Solar Activity, The Nile Flooding and Ancient Egyptian Civilization from Prehistory to Greek Roman Era M. A. Mosalam SHALTOUT National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics Helwan Cairo Egypt E-mail: mosalamshaltout@hotmail.com
Introduction The Egyptian civilization from the pre-history to now is high correlated with the Nile flooding, where the Nile valley and Delta as green area cover 4% from the total area of Egypt, and the remain percent is very dry and hard desert land. The Holocene beginning arbitrarily between 8000 and 10000 year B.C. with the coming of it, the intertropical covering zone (ITCZ) moved north wards covering the Northern parts of Sudan and the Southern parts of Egypt till to 27 o N latitude. The rain fall rate was bout 200 mm per year, which equal to the rate of the Savana area in Africa today. During the wet Holocene, there are many vallies in the eastern and western deserts.
Comparison between proxies of solar magnetic activity and estimates of past terrestrial climate (from Eddy J.A. 1997, Climatic Change 1, 173)
Data Sources Our sources about the Nile flooding are the following: 1. Soil profile near Qarun (Moeris)) lake at Fayium Depression to estimate the salinity in the lake during the different periods (reaching back to 10000 B.C.) where there was a natural channel between the river Nile and the Fayium depression, such that, when the Nile flooding is high, the water pass through the channel to Moeris lake in Fayium depression, the lake expand and the salinity decrease. When the Nile flooding is low, there is no connection between the Nile river and Moeris lake, then the lake diminished and the salinity increase [5]. From the soil profile, and the microscopic study for the different chronicle samples, we can estimate the salinity and determine the amount of the Nile flooding [6]. 2. Palermo stone, which is the ancient registration for the Nile flooding in the Egyptian History (Figure 3). Which belong to the fifth dynasty, and cover the period from the first to the fifth dynasty.
3. Papyrus, which describe the famines in the ancient Egyptian history and the Nile flooding, as Neferty papyrus (1990 B.C.) which state that: the Nile of Egypt became empty and the people crossing it on the foots. 4. Soil profile near Qarun (Moeris)) lake, to determine the Hydrogen number, electric conductivity, chlorides, and sulphates as indicators for the salinity, and then estimating the Nile flooding during the Greek-Roman period till the start of the Arab epoch and the building of the Nile meter at Cairo [7]. 5. The registration of the Nile flooding during the Arab epoch starting from 642 A. D till the building of the High Dam in the south of Aswan in 1960's [8]. 6. Traditional books describe the famines in Egypt and the Nile flooding during the Arab epoch [9].
The Nile flooding in the pre- history (9400-3050 B.C.) From the analysis of the soil profile near the Qarun (Moeris)) lake [10] the chronicle data of the Nile flooding as follows: 9400 to 8000 B.C. (The Nile flooding is high, and in connection with Moeris lake in Fayium). 8000 to 7500 B.C. (the Nile flooding was low and no connection with Moeris lake). 7500 to 6000 B.C. (the Nile was high and in connection with Moeris lake). 6000 to 5200 B.C. (the Nile flooding was high and in connection with the Moeris lake). 5200 to 3900 B.C. (the Nile flooding was high and in connection with Moeris lake). 3900 to 3050 B.C. (the Nile flooding was low and no connection with the Moeris lake).
7. 3050 to 2920 B.C. (the Nile flooding was high and in connection with the Moeris lake). There is minimum solar activity between 5300 and 5050 B.C. (C.A. -0.9) and maxima activity in two periods: 5050-4450 B.C. (C.A. 1.0) and 4220-3700 B.C. (C.A. 0.9) where C.A. means the corrected amplitude negative in minimum and positive in maximum [11]. Also, there are three minimum for solar activity as follows : 3670-3410 B.C. (C.A. -0.4) 3410-3270 B.C. (C.A.-1.8) 3200-3050 B.C (C.A.-0.7) we can notice that the Nile flooding is high during the period 5200 to 3900 B.C. corresponding to maximum solar activity from 5050 to 3700 B.C. while the Nile flooding was low during the period 3900-3050 3050 B.C. in corresponding to minimum solar activity from 3670 to 3050 B.C.
The Nile flooding in the old Kindgom (2920-2323 B.C.) The measurements of the Nile flooding level was start at the captial of the united Egypt. (Memfis( Memfis) ) by measuring the maximum height of the water above the ground soil level of the fields surrounding the capital. The unit was transformed to the recent unit (meter) and the Nile stream was calculated by model in Billion of the cubic meter. The chronicle data of the Nile flooding during the old Kingdom as follows: The first dynasty: 2920 to 2770 B.C. from 25 measurements. The Nile flooding was high (2.8 meter height and the Nile stream about 200 Billion m3). The second dynasty: 2770 to 2649 B.C. from 21 measurements the Nile flooding was low (1.6 meter height and the Nile stream about 80 Billion m3). Weak economy and some disturbances. The third dynasty: 2649 to 2575 B.C. the Nile flooding is high (2 meter height and the Nile stream about 130 Billion m3).
