 EGYPTIAN INVENTIONS - HISTORY - 2025

Some of the most prominent Egyptian inventions have been the pyramids, papyri, makeup, the calendar, irrigation in crops, toothpaste, glass or mummification.

The Egyptian civilization is known to all, as it was one of the most prosperous in the history of mankind. For about 3000 years the Egyptians generated a huge legacy for those who would come later. His capacity for invention, planning and study was unique.

In his empire ruled by the famous pharaohs, there were doctors, engineers and scribes, it is also known that he was great scientists, his knowledge of mathematics was very good, as well as they were in astronomy.

In summary, the Egyptian civilization was complex, and that can be verified by studying, from how its form of government was organized, to the levels of complexity that its religion had.

It is likely that managing a civilization that had such a high level of knowledge on different topics was not easy at all.

What is certain is that they were all those qualities that made the Egyptian civilization unique in history, so unique and important, that some of the inventions that they produced are maintained and used by us to this day.

The most fascinating Egyptian inventions

Pyramids

Photo by Isabella Jusková on Unsplash

They are immense buildings whose purpose was to be used as a tomb. The pyramids were the place where the pharaoh would be given eternal rest, and usually the people with whom he shared closest ties were buried next to him.

The reason for its immensity and its shape was to symbolize the path of the pharaoh to heaven then for his eternal rest after his death.

Machines

Antoine-Yves Goguet / Public domain

To build the monuments of the intended sizes it was necessary for them to have machines. Although very simple and primitive, the Egyptians generated ramps specifically to move the large blocks of stone that they used to build the huge pyramids or for example the Sphinx.

More impressive is the invention of the elevator, it is known that the Egyptians handled pulley systems, and through them they built elevators, of course they were rustic but without a doubt very effective and made work much easier, in addition to being one of the predecessors of the most inventions. used today.

Irrigation

Matson Collection / Public domain

The Egyptians were great farmers, every year they benefited from the rise and fall of the water level of the Nile River that made the land very fertile, however they needed to irrigate their plantations.

To do this, they created canal systems that ran through all the plantations bringing water to their crops permanently, greatly increasing productivity.

Papyri

Source: pixabay.com

Papyrus is basically what we know today as paper, and therefore surely one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind.

If we think about it, we use paper for everything. To make it, the Egyptians used the vegetable fibers of a plant that grew in abundance around the lagoons of the region, this plant is called papyrus, hence the name they gave to their invention.

The stems were cut into thin sheets, then interwoven and pressed, when drying and finishing the process, the sheet was obtained, similar to today's paper, and used for the same purpose.

Glass

Walters Art Museum / Public domain

It is in the Egyptian civilization that the first references to glass work appear. As is known, they not only made it, but also molded and colored it for artistic work.

They carried out carvings and modeling, many times these delicate works were used to decorate and placed them in the tombs together with the mummies

Makeup

Photograph: Andreas Praefcke / Public domain

We are used to seeing images of pharaohs with painted eyes, and that is how it really was. Makeup was invented by the Egyptians and was used by both men and women.

It was used for an aesthetic reason but they also believed that it could cure diseases. Makeup was generally applied as an eyeliner, and in shades of black. Even so they are depicted in paintings and sculptures.

Calendar

NebMaatRa / GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)

The Egyptians studied time, they were the first to have a time reference of one year. To reference it, they created the calendar, and not just one, but they created two, the civil calendar and the lunar calendar.

The civil calendar, which by the way is the most studied and understood today, consisted of 12 months of 30 days, to which they then added 5 days that they called a small month. The belief was that those days were when their gods were born.

Toothpaste

Source: pixabay.com

The Egyptians had great respect for aesthetics and their health, within this we must include care for their dental hygiene.

Scientific studies have shown that the Egyptians invented toothpaste around 5,000 years ago (Lippert 2013). In these times, the toothpaste they used contained materials such as ash, myrrh, pumice stone and could even contain eggshells.

All these ingredients generated a corrosive paste that when rubbed against your teeth eliminated impurities.

Astronomy

NebMaatRa / GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)

The first great astronomers were Egyptians, they were great observers of the sky at night, and they knew the movements that occurred. Their particular admiration for the sky was partly reflected in the fact that they believed their gods to be there.

To study the sunrise and sunset, astronomers built walls that they used as false horizons and there they marked when the sun went down or rose.

Their extensive knowledge of astronomy was what allowed the Egyptians to be the first to build a very precise annual calendar.

Mummification

Source: pixabay.com

What stands out the most in general to the Egyptian civilization is for mummification. This technique was practiced for the burial of the bodies of the deceased, and it is known that it was not only practiced in humans but also in those animals that were considered pets, such as dogs, cats and even hawks.

To perform mummification, the bodies were emptied by removing all the organs, then chemically treated and wrapped in cloth.

The Egyptians were so good at mummifying bodies that their preservation today allows studies to be carried out on them, and even to diagnose whether these individuals had suffered from certain diseases.

Sundial

University of Basel / Public domain

The first indications of a clock that divided time in 24 hours date from Ancient Egypt. The practical purpose of it were theological, being closely linked to astronomy.

These clocks were divided into ten equal parts (five for the day and five for the night), in addition to two twilights.

The sundial obelisks that were placed in the middle of squares so that the people could know the time are known, but the first prototypes were smaller and more practical. They were specifically called sechat, being portable and widely used by priestly orders.

Surgical instruments

Egyptian medicine was among the first to develop surgical instruments for various functions. From the removal of cysts, healing of fractures, placement of prostheses, scars or also rhinoplasty techniques.

The Smith papyrus determines that as early as 3600 BC, the Egyptian civilization made use of these tools to treat different patients. This papyrus was a medical manuscript in which injuries, diagnoses, treatment and, of course, the surgical instruments to be used for each case were detailed.

Wigs

Metropolitan Museum of Art / CC0

In Ancient Egypt, the use of wigs or ornaments was quite common, especially among nobles and royalty, who spent a good part of their time taking care of their hair.

This civilization pioneered hair removal, as well as head shaving for reasons of health and perhaps comfort in a country so hot and exposed to the sun. One way to stand out among so many "shaved heads" was the use of false hair, extensions and the aforementioned wigs.

The most spectacular wigs were those of the nobles, which were made with natural hair and mane. They also perfumed and anointed them with special oils for better maintenance. After all, they were a mark of distinction.

References

1. Figuier, L. (1867). The great ancient and modern inventions in science, industry and the arts: Gaspar, Editores.
2. García, JL (2011). Astronomy in ancient Egypt: Universitat de València.
3. Lippert, F. (2013). An introduction to toothpaste-its purpose, history and ingredients Toothpastes (Vol. 23, pp. 1-14): Karger Publishers.
4. Nicholson, PT, & Shaw, I. (2000). Ancient Egyptian materials and technology: Cambridge University Press.
5. Shaw, I. (2015). Ancient Egyptian Technology and Innovation: Bloomsbury Publishing.