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3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 5003500

2725 B.C.Old KingdomBegins

1539 B.C.New KingdomBegins

730 B.C.Nubian DynastyRules Egypt

270 B.C.Meroitic PeriodIn Kush

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5 THEMES OF ANCIENCT EGYPT

LOCATION: • Absolute= 30 ° N, 30° E• Relative= Located in North Africa., South of the Mediterranean Sea and was West

of MesopotamiaPLACE:• Physical Characteristics: Arid, Nile River, Deserts, Mountains, Cataracts and the

Delta plain• Human Characteristics: Canals, Pyramids and • Cities: Memphis, Thebes, Nubia, Alexandria and PeHUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION• Nile river used to bring silt to fields• Used water from river to farm, drink and wash clothes• Used the Nile for trade• Homes made of mud bricks with strawMOVEMENT:• Rafts and Ships moved up and down the Nile for trade and transportation• Used camels and horses to travel across the desert• Mathematics, Mining , Polytheism

REGION: • African• Desert 3

Lesson1: Egypt Geography•The existence of Egypt was based solely around the Nile River.

•Nile River is the world’s longest and Egypt’s most important river.

•The Nile carries water from central Africa through a vast stretch of desert land.

•The river was so important to people that Egypt was called the Gift of the Nile.

•Ancient Egypt developed along a 750-mile stretch of the Nile

•Organized into two kingdoms:

•Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

•Upper Egypt was located upriver in relation to the Nile’s flow.

•Lower Egypt was the northern region and was located downriver. 4

•Delta- Lower Egypt was centered in the river a triangle-shaped area of land made of silt deposited by the river. Fertile land= (Black lands)

•Cataracts- Rapids, marked the southern border of Upper Egypt.

•In midsummer, the Nile would flood Upper Egypt and in the fall the river would flood Lower Egypt.

•Allowed the farmland to stay moist and fertile. •The land surrounding the Nile Valley was an arid

desert. Desert land= (Redlands)Egyptian Cataract Nile Delta

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AGRICULTURE IN EGYPT•With dry desert all around, settlers were attracted to this abundant and protected area of fertile farmland. •Used irrigation canals to take water to dry lands.•Used a Shaduf to spread the water to the fields.•Grew wheat, lettuce, asparagus, radishes, cucumbers, dates, melons and grapes•Wheat would be ground into flour for making bread

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GEOGRAPHY SHAPES LIFE

MINING: • Able to mine copper, iron, gold, turquoise and lapis lazuli• Difficult work. • However Veins of minerals would produce an

abundance of these minerals

FISHING AND HUNTING:• Used nets and harpoons to catch fish• Used nets and boomerangs to knock down and catch

birds• Speared other animals (Hippos and Crocodiles)

TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE:• Equipped the reed boats with sails and oars to help

travel the Nile• Nile became a highway• Ancient Egyptians had no money, so they simple

exchanged goods. 7

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LESSON 2: LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Section 2: The Old Kingdom

Around 2700 BC the Third Dynasty began a period in Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom. During the next 500 years, the Egyptians developed a political system based on the belief that the pharaoh was both a king and a god. The most famous pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Khufu, in whose honor the largest of the pyramids was built.Although the pharaoh owned everything, he was also held personally responsible if anything went wrong. He was expected to make trade profitable and prevent war. To manage these duties, he appointed government officials, mostly from his family. Social classes developed, with the pharaoh at the top and nobles from rich and powerful families making up the upper class. The middle class included some government officials, scribes, and rich craftspeople.Most people, including farmers, belonged to the lower class. Lower-class people were often used by the pharaoh as labor.

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Section 4: Egyptian Achievements

EGYPTIAN WRITINGEgyptians invented one of the world’s first writing systems, using a series of images, symbols, and pictures called hieroglyphics (hy-ruh-glih-fiks). Each symbol represented one or more sounds in the Egyptian language.At first hieroglyphics were carved in stone. Later, they were written with brushes and ink on papyrus (puh-py-ruhs), long-lasting, paper-like substance made from reeds. Because papyrus didn’t decay, many ancient Egyptian texts still survive, including government records, historical records, science texts, medical manuals, and literary works such as The Book of the Dead. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 provided the key to reading Egyptian writing, as its text was inscribed both in hieroglyphics and in Greek.

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EGYPTIAN SCIENCE AND MATH

ASTRONOMY: Used the stars to tell when the flooding of the Nile would happen. (Sirius Star appeared once a year)

MEDICINE: • Doctors would prepare dead bodies for burial

to learn about the body• Performed some of the first surgeries • Made medicine out of herbs• Doctors believe the heart controlled thought

and brain controlled blood flow

GEOMETRY: Triangles and Squares were considered sacred and was used to design great buildings and monuments

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RELIGION AND EGYPTIAN AFTERLIFE• Believed in many Gods. • Over time, certain cities built temples and were associated with particular gods.• Much of Egyptian religion focused on the AFTERLIFE. Each person’s ka (kah), or

life force, existed after death, but remained linked to the body. • To keep the ka from suffering, the Egyptians would EMBALM or preserve bodies

after death. • Royalty had their bodies preserved as a MUMMY, specially treated (dried out) dead

bodies wrapped in cloth. Other members of the elite, people of wealth and power, also had their bodies preserved.

