Egyptian ArtEgyptian ArtKingdoms and ArchitectureKingdoms and Architecture

LocationLocation

• Egypt is located in Northern Africa

The EgyptiansThe Egyptians

•People from Western Asia, related to present day Egyptians•Began a powerful civilization 5,000 years ago

How Egypt Became Powerful How Egypt Became Powerful • Nile river flooded its

banks every year • Rich soil was up to 9m

deep• People could grow crops

and did not need to hunt• Families grew large• Groups grew strong and

took over others

KingdomsKingdoms• Egyptian rule began 3,000 BC and lasted

for 3,000 years.• History of Egypt is divided into periods

called Kingdoms (Old, Middle, New)• Further divided into times when the same

family ruled called Dynasties• Reign ended with the death of a Pharaoh

and crowning of someone from the same family - to keep the blood “pure”

•This period began around 2686 B.C. and ended about 500 years later

• The most powerful period

•When the pyramids were built

The Old KingdomThe Old Kingdom

Built for religious purposes. (Resurrection, Ka, God-like Pharaoh, Sarcophagus)

Not very much space inside, multiple entrances

This is bread that is 4000 years old.

Step Pyramids are mastabas stacked on one another. The final form was the pyramid.

First bodies were buried in pits in the sand, then they were placed in raised graves called Mastabas.

Theory of BuildingTheory of Building

• Thousands of slaves• Decades to build• Floated rocks from cliffs along the Nile• 2.3 million blocks of stone• Each weighting over 2 tonnes• Hauled using sand ramps• 13 acres• 150 m high

Earth ramps to haul blocks

QuestionsQuestions• Describe the pyramids• Define: Ka, Sarcophagus, Re• Describe the burial process. What were the

Egyptians religious beliefs• Why did they put fake passages in the

pyramids?• Explain how the pyramid shape evolved. (4

steps)• How were the pyramids built?• What kingdom were the pyramids made?