Download Chapter 4 Ancient Egypt Notes

Chapter 4
Ancient Egypt Notes
Section 1
The Historian
Herodotus called Egypt “the Gift of the Nile.”
Nile River- the longest river in the world, 4,000 miles long.
Upper Egypt – southern region; “upper” in elevation
Lower Egypt – northern region; “lower” in elevation
Cataracts – rapids in the river
Delta – a triangle-shaped area of land made from soil deposited by a river.
Nile River flooded: Upper Egypt- mid-summer; Lower Egypt- fall
Farmers grew:
wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables. They raised cattle and sheep.
Nile River provided:
Fish, wild geese, ducks
Menes – King of Upper Egypt. He conquered Lower Egypt and combined the two
crowns into a “double crown.”
Pharaoh – title used by the rulers of Egypt.
Dynasty – a series of rulers from the same family.
Memphis – capital & cultural center of Egypt
Section 2
Old Kingdom- a period of 500 yrs. from about 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C. All of the
pyramids were built during this time.
Khufu (Cheops)- most famous Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom. He had the largest
pyramid built for him at Giza.
Nobles- people from rich and powerful families.
Social Pyramid
Pharaoh
Nobles & priests
Scribes/Craftspeople
Farmers, servants,
Slaves
Egypt traded with Nubia (for gold, copper, ivory, slaves & stone)
and Syria (wood.)
Famous Egyptian gods:
Ptah- creator of the world
Anubis- God of the Dead, Osiris’s helper in the underworld
Re /Amon-Re- the sun god
Osiris- god of the underworld
Isis- goddess of magic
Horus- the sky god, god of the Pharaohs
Thoth- god of wisdom
Afterlife- life after death
Ka- a person’s life force. It leaves the body when one dies.
Embalming- a process of preserving dead bodies to prevent decay
Mummies- specially treated bodies wrapped in linen.
Elite- people of wealth and power.
Pyramids- huge stone 4-sided tombs that met in a point at the top.
Engineering- the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Egyptians thought: “The bigger the pyramid, the more important was the
pharaoh.”
--------------------------------------------- Section 3
Middle Kingdom – a period of order and stability after the Old Kingdom.
Hyksos – a group from SW Asia who took over Lower Egypt for 200 yrs.
Ahmose – defeated the Hyksos and drove them out of Egypt
New Kingdom – period of Egypt’s glory. Conquest & trade brought much wealth
Kush – sent gold, leopard skins, and precious stones to Egypt for protection.
Trade routes – paths followed by traders
Queen Hatshepsut – famous for trade.
Built many beautiful monuments and temples
Ramses II – Pharaoh, great military general, and builder who increased the size
of his Kingdom. Famous for massive monuments and temples at Karnak, Luxor, &
Abu Simbel.
Scribes1.
kept records for the state
2.
copied religious & literary texts
3.
wrote stories and poems
4.
didn’t have to pay taxes
Artisans – made statues, furniture, jewelry, pottery, and shoes.
Architects – designed temples and royal tombs
Soldiers- paid in land; they were part of a professional army
Farmers - paid their taxes in crops. Under the law, they were called upon to
build
temples or pyramids, mine gold, or fight in the army.
Slaves- lower than farmers, they were:
(1)
convicted criminals, or
(2)
prisoners of war.
Women’s rights –
(1) own property,
(2) make contracts,
(3)
divorce their husbands.
Children- played with dolls, tops, clay animals, played ballgames, and hunted.
School- boys and girls studied morals, writing, math, & sports.
At age 14, most boys went to work with their fathers.
---------------------------------------Section 4
Hieroglyphics- Egyptian writing system made up of more than 600 symbols,
each
standing for a sound.
Papyrus – long-lasting paper-like material made from reeds.
Rosetta Stone – huge stone slab inscribed with 3 languages: hieroglyphics,
Greek, and Demotic. It was the “key” to learning what hieroglyphics meant.
“Book of the Dead” – a book containing hymns and prayers that told what the
afterlife
was like.
Sphinxes – statues with the body of a lion and the head of a human or other
animal.
Obelisk – a tall, four-sided pillar that is pointed at the top.
Temples – were the homes of the gods. Contained huge columns, filled with
paintings, hieroglyphics, and statues.
Egyptian wall art – colorful scenes of religious rituals or everyday life.
Important
people were drawn larger than less important people. Upper bodies are shown
straight on, while heads and legs were seen from the side.
King Tutankhamen (King Tut) – Pharaoh whose tomb was opened in 1922 and
contained many gold treasures, jewelry, and statues.
THE END