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How did the gods participate in the afterlife?

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KINGS UNIFY EGYPT•3100 BC Menes (mee-neez), the king of Upper Egypt, invaded Lower Egypt. •Married a princess to unite the two kingdoms under his rule. •Menes was the first pharaoh, Egyptian Ruler, which literally means ruler of a “great house.” •He also started the first Egyptian dynasty, or series of rulers from the same family. •Succession- The order in which members of the royal family ruled.

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PYRAMIDS- Huge, stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that meet at a top point, were built to house dead rulers. • Khufu- Pharoah who ordered the building of “The Great Pyramid” to show how great he

was• Many pyramids are still standing today• Amazing reminders of Egyptian engineering.

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INSIDE THE TOMB- Several passageways led to different rooms. Tombs were supposed to be the palace for the Pharaohs' in the afterlife. GRAVE ROBBERS- Stop building pyramids because people want to steal the treasures found in the burial chambers

Section 3: The Middle and New Kingdom

THE MIDDLE KINGDOM• The Old Kingdom ended with the

pharaohs in debt. • Ambitious nobles serving in

government positions managed to take power from the pharaohs and rule Egypt for nearly 160 years.

• Pharaohs regained control of Egypt around 2050 BC and started a peaceful period of rule.

• This era was called the Middle Kingdom and lasted until Southwest Asian invaders conquered Lower Egypt around 1750 BC.

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THE NEW KINGDOM• Egypt in 1550 BC, ushered in Egypt’s

eighteenth dynasty and the start of the New Kingdom.

• Queen Hatshepsut- Wife of Pharaoh he died soon after gaining power. First woman to rule Egypt.

• Egypt took control of areas such as Syria and Kush,

• Quickly became the leading military power in the region.

• These conquests also made Egypt rich, through gifts and vastly expanded trade routes.

• Queen Hatshepsut, was active in establishing new paths for traders.

• Queen Hatshepsut mysteriously disappeared.

• Pharoah’s continued to rule

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EGYPTIAN ART• Ancient Egyptians were masterful artists

and many of their greatest works are found in either the temples or the tombs of the pharaohs.

• Only those buried could enjoy art• Egyptian paintings depict a variety of

subjects, from crowning kings to illustrating religious rituals to showing scenes from daily life.

• The Egyptians were also skilled stone and metal workers, creating beautiful statues and jewelry.

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KING AKHENATON (1353-1336 BC)• Changed the worship of many gods to the worship

of one sun god (ATON)• Priets were angered by his actions and believed old

gods would be angry• Akhenaton moved away from the priests to a new

city• Developed more realistic art. (See Nefrititi)• Reform would end when young king (Tutankhamen

aka King Tut) • Took over and was helped to rule by many advisors • Went back to worshiping the old gods.

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Much of what we know about Egyptian art and burial practices comes from the tomb of King Tutankhamen, one of the few Egyptian tombs that was left untouched by raiders looking for valuables. The tomb was discovered in 1922.

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Other Important Information about Ramses II:• Strong Miltary Leader **Defeated Hittites• Ruled for 66 years **Stabilized the Government• Built a city to honor himself (Pi-Ramses)• Empire declined after he died

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Geography

1. The Nile River - Civilization couldn’t exist in Egypt without it.

Land was fertile because of seasonal overflow and silt. Cataracts kept

invaders away. River flows north.

2. Black Land – Fertile land that produced crops, located on the

banks of the Nile

3. Red Land – Barren land that protected Egypt from invaders. No

one wanted to cross it! Red land included desert and mountains that

contained minerals 4. Reeds – used to make papyrus used for writing

Religion1. Polytheistic – believed in many gods

2. Ethical – behavior and morals are important

3. Book of the Dead – “how-to” manual for living a

good life and success in the afterlife. Afterlife can be

happy!

4. Mummification – Need your body (and your

stuff) in the afterlife. Bodies were embalmed and

preserved.

5. Akhenaton – Name of pharaoh who tried to make

Egypt monotheistic (single god)

Achievements1. Pyramids – Khufu built the Great Pyramid of Giza

2. Hieroglyphics – pictographic alphabet

3. Rosetta Stone – Discovery of this made it possible

for historians to read Egyptian hieroglyphics.

GreekHieroglyph

4. Astronomy – developed the world’s first 365-day

calendar

5. Geometry

6. Medicine – surgery and herbal medicines

Political Structure1. Monarchy– Single ruler from a dynasty (family

line of rulers) - Egyptian pharaohs believed to be

gods

2. Pharaohs – Khufu- built the great pyramid at

Giza Hatshepsut – 1st woman ruler, expanded Egypt

through trade Akhenaton (see Religion)

Tutankhamen – boy king, tomb found in Valley of

the Kings in 1922, Ramses II – big empire, peace

and prosperity, Cleopatra – last pharaoh

Economics

Sources of wealth:

1. Farming – Economy dependent

on farming

2. Mining – copper, iron, bronze,

gold, salt, and gems

3. Trade – crafted items and some

minerals

Social Structure1. Hierarchical – some people were in higher classes and had more privileges:

pharaoh vizier nobles & priests

scribes, govt. workers, & soldiers

merchants & craftsman farmers

servants & slaves

2. Women – Women could own property and work in government.

Some women ruled.

3. Classes- large middle class