Download Chapter 3 Ancient Egypt and Nubia

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Chapter 3
Ancient Egypt
and Nubia
Section 1
The Geography of the Nile
Section 2
The Rulers of Egypt
Section 3
Egyptian Religion
Section 4
Ancient Egyptian Culture
Notebook
Number
_________
Mr. Graver
Old World Cultures
Name _____________________
Period ____________________
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Get ready for a VERY exciting chapter! We’re about to travel
along the world’s longest river to explore some of the most
fascinating cultures of the ancient world! We’re headed to
Egypt and Nubia!
In this chapter, you’ll get to meet some of Egypt’s pharaohs,
you’ll learn about Egyptian religion, see how a mummy was
prepared and how the pyramids were built, you’ll find out
what hieroglyphics are, and we’ll search for gold in Nubia!
This is Old World Cultures at its best!
Section 1
The Geography of the Nile
In this section, we’ll find out exactly where ancient Egypt was located
and what the geography was like in the area. We’ll learn about the Nile
River and see how it helped to create one of the largest civilizations of
the ancient world!
1. What did the Greek historian named HERODOTUS mean when he called
Egypt “The Gift of the Nile”?
He meant there would never have been an Egypt without the Nile River.
Egyptians could not have lived in the middle of the desert without the
Nile River.
The Course of the Nile
2. What are some interesting facts about the NILE RIVER?
It is the world’s longest river – It’s more than 4,000 miles long which is
the same distance between New York and Alaska!
It flows NORTH and spills into the Mediterranean Sea.
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3. What two rivers come together to create the Nile River?
Two rivers come together to form the Nile River – The Blue Nile and the
Red Nile.
The Nile Through Ancient Nubia
4. Where was ancient NUBIA located along the Nile River?
Nubia is south (below) of Egypt. It’s right above the huge bend in the
Nile River.
5. What was the geography like in LOWER NUBIA? How did this effect
people?
It was a desert with lots of mountains. There wasn’t much land or rain
for farming. People had to live very close to the river for water.
6. What is a CATARACT?
They are rock-filled rapids and waterfalls along the Nile.
7. What was the geography like in UPPER NUBIA? How did this effect
people?
This area did get rainfall and had good farmland really close to the
river.
The Nile Through Ancient Egypt
8. Where was UPPER and LOWER EGYPT located?
This is confusing!
Because the Nile River flows NORTH……
UPPER Egypt is the southern part of Egypt.
LOWER Egypt is the Northern part of Egypt.
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9. Define Nile DELTA –
The DELTA is the end of the river. The Delta is where the Nile splits
into smaller streams and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
There’s lots of good soil along the Nile Delta – It was great for farming!
The Gifts of the Nile
10. What happened every spring in Egypt? Why was this important?
The Nile River would begin to spill over its banks and flood.
The water would bring rich soil to Egypt. This was great for farming!
11. Define SILT –
It’s the fine soil found on river bottoms.
It’s great for farmers!
Black Land and Red Land
12. What does KEMET mean in Egyptian?
It means “The Black Land.”
It’s what the Egyptians called the black land they farmed.
13. What could happen to the people of Egypt if the Nile River did not flood?
The land wouldn’t be good for farming. With not enough food, people
would starve.
14. What was RED LAND in Egypt? What was the geography like in this area?
It was the huge desert on both sides of the Nile. It was hot and dry.
People couldn’t live here. In fact, very few people even traveled to this
area.
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Desert Protection
15. Why was it a good thing that deserts surrounded Egypt? How did the
Egyptians trade with other people?
It gave Egypt lots of protection. Egypt’s enemies couldn’t travel across
the deserts.
The Egyptians could trade with other groups of people by sailing up and
down the Nile and across the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
The Growth of Communities and trade Along the Nile
Living Along the Nile
16. Where did the first Egyptians settle? Why did they settle there?
They settled in the Delta region of Egypt and along the banks of the Nile
River.
They settled there because it was great for farming.
17. What did Nubians add to their diet because they didn’t have enough
farmland?
Nubians couldn’t grow enough food to feed everyone. They fished and
ate birds that lived along the Nile.
A Highway For Trade
18. How did Egyptians trade goods back and forth?
They used sailboats to go up and down the Nile River.
They also loaded goods on animals and sent caravans across the deserts.
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19. What were some goods the Egyptians and Nubians traded?
They traded gold, silver, copper, pottery, and cedar wood.
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Section 2
The Rulers of Egypt
Our tour of the Nile continues! In this section, we’ll learn about some of
the leaders of Egypt and how they were able to build a magnificent
civilization. The names of some of the Pharaohs like Hatshepsut,
Thutmose, and Tutankhamen might sounds strange to us… But to the
Egyptians, they were treated like gods!
1. Define PHARAOH –
It was the title given to the KINGS of Egypt.
Pharaohs were considered gods on Earth. They controlled everything
that happened in Egypt.
2. What made the Pharaoh Hatshepsut special?
She was the first female Pharaoh of Egypt. Since she wanted to look
like a Pharaoh, she wore men’s clothing and a fake beard.
