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Transcript
Lesson 5 EGYPT Geography • Egyptian civilization emerged in the Nile River Valley • The Nile is the longest river in the world – 4,000 miles long • The Nile flows from Lake Victoria, located in east central Africa, northward to the Mediterranean Sea – The river splits into two branches, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join together in the Sudan near the modern city of Khartoum – In ancient times Sudan was known as Nubia • Three main regions of Egypt: – Upper Egypt – Lower Egypt – Nile Delta • The richest and most fertile soil found anywhere in Africa is found in the Nile Delta – Delta = a triangular region formed at the mouth of a river by deposits of silt • Water from the Nile was used for: – Irrigation (farming), drinking, bathing, transportation • Yearly flooding left silt which made rich soil • The Nile was controlled by dams • Known as the Bread Basket of the Mediterranean • Egypt also had natural barriers that gave protection from invaders and a sense of security – Deserts to the east and west (especially the Sahara) – Red Sea to the east – Mediterranean Sea to the north – Cataracts on the southern part of the Nile • Cataracts = rocky stretches marked by swift currents, rapids, and waterfalls • There are six cataracts • The First Cataract marked the ancient boundary between Egypt and Nubia • Egyptians call their fertile lands the Black Land and the surrounding desert the Red Land History • First farming villages appeared in 5000 BC • Consolidated into two kingdoms – Kingdom of Lower Egypt – worshipped a cobra goddess – Kingdom of Upper Egypt – worshipped a vulture goddess – Spoke different dialects and had different customs • 3100 BC – King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom – He adopted the symbols of both kingdoms and wore the crowns of both – Created the capital of Memphis – Founded the first Egyptian royal dynasty • Dynasty = a series of rulers from the same family • There were a total of 31 dynasties • Egyptian history is divided into three major periods which are characterized by long-term prosperity and strong leadership – Old Kingdom – Middle Kingdom 1 – New Kingdom • Between these periods were times of chaos and invasion known as Intermediate periods Old Kingdom 2700 – 2200 BC • Age of prosperity and splendor • Powerful rulers took the title of pharaoh • Kingship was a divine institution and pharaohs had absolute power – Belief that the pharaoh was a god in human form – Pharaohs and his priests had to perform elaborate rituals everyday – Egypt was a theocracy, a state ruled by a religious figure • Surrounded by a well-established bureaucracy – Bureaucracy = a highly structured organization, often governmental, managed by officials • These officials had no power, did as the pharaoh wished • The most important official was the vizier, or “steward of the land” – Was directly responsible to the pharaoh, right-hand man • Egypt was divided into 42 provinces • Each province was run by governors appointed by the pharaoh • Pyramids were first built during the Old Kingdom – Pyramids were tombs for dead pharaohs • The Great Pyramid was constructed at Giza by King Khufu – Took 100,000 Egyptians 20 years to build it – The Great Sphinx guards the Great Pyramid • Most pharaohs started building their pyramid as soon as they began their rule • Workers built the pyramids from the inside out • Most of the workers were peasants, not slaves, who were required to work for the gov’t one month out of the year Intermediate • Period of chaos that lasted a 150 years • Powerful nobles began to assert their own authority as rivals of the pharaoh – The Old Kingdom finally collapsed – Time of famine, invasions, and civil wars Middle Kingdom 2050 – 1650 BC • A new royal dynasty gains power and brings an end to the chaos – New capital at Thebes • Golden age of stability – Also economic prosperity – Traded with the Nubians, the Phoenicians, the Minoans, people in Mesopotamia and other peoples – Sent armies to protect the trade routes • Period of conquest – Conquered Nubia as far south as the second cataract – Fortresses were built along the border of the Nile • New concern of the pharaohs for the people – Built public works – Digging a canal to connect the Nile to the Red Sea – Provide public welfare 2 Intermediate • Around 1650 raiders from Syria called Hyksos invaded the Nile Delta and conquered Lower Egypt • The Hyksos were able to conquer the Egyptians due to military technology: – Armor and strong bow – Horse-drawn chariot • The Hyksos ruled Egypt for 100 years • Egyptians learned to use horses and military skills from the Hyksos New Kingdom 1567 – 1085 BC • Nobles from Thebes drive out the Hyksos and form a new dynasty – Realize they can’t rely on geographic barriers to protect them • Decide the best way to protect Egypt is to create a powerful military – First permanent army • Decide to create an empire to keep foreign people from ever taking Egypt over again – Create an empire and becomes the most powerful state in Southwest Asia – Conquered Nubia, most of the Sinai Peninsula, and parts of Phoenicia and Syria • More wealth = impressive new temples FAMOUS PHARAOHS • Hatshepsut – Took power after her husband the pharaoh died • Officially she was only regent for her young son – However she proclaimed herself pharaoh, the first woman to do so – She dressed like a man and wore a false beard • All statues of her made her out to be a man – Best known for a successful trading expedition that went to a kingdom on the Red Sea – After her death, her nephew became pharaoh and destroyed almost all of the statues of his aunt • Amenhotep IV – Took the name Akhenaten – Tried to make Egyptians monotheistic by only worshipping one god, Aten the sun god – Banned the worship of all other gods and goddesses • Tutankhamon – Son of Amenhotep, restored the worship of Egypt’s traditional gods • Ramses II the Great – Great military leader, stopped the Hittites from invading and married a Hittite princess – Ramses ruled for 60 years and brought much wealth to Egypt – Built more temples and monuments than any other pharaoh – Most admired pharaoh • Decline of Egypt – First major invasion of Egypt came from the Sea Peoples – also brought an end to the Hittites – Priests and nobles began to struggle for power as the empire declined • Egypt broke up into small states • Made Egypt an easy target for invasion – For the next 1000 years Egypt is controlled by Libyans, Nubians, Assyrians, Persians, Macedonians, and Romans 3 – Cleopatra VII tries to establish independence for Egypt in the first century AD, but her involvement with Rome leads to her defeat and suicide Religion • Had no word for religion, the ideas were inseparable part of the world order • Egyptians were polytheistic, had many important gods and goddesses – Key god was the god of the sun = Re or Amon-Re • Father of the pharaohs – Anubis = protector of the dead – Osiris = introduced civilization into Egypt, also became a judge of the dead – Isis = goddess of nature and protector of women – Horus = god of the sky, pharaohs are human forms of this god • Believed that gods controlled all natural events • Priests performed rituals to fulfill the needs of the gods – Believed that the rituals refreshed the gods and kept them alive – In return the gods would grant the pharaohs immortality and bring prosperity to Egypt Mummification • Central belief of the Egyptians was a belief in the afterlife • Egyptians believed that people had two bodies, a physical one and spiritual one they called the ka – When a physical body died, the ka escaped – The ka was essentially an individual’s personality separated from the body – If the physical body is preserved, the ka could return – If the body decomposed, the ka would shrivel and vanish • Practice of mummification = slowly drying a dead body to preserve it and stop it from rotting – Run by priests primarily for wealthy families who could afford it • Discovered after early Egyptians buried their dead in the desert, found that the bodies were being preserved – Unfortunately jackals were eating the dead bodies • Steps of mummification – Remove all internal organs – Brain was liquefied and drawn out the nose – The heart was left inside – controlled emotions and intelligence – Organs were placed in canopic jars to be buried with the mummy – Body was packed with various materials to help keep its shape – Salts were placed on the body to dry it out – Finally the body was wrapped in strips of linen • Dead Egyptians were buried with their material possessions and sometimes loved ones or pets and servants • Rooms were stocked with supplies and material goods for the return of the ka – Also believed that people in paintings on the wall would come to life as well Society • Simple social structure – Pharaoh and royal family – Gov’t officials, priests, military leaders, scribes, landowners, doctors – Artisans and merchants – Peasant farmers – made up 90% of the population 4 – slaves • Lived in family units – Patriarchical society, husband in charge, but wives well-respected – General rule was one marriage at a time • Women kept property and inheritance even after marriage • There were divorces, with compensation for the wife • People married young and had arranged marriages • Pharaohs often married their sisters to keep the royal blood pure • Many upper class people shaved their heads and wore wigs, for both fashion and sun protection • Also wore dark eyeliner as a form of sun protection Advancements • Main writing system was hieroglyphics – Used picture symbols to represent objects, sounds, and ideas – Carved into stone and written on papyrus – Developed in 3200 BC, considered one of the world’s first writing systems • Only Sumerian cuneiform is older • Written words were appreciated as an art form • In 1799 a French soldier found a granite slab, now called the Rosetta Stone, which enabled historians to read hieroglyphics • Math – Used geometry to survey flooded land – Used math to build monuments – Could calculate volume and area • Developed an accurate 365 day calendar • Mummification led to medical expertise in human anatomy – Doctors set broken bones, treated wounds, performed simple surgical procedures, and even removed some types of tumors – Doctors also encouraged regular bathing 5