Chapter 2Ancient Egypt and Kush

Sec. 1- Nile ValleySec. 2- Egypt’s Old KingdomSec. 3- The Egyptian Empire

Sec. 4-The Civilization of the Kush

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Introduction

• About the same time as the early civilizations were in and about the fertile valley of Mesopotamia , another civilization was forming near the Nile River. This civilization was ancient Egypt.

• Between 6000BC and 5000BC, hunters-gatherers moved into the Nile River valley. They settled, farmed and created villages along the river banks.

Key Words• Cataract-narrow cliffs and boulders that form

wild rapids• Delta- an area of fertile soil at the mouth of a

river• Papyrus-a plant of the Nile Valley used to

make a form of paper• Hieroglyphics-a system of writing made up of

picture symbols developed by ancient Egyptians

• Dynasty-line of rulers from the same family

Where did Egyptian civilization begin and why that location?

• Egypt was warm and sunny but received little rainfall so people relied on the Nile River. The river provided:– Drinking water– Bathing– Farming – Cooking– Cleaning– Fish– Plants– Fed and watered animals

Settling the Nile-A Mighty River• World’s longest river• Flows north from the mountains in the heart of Africa

to the Mediterranean Sea.• 4000 miles long (a little longer that the distance across

the US from Georgia to California)• Begins as two rivers-Blue Nile (mountains of east

Africa) and White Nile (marshes in central Africa)• Two rivers meet and form the Nile just south of Egypt.• At the meeting point cataracts are formed and

because of this large ships can only use the 650 miles of the river where it flows through Egypt.

A Sheltered Land-Nile River and Delta

Nile

• Surrounded by desert (west-Sahara)(east-Eastern Desert)

• Ancient Egyptians called deserts “the Red Land” because of burning heat.

• Desert could not support farming or human life but did KEEP OUTSIDE ARMIES AWAY

• In the south -Nile’s dangerous cataracts did keep enemy boats from reaching Egypt

• In the north-delta marshes offered no harbors for invaders from the sea.

Nile• The natural barriers protected Egypt and they

were able to grow and prosper• The Red Sea to the east and the Mediterranean

Sea to the north gave the Egyptians a way to trade with outsiders

• Within Egypt the Nile was used for trade and transportation. Winds from the north pushed sailboats south and water flow brought them back north

• Egyptians had frequent, friendly contact with one another

Nile-The River People

• Regular Flooding– Floods were consistent and gentle so the

Egyptians were able to farm and live securely• How Egyptians Use the Nile– From July to Oct. the Nile would spill over leaving

a dark, fertile silt. Because of this they called their land “Kemet”- the Black Land

– The soil made for great farming-wheat, barley, flax

Nile

• (Technology)– Used irrigation-dug basins to trap flood water,

then canals to carry water from basins to fields-dikes to strengthen the basin walls

– Shadoof-bucket attached to a pole used to lift water from the Nile to the basins(still used today)

– Geometry to survey or measure land– Papyrus-a reed plant that grew along the river

used to make baskets, sandals, rafts. Later they used it for paper

What Were Hieroglyphics?

• Complex Egyptian system of writing• Began with picture symbols later symbols stood

for sounds• Combination of picture symbols that stood for

objects or ideas and symbols for sounds(like our alphabet)-created Heiroglyphics

• Some people could read and write but they still had scribes. Scribes wrote/carved onto stone and paper

The Rise of Government• Due to technology and growth in population,

wealth and land ownership, Egypt needed government to direct.

• Earliest rulers were village chiefs.• A few strong chiefs united groups of villages to

form kingdoms-stronger overpowered weaker• Egypt became 2 large kingdoms– Nile delta was LOWER Egypt– South upriver was Upper Egypt

Govt. Continued• About 3100 BC, Narmer (king of Upper Egypt),

led his armies and took over Lower Egypt. This made a united Egypt-one

Egypt’s Ruling Families• Narmer ruled from Memphis– Wore a double crown-helmet like, white-Upper

Egypt, open red-Lower Egypt– First in a long dynasty of kingsEgypt had 31 dynasties lasting about 2,800 years.

The dynasties are divided into 3 main (times periods)kingdoms

Old Kingdom-earliestMiddle KingdomNew Kingdom

Early Egyptian Life

• Egyptian society was divided into social groups based on wealth and power.

• King and family

Social classes• Upper class-nobles, priests, other wealthy

government officials– Lived in cities and on large estates on the Nile– Elegant homes made of wood and mud brick– Large gardens, ponds, servants– Wore white linen and heavy makeup and jewelry

• Middle class– Skilled Middle• Business people, tradesman, craftsman, artisans• Lived in smaller homes, dressed simply

Social classes

• Unskilled (Lower) Class• Farmers- largest group of Egyptians-rented land and paid

with crops, lived in villages in one room huts with palm leaf roofs, ate simply-bread,beer, veg., fruit

• Unskilled workers-did physical labor, lived in crowded city neighborhoods, small mud-brick homes with dirt floors, courtyard for animals, flat top roofs where families talked, played, slept. Women worked on rooftops drying fruit, making bread and weaving cloth

Family Life

• Father was head of family• Women had more rights than earlier

civilizations– Own and pass on property– Buy and sell goods– Make wills– Obtain divorces– Upper class women were in charge of temples and

could perform religious ceremonies

Family

• Only a few children went to school• Mothers taught daughters, sewing, cooking,

running household• Boys learned farming, skilled trades from

fathers• Children enjoyed recreation time– Board games, dolls, spinning tops, stuffed leather

balls

Review

• The deserts on either side of the Nile Valley, along with the Nile cataracts and delta marshes, protected Egypt from invaders

• He Egyptians became successful farmers using the Nile River’s floods and irrigation

• About 3100 BC, Narmer united Lower and Upper Egypt

• Egypt’s society was divided into upper-class priests and nobles, middle-class artisans and merchants and lower-class workers and farmers

Quiz

1. Where did Egyptian civilization begin?2. Why is the Nile River important to Egyptian

society?3. Explain the development of a system of

writing in Egypt. 4. Explain the structure of Egyptian society.5. How did government arise in Egypt?