Download Chapter 2, Section 3

Chapter 2, Section 3
The Egyptian Empire
A new dynasty of pharaohs came to
power, moved their capital to Thebes
and restored order and stability. This
brought about a new period called….
THE MIDDLE KINGDOM
2050 B.C. to 1670 B.C.
ACHIEVEMENTS DURING
THE MIDDLE KINGDOM
• Egypt took control of new
lands including Nubia and
what is now Syria.
• Pharaohs added more
waterways and dams
which increased farming.
• Built a canal between the
Nile River
and Red Sea.
MORE MIDDLE KINGDOM
ACHIEVEMENTS…
• Arts, literature and architecture
blossomed.
• Instead of building pyramids, pharaohs
had their tombs cut into cliffs west of
the Nile River. This area became
known as the Valley of the Kings.
End of Middle Kingdom
• Ended in 1670 B.C.
when the Hyksos,
from Western Asia
attacked Egypt.
• Hyksos were mighty
warriors who came in
horse-drawn chariots
and had weapons
made of bronze and
iron.
• Hyksos ruled Egypt
for about 120 years.
THE NEW KINGDOM
1550 B.C. – 1080 B.C.
• An Egyptian prince named Ahmose led
and uprising that drove the Hyksos out
of Egypt and the New Kingdom began.
• Egypt became very rich and powerful
during the New Kingdom.
Hatshepsut
• A queen who came to power in 1473
B.C.
• After her husbands death she made
herself pharaoh.
• One of the few women to rule Egypt.
Hatshepsut’s Reign
• More interested in
trade than conquest.
• Egyptians often traded
with the Phoenicians.
The Phoenicians had
furniture and wood that
the Egyptians needed.
In return, Egyptians
traded wheat, paper,
gold, copper and tools.
Thutomose III
• When Hatshepsut died, her nephew
Thutmose III became pharaoh.
• He expanded Eygpt’s borders, and his
empire grew rich from trade.
• During his reign, Egypt enslaved many
prisoners of war. Slavery became
common during the New Kingdom.
Amenhotep
• Came to the throne in 1370 B.C.
• Introduced a new religion in an attempt to
maintain power of the pharaohs.
• New religion directed Egyptians to worship
only one god called Aton.
• Priests resisted this religion so Amenhotep
took away their titles, closed their temples,
etc.
Amenhotep
• Amenhotep then changed his name to
Akhenaton, which means “Spirit of Aton”
• While Akhenaton became obssessed with
this new religion, most Egyptians rejected
it.
• Akhenaton was not a strong pharaoh and
during his rule lost most of his lands in
Western Asia to the Hittites, which greatly
shrunk the Egyptian empire.
Tutankhamen
• After Akhenaton died, his son-in-law
inherited the throne.
• Tutankhamen was only 10 years old
when he became king.
• Under the advice of palace officials and
priests King “Tut” restored Egypts old
religion.
• He died after only 9 years of rule.
Tutankhamen’s Tomb
• King Tut, the boy king, played only a
small part in Egypt’s history.
• He is very famous because his tomb
was discovered by a British
archaeologist, Howard Carter, in 1922.
• It was one tomb that had not yet been
looted by robbers and contained the
king’s mummy and incredible
treasures.
What King
Tut looked
like based
on 3-D Xrays scans
of his
corpse!!