The fourth dynasty: 2575 to 2465 B.C. The Nile flooding was high (2.7 meter height and the Nile stream was 200 Billions). The fourth dynasty is the golden period of pyramids building characterized by high Nile flooding and corresponding to high solar activity as can be seen in Figure (1). Where there is maximum solar activity from 2700 to 2550 B.C. with corrected amplitude 1.3. The fifth dynasty : 2465 to 2323 B.C. the Nile flooding was low (the Nile stream was bout 60 Billion m3). The wet Holocene continued to the fifth dynasty, and after that the rain decreased gradually, where the rain belt moved towards the south, and at the latitude 15o N as maximum. There is a maximum solar activity from 2350 to 2000 B.C. but not coincide with the period of the fifth dynasty (2465-2323 B.C.). Where there is small overlapping (2350-2323 B.C.). But this maximum solar activity cover the first dark age which start from 2200 to 2040 B.C.
From the drawings from Betah - Hotob Tomb, and Ni - Oser - Ra Tomb in Sakara (the fifth dynasty) we can see the animals of Savana and the catching of the lion in the Egyptian desert Savana,, Figures (4) and (5). At the end of the same dynasty we can see the Hungary peoples for the first time in Egypt history as registered in the corridor of King Wenis pyramid in Sakara at the end of the fifth dynasty (Figure 6). The first dark age: : began from 2200 B.C. at the end of dynasty VI, Egypt was still a very stable society, then seeming sudden fell into anarchy. Where there texts to the first great famine from 2180 to 2130 B.C. Also, there are famines from 2150 to 1950 B.C., where the end of 10th dynasty was at 2040 B.C.[12].
The Nile flooding in the Middle Kingdom (2040-1700 B.C.) The middle Kingdom started by the 11th dynasty at 2040 B.C. and ended by the 14th dynasty at 1700 B.C. where, during this Kingdom, the Qarun (Moeris)) lake, was used as a reservoir for the water during the Nile flooding in the summer to irrigate the lower Egypt in Autumn and winter. In 1991 B.C. the 12th dynasty was started by Amenemhet I in his time the Nile stream is about 120 Billion m3. From 1971 B.C. to 1928 B.C. during Sunwosert I the Nile flooding is good. From 1840 B.C. to 1770 B.C. the Nile flooding is high (The Nile stream is 180 Billion m3 per year).
There is maximum solar activity from 1850 to 1700 B.C. and the probable extent in real time is 1870 to 1760 B.C. with corrected amplitude 1.5. From 1770 B.C. to 1674 the Nile flooding is low and a famine occurred at 1740 B.C. from the text of Cab. From 1674 B.C. to 1570 B.C. Hyksos occupation for the north of Egypt (Hyksos( were Asian non- civilized peoples). In the Egyptian history the 15th and 16th dynasties are Hyksos in the north of Egypt, while the 17th dynasty is Theban Egyptian kings in the Upper Egypt [14].
The Nile flooding in the New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C) is started in 1550 B.C. by King Ahmos,, who canceled the Hyksos from Egypt. It is started by two strong military dynasties (18 and 19) where Egypt become Empire (from the north of Syria and Iraq to the mid of Sudan). The Nile flooding during this period is good and sufficient. There is minimum solar activity from 1400 to 1200 B.C. with corrected amplitude -1.5. The second dark age: : began from 1200 to 945 B.C. where the Nile flooding was low, and weak economy and army. Egypt lost her empire, gradually in Asia during the 20 and 21 dynasties of the new Kingdom.
From 945 B.C. to 525 B.C. during 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 dynasties the Nile flooding was good (the Nile stream was 180 Billion m3). There is a minimum solar activity from 800-580 B.C. with corrected amplitude - 2.4. In 525 B.C. Egypt occupied by Persian (King Cambyses) and after that by Macedonian (Alex the great) in 332 B.C., then by Roman (Julus( Kuser) ) in 30 B.C. During the period 525 B.C. to 640 A.D. the Nile flooding is good. There is minimum solar activity from 420-300 B.C. with corrected amplitude. 2.4, and maximum solar activity from AD 1 to AD 140 named (Roman maximum). During the Patolmic Roman Period Egypt not show famines where the Nile flooding is good and sufficient, and also introduced new technologies for ground and underground water irrigation.
Conclusion From our Nile flooding data from the prehistory 9400 B.C. to Greek-Roman Era in comparison with the major solar excursion in the last 7400 years. The author conclude that: the Nile flooding is correlated with the solar activity, and in the most cases the Nile flooding is maximum at maximum solar activity and minimum flooding at minimum activity. This means the solar activity and the Nile flooding played very important role in rising and seting the ancient Egyptian civilization as we can see from the chronicle registration in the text. It is sure the technology of irrigation in the middle Kingdom in the ancient Egypt, and in Greek Roman period played an important role to avoid Egypt from dangerous famines.
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