Egyptian inventions and discoveries are ideas, objects, processes or techniques invented, innovated or discovered, partially or entirely, by Egyptians. Often, things discovered for the first time are also called inventions and in many cases, there is no clear line between the two.

The following is a list of inventions, innovations or discoveries known or generally recognized to be Egyptian.

Ancient Egypt

Government and economy in Ancient Egypt

Community banking models — Community banking is a non-traditional form of money-lending. Unlike banks or other classic lending institutions, the funds that community banks lend to borrowers are gathered by the local community itself. This tends to mean that the individuals in a neighborhood or group have more control over who is receiving the capital and how that capital is being spent. This practice has existed in some form for centuries; in ancient Egypt, for example, when grain was often used as currency, local granaries would store and distribute the community's food supply. Since that time, a variety of community banking models have evolved. Police – In ancient Egypt evidence of law enforcement exists as far back as the Old Kingdom period. There are records of an office known as "Judge Commandant of the Police" dating to the Fourth Dynasty. Postal system — The first documented use of a postal system, state-sponsored, designated courier service for the dissemination of written documents is in Egypt, where Pharaohs used couriers to send out decrees throughout the territory of the state (2400 BCE). Law — Ancient Egyptian law, dating as far back as 3000 BC, was based on the concept of Ma'at and characterised by tradition, rhetorical speech, social equality, and impartiality.VerSteeg, Law in ancient Egypt

Warfare

Arrowslit — Loop holes are found for the first time in some Middle kingdom forts. Battering rams — The earliest depiction of a possible battering ram is from the tomb of the 11th Dynasty noble Khety, where a pair of soldiers advance towards a fortress under the protection of a mobile roofed structure, carrying a long pole that may represent a simple battering ram. Battlements – Another feature of the Buhen fortress the construction of the world's oldest battlements. Catapult — A catapult dating to the 19th century BC was found on the walls of the fortress of Buhen. Dagger — In ancient Egypt, daggers were usually made of copper or bronze, while royalty had gold weapons. At least since pre-dynastic Egypt,Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards, Cyril John Gadd, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, 1970 (c. 3100 B.C) daggers were adorned as ceremonial objects with golden hilts and later even more ornate and varied construction. One early silver dagger was recovered with midrib design. Draw bridge — The fortress of Buhen contains the oldest known drawbridges. Encryption — One of the earliest forms of encryption is symbol replacement, which was first found in the tomb of Khnumhotep II, who lived in 1900 B.C. Egypt. Symbol replacement encryption is "non-standard," which means that the symbols require a cipher or key to understand. Grappling hook — The ancient Egyptians used grappling hooks as early as the Bronze Age collapse and in their war with the Sea people. Military organization — As early as the Old Kingdom (c.2686–2160 BC) Egypt used specific military units, with military hierarchy appearing in the Middle Kingdom (c.2055–1650 BC). Military scribe and battle recording – The first well documented battle in the history of the world is the Battle of Megiddo.Trevor N. Dupuy, Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. Naval ram — Naval rams were built on ships since at least the reign of Amenhotep I. Police dogs and war dogs — were used by the Egyptians as early as 4000 B.C. Siege towers — Moving siege towers were invented in Egypt during the First Intermediate Period.

Agriculture and animal husbandry

Beekeeping — domesticated beekeeping was first recorded in ancient Egypt around 2600 BC.Egyptian honeybee Ark of taste as well as the first use of smoke while extracting the honey from bee nests. Diversion dam — The first diversion dam is Sadd el-Kafara Dam built in Egypt around 2700 B.C.Günther Garbrecht: "Wasserspeicher (Talsperren) in der Antike", Antike Welt, 2nd special edition: Antiker Wasserbau (1986), pp.51–64 (52f.) Horse stable — The world's oldest horse stables were discovered in the ancient city of Pi-Ramesses in Qantir, in Ancient Egypt, and were established by Ramesses II (c. 1304–1213 BC). These stables covered approximately 182,986 square feet, had floors sloped for drainage, and could contain about 480 horses. Noria — Norias appeared in Egypt in the 4th Century B.C. Olive cultivation – Some scholars have argued that olive cultivation originated with the Ancient Egyptians.To Elaiodentro. (Olive Tree), vol I Ox drawn plough — Ox drawn ploughs were used by Ancient Egyptians as early as 2000 B.C. Zoo — The world's first zoo was discovered at Hierakonpolis dating back to 3,500 B.C.

