Egypt originates from a Greek word that references the original capitol city of Memphis, which was a major religious and trade center. The Egyptians themselves called the land *Kemet* (Black Land, a reference to the fertile soil along the Nile River); it was later called Misr (country; it's still used today). By 4000 BCE, the early Egyptians had become farmers of wheat and barley, and a unique civilisation with its own distinctive styles of art and architecture had emerged along the banks of the Nile. The invention of paper-making from papyrus, along with a highly complex system of writing, enabled early Egyptians to keep detailed records and histories at a time when developing cultures in [[Mesopotamia]] were using clay tablets for communication. ## See Also - [[Timeline of Egypt]] - [[Egyptian faience]]