Download Pharaoh`s Role - Brookville Local Schools

Egypt Study Guide
Mrs. Dorsey
+*+*STUDY YOUR WARM-UPS & YOUR CHART!*+*+*+*
Be prepared to put dates correctly on a timeline.
Pharaoh’s Role: king, religious leader, general of the armies, owned all the land,
responsible for all people’s well-being
What is each time period best known for?
Old Kingdom: the Age of the Pyramids
Middle Kingdom: Period of Reunification, Achievements in Art, Literature, and
Architecture
New Kingdom: Egypt’s Golden Age
Define these forms of government
Monarchy-A system of government headed by a monarch (king/queen/shah/ sultan)
whose position is usually inherited.
Theocracy- government ruled by religious leaders/ laws
Explain how Egypt was both a monarchy & a theocracy.
Ancient Egypt was a monarchy because it was led by a monarch (king) who got power
through the family. It was a theocracy because the leader of the government (pharaoh)
was a religious leader and considered to be a god.
What geographic characteristic allowed Egypt to flourish? Why did they depend on
it so much?
The Nile River allowed Egypt to flourish. Without it, there would have been no ancient
Egypt! That’s why Egypt is called the “Gift of the Nile.” The Egyptians depended on it
because it was their only source of freshwater (no rain). Without the Nile, Egypt would
have been all desert. They used the Nile for drinking water, transportation, irrigating
water for crops, fishing, silt for farming, bathing water, river games, and much more.
Pharaoh
Khufu
Senusret I
Hatshepsut
Ramses II
Major Accomplishment/
Why they are famous
Monument Facts

1st Pharaoh to declare
himself a god. Great
Pyramid was his tomb
 Great Pyramid of GizaOver 2 million stone blocks

strong central government

Most historians think it
was built by using a ramp

big supporter of the arts

White Chapel was built for
the Jubilee Festivalcelebrating 30 years of him
ruling

some of the greatest works
of Egyptian literature were
written during his reign

Archaeologists
reconstructed it. A long
time ago, another pharaoh
had taken it apart.

1st female pharaoh
 It was carved out of a cliff
side.
 There were 200 sphinx
statues in the front and 2
obelisks.

Sent a trade expedition to
Punt

Over 100+ wives & 100+
kids. Built more temples
and monuments than any
other pharaoh.

Abu Simbel- four 60 ft.
statues of Ramses II. Twice
a year, the sun lines up
with the entrance and lights
up the whole temple.

Military leader: Army
captain at age of 10.
Signed the world’s 1st
peace treaty.

In the 1960s, it was cut &
moved to higher land so
the Egyptians could build a
hydroelectric dam.
Classes of ancient Egypt Jobs/ Lifestyle….. be ready to compare 2!
 Vizier-chief judge, appointed and supervised
Government Officials
other officials, and advised the pharaoh. Chief
Treasurer- collected grain, cows, and beer for
taxes General of the Armies-advised the pharaoh
on protecting Egypt from invaders and helped
make alliances.

Priests


Scribes
Life of luxury, including banquets with exotic
foods (ducks, geese, figs, coconuts, grapes) and
entertainment.
Advised the pharaoh and supervised ceremonies.
Mummified bodies.
Bathed several times a day & didn't wear wool
To be clean & pure. Didn't eat fish because it
was lower class
 12 years+ in scribe schools starting at age of 5
learning over 700 hieroglyphs. Boys only! Kept
official records.
 School was difficult, teachers often beat their
students. The one way peasant/artisan men could
rise to a higher social class.
Artisans
Peasants

Carpenters, jewelers, leather & metalworkers,
painters, potters, sculptors, and weavers.

Lived in modest, 3-room rectangular homes that
were barely 10 yards long. Rarely received
recognition from the upper classes for their
work.

Farmers- Three seasons: flooding, planting, and
harvest. Built pharaoh’s monuments during
flood season

Simple diet: bread, beer, some vegetables, and
fish. Rarely ate meat. Reward= allowed to
gather and keep leftover grain,
Punishment=brutally beaten
Describe Egypt’s religion: They were polytheistic. They believed in many gods
including Ra, Anubis, and Osiris. They had a strong belief in the afterlife. They
mummified bodies to preserve them for the afterlife. They buried things such as bread
with people because they believed you could take things with you to the next life. They
believed in judgment: a person’s heart would be weighed against a feather. If it weighed
less, they would go on to the afterlife. They celebrated religious holidays and much of
their artwork and architecture was made to honor the gods and goddesses.
Describe Egypt’s relationship with Kush: Egypt and Kush had a complicated
relationship. They shared a border. In times of peace, they traded. However, sometimes
they fought. Egypt conquered Kush and later Kush conquered Egypt. When Egypt
conquered Kush, Kushites were “Egyptianized” and became like the Egyptians.
Identify goods and services that are imported and exported.
Egypt’s Imports from Kush
Egypt’s Exports
Gold
Slaves
Linen
Iron
Timber
Grain
Leather
Ivory
Beer
Describe the enduring impact/legacy of Egypt (what did we get from them/still have
or use today).
Here are a few examples. There are many others.
Obelisk- An obelisk is a tall, thin 4-sided stone monument that comes to a point.
Egyptians artisans carved it out of solid rock. I have been to Washington D.C. and when I
was there I saw the Washington Monument, which is an example of an obelisk.
Sail-The Egyptians were the first to put a sail on a boat. We see sailboats today,
particularly on beach vacations.