Transport

Harbor / Dock — The earliest known Harbors were those discovered in Wadi al-Jarf, an ancient Egyptian harbor, (ca. 2600–2550 BCE, reign of King Khufu), located on the Red Sea coast. Archaeologists also discovered anchors and storage jars near the site. Hulls – Hulls were first built in Egypt as early as 3000 B.CWard, Cheryl. "World's Oldest Planked Boats," in Archaeology (Volume 54, Number 3, May/June 2001). Archaeological Institute of America. Archaeology.org Masts and bipod mast — The bipod mast is a two-legged mast used originally in Egypt during the 3rd millennium BCE. It can be described as two poles secured together at the top, forming a thin isosceles triangle. It did not appear until the Old Kingdom, third dynasty, and disappeared after the sixth dynasty when the pole mast took over during the Middle Kingdom.Vinson, Steve. 1994. Egyptian boats and ships. Osprey Publishing. Paved road — The world's oldest surviving paved road was discovered near Faiyum dating back to the 26th century BC. Sail — cloth sails are depicted in predynastic Egyptian art (c. 3300 B.C).Encyclopedia Of International Sports Studies. Page 31 Stern-mounted steering oar — A predecessor to the rudder. Rowing oars set aside for steering appeared on large Egyptian vessels long before the time of Menes (3100 BC).William F. Edgerton: "Ancient Egyptian Steering Gear", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. 43, No. 4. (1927), pp. 255 In the Old Kingdom (2686 BC–2134 BC) as many as five steering oars are found on each side of passenger boats. The tiller, at first a small pin run through the stock of the steering oar, can be traced to the fifth dynasty (2504–2347 BC).William F. Edgerton: "Ancient Egyptian Steering Gear", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. 43, No. 4. (1927), pp. 257 Both the tiller and the introduction of an upright steering post abaft reduced the usual number of necessary steering oars to one each side.William F. Edgerton: "Ancient Egyptian Steering Gear", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. 43, No. 4. (1927), pp. 260 Single steering oars put on the stern can be found in a number of tomb models of the time,Francesco Tiradritti (ed.): "The Treasures of the Egyptian Museum", The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo 1999, , p.92f. particularly during the Middle Kingdom when tomb reliefs suggests them commonly employed in Nile navigation.Mohamed Ata: "Egypt from Past to Present. Through the Eyes of an Egyptian", Cairo 2007, p.68 The first literary reference appears in the works of the Greek historian Herodotus (484–424 BC), who had spent several months in Egypt: "They make one rudder, and this is thrust through the keel", probably meaning the crotch at the end of the keel (see right pic "Tomb of Menna").Herodot: Histories, 2.96William F. Edgerton: "Ancient Egyptian Steering Gear", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Vol. 43, No. 4. (1927), pp. 263

Metallurgy and materials Amethyst — a form of quartz was first used by the Ancient Egyptians.Augosto Castellani (famous Italian 19th century jeweler) (1871), Gems, Notes and Extracts, p. 34, London, Bell and Daldy, . Electrum — Electrum was used as early as the third millennium BC in Old Kingdom of Egypt, sometimes as an exterior coating to the pyramidions atop ancient Egyptian pyramids and obelisks. It was also used in the making of ancient drinking vessels. Electrum is mentioned in an account of an expedition sent by Pharaoh Sahure of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt. Emerald — Emerald was first mined in Egypt since at least the New Kingdom. Lime mortar — The Ancient Egyptians were the first to use lime mortars which they used to plaster the pyramids at Giza. In addition, the Egyptians also incorporated various limes into their religious temples as well as their homes. Indian traditional structures built with lime mortar, which are more than 4,000 years old like Mohenjo-daro is still a heritage monument of Indus valley civilization in Pakistan. It is one of the oldest known types of mortar also used in ancient Rome and Greece, when it largely replaced the clay and gypsum mortars common to ancient Egyptian construction. Malachite — Malachite was mined from deposits near the Isthmus of Suez and the Sinai as early as 4000 BC. Mercury — The earliest known use of mercury dates to Ancient Egypt around 1500 BC. Natron — Natron was used by the Ancient Egyptians in mummification. Turquoise — Turquoise was mined in Egypt since at least the First Dynasty (3000 BC), and possibly before then, turquoise was used by the Egyptians and was mined by them in the Sinai Peninsula. This region was known as the Country of Turquoise by the native Monitu. Serabit el-Khadim and Wadi Maghareh, believed to be among the oldest of known mines. Wattle and daub — Wattle and daub was used in Egypt as early as the Merimde culture.

Medicine

Discoveries

Anatomy — In 1600 BCE, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, an Ancient Egyptian medical text, described the heart, its vessels, liver, spleen, kidneys, hypothalamus, uterus and bladder, and showed the blood vessels diverging from the heart. The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE) features a "treatise on the heart", with vessels carrying all the body's fluids to or from every member of the body. Cancer – The earliest written record regarding cancer is from circa 1600 B.C in the Egyptian Edwin Smith Papyrus and describes breast cancer. Cerebrospinal fluid Circulatory system — The earliest known writings on the circulatory system are found in the Ebers Papyrus (16th century BCE), an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus containing over 700 prescriptions and remedies, both physical and spiritual. In the papyrus, it acknowledges the connection of the heart to the arteries. The Egyptians thought air came in through the mouth and into the lungs and heart. From the heart, the air travelled to every member through the arteries. Although this concept of the circulatory system is only partially correct, it represents one of the earliest accounts of scientific thought. Crutch — Crutches were used in ancient Egypt. Diabetes — Diabetes was one of the first diseases described, with an Egyptian manuscript from 1500 BCE mentioning "too great emptying of the urine". The Ebers papyrus includes a recommendation for a drink to take in such cases. The first described cases are believed to have been type 1 diabetes. Dracunculiasis or Guinea-worm disease and its treatment – The Ebers Papyrus says that the cure to the Guinea worm disease is to wrap the emerging end of the worm around a stick and slowly pull it out. 3,500 years later, this remains the standard treatment. Hematuria — One of the main symptoms of bilharzia was known and treated by the ancient Egyptians.