Egypt is located in northeast Africa

The Sahara Desert• The world’s hottest desert• Bigger than the United States in area

The Nile R.

1) Nile River

• Flows North• Ends in the Mediterranean Sea• The longest river in the world at

4,160 miles

Floods

• Until recently, flooded annually in July

• Floods were predictable• Deposited silt, replenishing

the soil with nutrients• The silt built up at the mouth

of the river, forming a delta

2) The Red Sea

• The Red Sea lies between Africa and Asia• It is almost 1400 miles long and only 200 miles

wide

3) The Mediterranean Sea

• The Mediterranean Sea connects 3 continents:– Africa, Europe, and Asia

• The Mediterranean Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean

4) Nile Delta• Delta- A triangle-shaped deposit of rich soil at

a river’s mouth• Usually forms many smaller rivers because of

silt deposit

The Nile River Delta is very

fertile and great for growing

crops

5) Sinai Peninsula

• Small strip of land between Africa and Asia• The Mediterranean Sea lies to the north and

the Red Sea to the south

6) Lower Egypt

• Although to the north, it was called Lower Egypt because of the low-lying land that formed the Nile River Delta

7) Upper Egypt

• Called Upper Egypt because it is upstream of the Nile River Delta and the land is more elevated

• The Nile is hard to travel

in Upper Egypt because of cataracts (rapids)

Influence of Geography on Civilization

• Natural Barriers provide obstacles to potential invaders– Mediterranean Sea to the

North– Sahara Desert to the West– Red Sea to the East

• Susceptible to Invasion– Across the Sinai Peninsula

Effect of Barriers• Limited invasions• Limited farming to a narrow

region on either side of the Nile River

• Caused river villages to be crowded– As population grew, villages

along the river expanded– Forced Egyptians to develop

irrigation systems to create more farm land

Benefits• The river served as a highway– United the villages along the river– The river made travel between

villages easy– Currents carried barges

downstream– Sails used to catch winds and

travel upstream• The river attracted wildlife and

fish• Papyrus grew along the river-

Used to make paper

Nile River Delta from space

Early Egyptian Life• Originally two kingdoms developed

along the Nile:– Lower Egypt

• Northern Nile• Good farmland• Copper mines in Sinai Peninsula

– Upper Egypt• Southern Nile• Ruler named Menes• Conquered Lower Egypt, which led to

unification

• In 3100 BC Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt unified, forming one kingdom– The capital was built at Memphis

Menes unified the two Kingdoms

Ancient Egyptian TimelineFrom Discovery Ed. (Chapter 4.2)

Gods and Goddesses

• The Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses– Believed in over 2000 different gods – They believed that some of these gods lived in the

sun, sky, the Nile River, the desert, etc.– Often, these gods would take the form of animals

or humans or a combination of both

Ancient Egyptian Religion

• Beliefs:– Gods control the forces of nature– Gods control life and death– Gods identified with certain animals– Ka: Life force (spirit) that left the body after death

The Afterlife• Egyptians believed in life after

death

• Believed that the dead needed to take things with them that they would need in the afterlife– This is why people were often

buried with treasure, clothing, and other valuable objects

Mummification

• Preserved the bodies of the dead through mummification

• Egyptians believed that once they died, they were sent to the Underworld for their next life

The Great Pyramid of GizaDiscover Ed Video

• Constructed by King Khufu during the Old Kingdom (around 2570 BCE)

• Used advanced knowledge of geometry and architecture

• Built with over 2 million limestone blocks

Hatshepsut

• Ruled from 1479 BCE – 1459 BCE• She is considered to be the first female ruler in

history• Considered to be one of the most successful

pharaohs of Egypt:– Strengthened the military– Increased trading with neighbors– Built many great temples throughout Egypt

Ramsses the Great

• Ruled from 1279 BCE – 1213 BCE (60 years)• Considered to be one of the most famous

pharaohs of Egypt• A neighboring group called the Hittites tried to

take control of Egypt and Ramses led the Egyptian army to victory– Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE

Social Structure• Like Mesopotamia, Egyptians were divided into different social classes

Medicine• Many early civilizations believed illness was caused by

evil spirits. Egyptians began to study the body and discovered that they could use medicines to cure certain illnesses

• The first doctors and dentists started in Egypt– Because there was so much sand in Egypt, people

developed problems with their eyes, teeth, and stomachs

• Since Egyptians mummified bodies and removed organs, they knew more about the human body than any civilization until the Greeks.– Anatomy is the study of the human body– Egyptians had knowledge of different organs: heart,

kidneys, lungs, and brain

ArchitecturePyramids of Egypt- Discovery Ed Video

• The Egyptians had extensive knowledge of architecture

• Architecture- The process of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and structures

• The Egyptians understood that to create strong structures, they had to have a solid foundation, understand the importance of measurements and angles

• The Egyptians made their pyramids, temples, and public buildings on a very large scale– Today, many government buildings, civic centers, and

important places of worship are designed in a similar style.

Reading and WritingHieroglyphics- Discovery Ed Video

• Early civilizations had no form of written language. Everything was spoken. There was no way to post laws, write directions, or record sales.

• The Egyptians began using pictures as a form of writing. Each picture represented an idea or a word.

• Hieroglyphics allowed Egyptians to track their business transactions, praise their rulers, and record their history.

Paper• The invention of paper was important because now

writing could be transported (moved from place to place)

• The Egyptians also developed ink and a stylus (like a pen)

• The development of written language and the creation of papyrus enabled Egyptians to make consistent communications among themselves as well as with their neighbors

• It also ensured their beliefs, ideas, and knowledge could be passed down to future generations and civilizations. Much of what we know about ancient Egyptians today comes from their written records.

Rosetta Stone

• For centuries, archaeologists struggled to understand hieroglyphics.

• In 1799, French soldiers found a large rock near the city of Rashid, which was also known as Rosetta.

• It was inscribed with one message written in three different scripts. – Greek– Hieroglyphics– Demotic script (another form of Egyptian writing)

• Scholars realized the message was the same in all three scripts and were finally able to decipher the hieroglyphics by using the Greek translation.

• The rock is on display at the British Museum in London.

MathEgyptian Numbers- Discovery Ed Video

• In addition to a system of writing, Egyptians also created numerals and had an understanding of mathematical concepts

• The Egyptian numeric system was similar to that used by the Romans. Individual symbols were used for 1, 10, 100, and so on.

• The Egyptians also understood mathematical concepts and operations. Documents show examples of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. Egyptians also could solve more complex problems using fractions and basic concepts of geometry.

Ships

• Invented large ships out of cedar (wood) that was imported

• Allowed travel up and down the Nile River and Mediterranean Coast

• The pieces of cedar wood were tied together with reeds

• Egyptian ships used oars, as many as 20 a side on

• The also used sails to catch the wind

Trade Networks

• Ancient Egyptian merchants used trade networks to ship their goods throughout the ancient world. – Export- Goods that are traded away or going out– Import- Goods that you trade for or receiving

• As they traded, Egyptians brought their innovations to other civilizations