Global History Honors: Spiconardi

EGYPT: THE KINGDOMS

The Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BCE)Egyptian Culture

Unthreatened by outside invadersAlthough Egypt was in contact with lands as far

away as Afghanistan and Mesopotamia

The Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BCE)Nomes

Prior to the unification of Egypt under Narmer,Egypt was divided into nomes

Nomes independent city-states; under unification they were administrative divisions

The Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BCE)The Pharaoh

The rulers of Egypt had various titles

Pharaoh originally referred to the royal palace

The ruler was worshipped by a cult The ruler was deemed

a living god during this period

Had absolute power during the Old Kingdom Djoser, pharaoh of the

third dynasty

The Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BCE)Pyramids

Pyramids were only built during the Old Kingdom

First pyramids were step-like

The pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara designed by vizier and

polymath, Imhotep

The Old Kingdom (2700 – 2200 BCE)Pyramids

Under Khufu pyramid building took on form you most associate with Egyptian pyramids

Pyramids were costly and very visible Easy targets

for robbers

The Middle Kingdom (2050 – 1652 BCE)Egypt’s Golden Age

Trade, arts, literature flourished at this timeEgypt built up its army to protect itself from

invadersPharaoh

Near the end of the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh Pepi II gave away pharaonic power

The pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom wasn’t as powerful, but was expected to be a wise and good ruler

The Middle Kingdom (2050 – 1652 BCE)

TombsThe rising cost of

pyramids and increased robbery led to the development of a new resting place for Egypt’s kings

The Valley of the Kings Series of hidden

tombs to avoid robbery located in Thebes

The Valley of the Kings (discovered tombs)

The Middle Kingdom (2050 – 1652 BCE)

Hyksos InvasionMarks the end of the Middle

KingdomBenefits

Improved Egyptian bronze casting

Future pharaohs borrow Hyksos chariot fighting technique

Hyksos preserved papyri of Egyptian medical texts

The New Kingdom (1567 – 1085 BCE)Reunification

Under Ahmose, the Hyksos were defeated and Upper and Lower Egypt were reunified

The New Kingdom (1567 – 1085 BCE)Period of Chaos

The Reign of Akhenaten (King Tut’s father)Changed the Egyptian religion to worship one

god, Aten

The New Kingdom (1567 – 1085 BCE)

Invasion of the Hittites, Assyrians and “Sea Peoples” Constant state of war led to the depletion of the

treasuryFor the next thousand years Egypt was dominated

by Libyans Nubians Persians Macedonians