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Ancient Egypt culture and achievements All images found through google image search
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Ancient Egypt & Kush
Nile River Valley
The water, fertile soil, and protected setting of the Nile Valley allowed a great civilization to arise in Egypt around 3200 BC
Big Idea (Geography)
Egypt’s Geography • Developed along
750 miles of the Nile River• Two regions:
- Southern region called “Upper Egypt”-location is upriver from the Nile’s flow - “Lower Egypt”-located in northern Egypt downriver
The Nile River created a 13 mile wide fertile river valley in Upper Egypt (surrounded by hundreds of miles of desert on both sides)
Cataracts- First marks the border of upper Egypt, five more downstream
Delta- flow into the Mediterranean Sea, 2/3 of Egypt’s fertile farmland was located in the Nile Delta
Floods- easier to predict that those in the Tigris & Euphratesflooded Upper Egypt midsummerFlooded Lower Egypt fallCoated land with rich silt
“The Gift of the Nile”
Video of 1st cataract
Egypt was hard to invade!Vast deserts to the westMediterranean & Red Seas to the northDangerous cataracts
With little threat of invasion the villages of Egypt grew as well as their social hierarchy.
By 3200 BC, the villages banded together to create two kingdoms: the Upper and Lower KingdomsEarly on each kingdom had its own king and
way of life.
Egypt’s Natural BarriersUpper- City Nekhen
Lower- City Pe
Hunter-gathers moved in to the area about 12,000 years ago
Farmers built:Irrigation systemsBasins to collect flood waterCanals attached to basins for dry months
Farmers grew:Wheat BarleyFruitsVegetablescattlesheep
Early Civilization on the Nile
• The also fished in the Nile and used traps to catch wild geese and ducks that lived along the river as well
Growth of Ancient Egypt
The Nile provides life.
Natural barriers provide
protection.• Fertile soil for crops
• Water for people, animals, and irrigation
• Deserts• Cataracts
along the Nile• Bodies of
water
Nile Similarities Tigris & Euphrates
Predictable flooding
Provided water Destructive
Gentler flooding pattern
Irrigation led to increased crop production
Unpredictable flooding
Silt enriched the soil
Civilizations arose on their banks
You are preparing for a trip to Egypt to study the culture. You need a map to help you navigate. Task:Draw a map of ancient Egypt. Label:
Map Activity
Water Features:Nile RiverNile DeltaBlue Nile & White NileMediterranean SeaRed SeaDead SeasLake MoerisLocation of cataracts
Geographic LocationsSinai Peninsula Upper & Lower EgyptWestern & Eastern Deserts
CitiesNubiaKushPeMemphisThebesNekhenElephantine
Kings Unify Egypt• 3100 BC- Menes takes power in Upper
Egypt• He wanted to unify Egypt like his
predecessor- The Scorpion King
• He united the two kingdoms by• Invading Lower Egypt• Married a princess from Lower
• Combined the white crown of the Upper and red crown of the lower to symbolize his leadership over both kingdoms
------------------------------------------------------------------• First pharaoh- “great house”• Built new capital (Memphis) @ southern tip of the
Nile• Political & cultural center of Egypt for centuries
• First dynasty lasted ~ 200 years (wore double crown)• Rivals challenged for power-start of the second
dynasty
King Menes
Big Idea: Egyptian government & religion were closely connected during the Old Kingdom
Take notes using this organizer form.
The Old Kingdom
Government Religion
A period in Egyptian history that lasted from about 2700 BC to 2200 BC.
Political system based on the belief that the pharaoh was both a king & a god.
Beliefs about the pharaoh:Egypt belong to the godswas sent by the gods to rule for themhad absolute power over all the land & people
The Egyptian people:Blamed Pharaoh for crop failure or diseaseDemanded that pharaoh make trade profitable and
prevent warsPharaoh appointed government officials from their
family to help carry out duties
The Old Kingdom
Social Structure
& slaves
Noble: people from rich & powerful families
80% of Egypt’s population
Old Kingdom Bartering Bartering- trading goods with others
Cultural diffusion- Sumerian designs found in Egyptian pottery & pottery similar to Nubia, south of Egypt
Traded with Nubia for gold, ivory, slaves and stone
Travelled to Punt to acquire incense & myrrh (to make perfume and medicine)
Traded with Syria for wood
Q: What effect did these bartered items have on Egyptian society in the Old Kingdom?
Worshipping the gods was part of everyday lifeMost customs & rituals focused on the AfterlifeLike Mesopotamia, they were polytheistic Temples were built for the gods throughout Egypt
Collected payments Led to their growing influence
Originally temples were for worship of all gods but they became the center of worship for certain gods
Q: Compare Polytheism in Mesopotamia & Egypt.
