Ancient EgyptEarly River Valley Civilizations

Geography Settled along the Nile

Yearly flodding – but predictable!

Flood, plant, harvest, flood, plant, harvest…

Considered “Egypt, the gift of the Nile”

Deserts on both sides of the Nile Natural protection

against invaders Reduced interaction with

other people

Egypt’s Government NO independent city-states in Egypt Menes, king of Upper Egypt,

Unites Lower & Upper (3100 BCE) Captial – Memphis First Egyptian Dynasty

Pharaohs considered as Gods Served both political and religious roles Theocracy-type of government in which the ruler is a

divine figure

Egypt’s Government Egyptians believe in afterlife Pyramids built as final resting place for pharaohs

Tomb – very important place Built during the Old Kingdom

Kingdoms Old Kingdom (2660-2180 BCE)

Great pyramids built Weak rulers

Middle Kingdom (2180-1550 BCE) Properous period Kings in Thebes establish control

over all Egypt New Kingdom (1550-1070 BCE)

Egypt reunited

Egyptian Religion Polytheistic – belief in

many gods Ra – sun god Horus – sky god Osiris – god of the dead

Believe in an afterlife Would be judged by

Osiris Mummification –

embalming and preserving the corpse to prevent it from decaying

Osiris would weigh each person’s heart on a scale against the weight of a feather. If the heart tipped the scale, heavey with sin, the Devourer of Souls would pounce on the heart

MummificationMummy of Ramses II still preserved today!

Egyptian coffins

PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.; photo British Museum

PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

BURIAL MASKS

The famous golden mask of Tutankhamun and the less well known solid gold mask of Psusennes.

Tjuyu and Yuya - Parents of Queen Tiy - Mother of Akhnaton.

Egyptian SocietyRoyal Family

Upper Class

Middle Class

Lower Class

Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics Written on papyrus,

reed from the Nile dried into strips

Rosetta Stone – 1799 A polished black

stone with hieroglyphics

Took a very long time to decipher

Look at how similar writing between the

early civilizations were…

Science & Technology Written Numbers

Collect taxes Add Subtract Geometry – survey and reset property boundaries

Accurate Calendar Stone columns – architects use in homes, palaces,

and temples Medicine – most famoous in the ancient world