That Good Ole’ Religion
The Temples of Abu Simbel
had a god for nearly everything, including the earth’s four elements
Believed gods took the form of animals or half-human/ half- animals
Major gods:Anubis-God of the deadRe or Amon-Re- the sun godOsiris- god of the underworld: Very important
to EgyptIsis- goddess of magicHorus- a sky god & god of the pharaohs
Egyptian Gods
The AfterlifeMost Egyptian religion surrounded the
AfterlifeBelieved the Afterlife was a much
happier ideal place where people were young and healthy
ka- a person's life force Left the body and became a spiritRemained connected to the body and could not leave the burial siteHad the same needs as when the person was living
People meet the need of ka by filling the tomb with:
FurnitureClothingToolsJewelryWeaponsRelatives would leave food and
beverages at the tomb so the ka would not be hungry or thirsty
Replica of Tutankhamen's tomb
Archeology of Ancient Egypt
Video: the Real Tomb Raider 4:21
Believed the body must be preserved for the afterlifeif the body decayed the ka wouldn’t recognize it and
the link with the body would be severedthat would led to the ka not being able to eat and
drink
To solve this they developed the method of embalming- creating mummies
Body was wrapped in cloths and bandagesPlaced in a coffin with magic spells written in it to
help ka find the food and beveragesOnly the royal and elite could afford to be
mummified
Burial Practices
Peasants would bury their dead in shallow graves at the edge of the desert. The dry sand & lack of moisture created natural mummies
Mummification Song- 29 sec
Believed burial sites & royal tombs were very important
Pyramids- huge stone tombs for kings with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point at the top(similar in size to Ziggurats)
Most were built during the Old Kingdom eraThe Great Pyramid of Kuhfu is the largest still standing
Near town of GizaCovers 13 acres at the base and is 481 feet
hightook 2 million limestone blocks to build
The Pyramids
Most Famous Pharaoh- Khufu
Amazing feat of engineeringThe greater the Pharaoh= the bigger the
pyramidThe shape pointing to the sky = journey to the
afterlifeWhy did the people built the Pyramids?
People believed the Pharaoh was their link to the gods & their afterlives
So they built spectacular pyramids to keep the spirit of the Pharaoh happy
Symbolism of the Pyramid
Video DYI Pyramid- 59 sec
Egyptians had to have a good understanding of Geometry in order to successfully build the pyramids. Each side of the pyramid must have an upward and inward slope at the exact some angle in order to support itself. Little miscalculations or mistakes early in the building process could lead to huge errors and/or disasters later! Task:- Imagine you are a designer/builder of Kuhfu’s
pyramid. You will need to research designs and geometry needed to build a pyramid.
- Build and label a model pyramid to demonstrate your findings. Included a brief written description of the building process and the effect it may have had on the actual people who built the pyramids.
The Geometry of Pyramids
During the Middle and New Kingdoms order, order and greatness were restored in Egypt
The Egyptians made lasting achievements in writing, architecture, and art.
Big Idea- Middle & New Kingdoms
Period of order & stability that lasted until about 1750 BC.
Building & maintaining pyramids was expensiveLed to a decline in wealth because Pharaohs
could not collect enough taxes to keep up with expenses
Nobles gain power & challenge the pharaohsBy 2200 BC the Old Kingdom has fallen
Next 160 years nobles battle each other over power
No central power to leadEgypt is in chaos disrupting tradeChaos causes farming to decline-leads to
faminePharaoh Mentuhotep II brings stability in
2050 BC
The Middle Kingdom
Pharaohs again had trouble holding the kingdom together
mid-1700s BC: invaded by the Hyksos of Southwest Asia- ruled Egypt for 200 yearsUsed horses, chariots, & advanced weapon to
attack Lower EgyptEgyptians revolted against the Hyksos
mid-1500s BC- Ahmose of Thebes pushed the Hyksos out of EgyptOnce the Hyksos were all out, he declared himself king of all Egypt
The End of the Middle Kingdom
Period during which Egypt reached the height of its power and glory (1550-1050 BC)
Begins with Ahmose’s rise of the 18th DynastyConquest & trade brought great wealth to the
PharaohsUnited Egypt againTook control of all possible routes to prevent
future invasions by others
The New Kingdom
Conquered Syria to the north, all of the Mediterranean shore, & Kush south of EgyptBy 1400s BC empire extended from
Euphrates River to southern Nubia Conquests made Egypt richKingdoms that were conquered sent
treasures to EgyptEX: Kush (kingdom in Nubia), Assyria,
Babylon, and Hittite kings sent payments/ gifts to try and maintain good relationships
Military Conquests
Trade routesQueen Hatshepsut- Textbook page 97 & map
page 98
Growth & its Effects on Trade
• She sent Egyptian traders south to trade with the kingdom Punt on the Red Sea and north to trade with the people of Asia Minor and Greece
• Many monuments & temples built during her reign
• Pharaohs used wealth from trade to support the arts and architecture
Expedition to Punt- 5:00
Meet the Queen 1:24
Ramses the Great (longest reign in history) fought:the Hittites for years- led to a peace treaty b/c
neither side could winTehenu invaded the Nile Delta- Ramses pushed
them back & built a series of forts in the western front for security
After Ramses’ death- Sea People (strong warrior people) attacked in the west
Took 50 years to fight they offLost empire in AsiaMarks the end of the New KingdomEgypt fell into violence and chaos again
Egypt would never again regain its power
Invasions of Egypt- textbook page 101
Video- 2min
Two New Kingdom Rulers
Queen Hatshepsut
Ramses the Great
Challenges -Husband died, leaving the throne to his son by another wife-objections to rule by a woman
-had to fight the Hittites-faced invaders from the west
Accomplishments
-took over as ruler when her husband died-stayed in authority over many objections-increased trade-built many monuments & temples
-kept the Hittites from conquering Egypt-built forts to strengthen western frontierBuilt monuments
Review your Social Hierarchy PyramidDaily did not change much through the rise
and fall of Dynasties in EgyptAs populations grew- society became more
complex resulting in the need for people to take on different jobs.
-make this table in your notes to take notes on each job
Daily Life in Egypt
Scribes Artist & Architects
Soldiers Farmers & Peasants
Slaves
Scribes • Highest honor (for civilian)
• Worked for the government & temples
• Kept records & accounts of the state
• Wrote & copied religious & literary text
• Did not have to pay taxes
• Many became wealthy
Below scribesRequired advanced skillsSculptors, builders, carpenters,
jewelers, metal workers, and leather workersMost worked for government or
templesMade statues, furniture, jewelry,
pottery, footwear, painted Pharaoh’s tombs, ect
Architects designed temple, royal tombs
Talented architects could become government officials
Artist & Architects
Achievements- Temples, Tombs, & ArtTextbook page 104-105
Sphinxes- imaginary creatures with the body of a lion and head of another animal or human
Obelisk- tall, four sided pillar that is pointed on top
Vivid colors on canvas, papyrus, pottery, plaster, and wood
Depicted historical events, religious rituals, the afterlife, and everyday life
Painting was very distinctive:Peoples heads and legs are always seen from
the sideUpper body and arms seen from straight onPeople were painted different sizes to
represent statusAnimals were drawn mostly realistically
Egyptian Art
Professional army created in the New Kingdom
Offered rise in status
Given land and could keep treasure they captured in war
Officers were chosen by excelling as a soldier
Soldiers
Farmers & Peasants • Made up most of Egypt’s
population• Used wooded hoes or
cow-drawn plows to prepare the land before the annual floods
• After the flood water receded they planted seeds and worked together to harvest crops
• Had to pay taxes in food to the pharaoh
• Subject to special duty- pharaoh could call them to build pyramids, mine gold, or fight in wars
Wife Swap 3:42
Slaves• Only a few in
Egypt• Considered
lower than Peasants
• Worked on farms, building projects, and in households
• Had some legal rights
• In some cases they could earn their freedom
Lived in own homesExpected to marry young so they could start having
childrenWomen were devoted to the home and children
Some served as priestess or worked as administrators & artists
Unlike other women of the ancient world- they had certain legal rights:Own property, make legal contracts, & divorce their
husbandsChildren played with toys , had ball games, and
huntedMost went to school to learn morals, writing, math , &
sportsAt age 14- Boys left school to enter their father’s profession
Family Life
Hieroglyphic- Egyptian writing system; “to teach”
Used more than 600 symbolsEach symbol represented one
or more symbols of the Egyptian language
Written horizontally or vertically
And left to right or right to leftMade writing easy, but
reading very hardThe individual symbols show
which way the text is written
Achievements- Writing
Earliest writing from 3300 BC- carved in stone/ hard materials
Papyrus-long lasting paper-like material made from reedsRolled it into a scrollScribes sued brushes and ink to write on it
Papyrus did not decay in the dry climate- many text survived Historians have uncovered: government &
historical records, science texts, medical manuals, stories, poems, and mythological tales
Ex: The Book of the Dead- tell about the afterlife
More Writing Achievements
A stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphicsFound by a French soldier in 1799Included hieroglyphics, text in Greek, and a
later form of EgyptianBecause scholars knew how to read Greek
they were able to decipher what the hieroglyphics said
The Rosetta Stone
Big Idea: the kingdom of Kush, which arose south of Egypt in a land called Nubia, developed an advanced civilization with a large trading network
Main ideas: 1. geography helped civilization develop
there2. Kush & Egypt traded, but also fought each
other3. Later Kush became a trading power with a
unique culture4. Both internal and external factors led to the decline of Kush
Ancient Kush
Established the first great kingdom in interior Africa
Fertile silt flood plains (today covered by desert)
Rich in minerals: gold, cooper, and stone
Flood plains allowed for a summer & winter crops
Grew wheat, barely, & other grains
Banks of Nile became graze land for livestock- by 3500 BC
Geography of Early Nubia
Through trade- Kush was introduced to many new cultures and idea
Influenced by EgyptiansSimilar temples, gods, clothes, Kush rulers
called themselves Pharaoh and were buried in pyramids
Unique Kushite Culture:Houses in the city were formed by
interweaving split pieces of palm wood or bricks
Had their own unique written language too- Meroitic
Worshipped some of their own gods as well
Cultural Diffusion
Chapter 4 Standardized Test Practice:
Textbook page 117#1-7
Let’s Practice!!!
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