3. What was a SPHINX? What did it represent to the Egyptians?
It was a statue that had the body of a lion and the head of the pharaoh.
It represented power and protection to the Egyptians.
Egyptian Kinship
4. What does the book mean when it states “Egypt’s fortunes rested on the
strength of its pharaohs”?
Pharaohs controlled everything in Egypt. A good Pharaoh brought
prosperity to Egypt, a bad one brought misery.
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From Dynasty to Dynasty
5. Define DYNASTY –
It’s a series of rulers from the same family.
In a Dynasty, when the king dies, it is usually his oldest son that takes
over for him and becomes the next king.
6. How do historians divide Egypt’s history?
Egypt lasted for about 3000 years – That’s a long time!
To make it easier to study, historians divide Egypt’s history into 3 time
periods called KINGDOMS.
We’ll learn about the OLD KINGDOM, MIDDLE KINGDOM, and
NEW KINGDOM.
7. What was going on in Egypt between kingdoms?
Between Kingdoms, there was trouble in Egypt – Wars, invasions, and
weak rulers.
Egypt is Unified
8. What did KING MENES do that was so important for Egypt?
He united UPPER and LOWER Egypt for the first time.
9. What symbol shows that Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt?
Kings of Upper Egypt wore WHITE Crowns.
Kings of Lower Egypt wore RED Crowns.
King Menes wore a WHITE and RED crown to symbolize the “Two
Lands” being united.
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All-Powerful Pharaohs
10. What is ABSOLUTE POWER?
It means having complete power over the people.
People had to do what the Pharaoh commanded – They were
considered gods that lived on Earth.
11. Who could the Pharaohs turn to for advice?
They had advisors to help them and they believed in a god named
Ma’at who was the god of truth.
The Pharaoh’s word became law.
12. What is one example of something a pharaoh would decide?
He decided when the crops would be planted.
13. What was something the Egyptians believed about their pharaohs?
They were the earthly form of the gods HORACE (The Falcon god) and
RE (The Sun god).
Egyptians believed the Pharaohs flooded the Nile and produced crops.
The Three Kingdoms
The Old Kingdom
14. What were some good things that happened in Egypt during the OLD
KINGDOM?
It was a peaceful time. Egypt traded with Nubia and other civilizations.
The pyramids were also built during the Old Kingdom.
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The Middle Kingdom
15. During the Middle Kingdom, what did pharaohs spend money on rather
than fighting wars?
They spent money on public works – They built things like buildings
and irrigation projects. It made Egypt REALLY RICH!
The New Kingdom
16. What did the first pharaohs of the New Kingdom do to build an empire?
They built huge armies of foot soldiers, mounted warriors, and
charioteers.
Their bronze swords and armor made them nearly unbeatable.
17. Who is the most famous pharaoh of the New Kingdom? Why is he so
famous?
King Tutankhamen lived during the New Kingdom.
He was a “boy” Pharaoh who died when he was only about 18.
Archaeologists found his tomb in perfect condition. We
know a lot about Egypt because of his artifacts.
Rule During the New Kingdom
18. What is a REGENT?
A REGENT is someone who rules for a child until the child is old
enough to rule.
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19. Who was appointed Regent for Thutmose III? Why is she important?
Her name was Hatshepsut – She was the stepmother of Thutmose III.
She didn’t just want to be Regent – She proclaimed herself Pharaoh and
ruled for about 15 years.
She was the first female Pharaoh of Egypt.
The Pharaoh Queen
20. What did Hatshepsut do for Egypt?
She was a great pharaoh. She brought peace and economic success
to Egypt. She traded with other lands.
When Thutmose III was old enough to rule, she wouldn’t let
him! The people of Egypt didn’t complain because they loved
her!
21. Who may have killed Queen Hatshepsut? Why?
Thutmose III may have killed her because he was jealous of
her!
22. What did Thutmose do after Queen Hatshepsut was dead?
He destroyed all of her statues and tried to erase her name from history.
Thutmose III Rules
23. What made Thutmose III one of the greatest pharaohs of the New Kingdom?
He built a huge army and defeated many around Egypt.
He was an educated leader who made Egypt bigger than it ever was
before.
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Ancient Egypt After the New Kingdom
24. Why did Egypt go down hill at the end of the New Kingdom?
Egyptians fought each other in civil wars. It made the civilization
very weak – This was good for Egypt’s enemies.
25. Who conquered Egypt after the New Kingdom?
His name was Alexander the Great from Macedonia, or Greece.
26. Who was the last Macedonian leader of Egypt?
Her name was Cleopatra VII.
27. What group of people defeated Queen CleopatraVII? (We’ll learn about this
in an upcoming chapter!)
The Romans defeated Egypt and Queen Cleopatra.
We’ll learn about Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and
Augustus when we study ANCIENT ROME!
28. What did Cleopatra do rather than be humiliated by the Romans?
Rather than watch the Romans march through her cities, she
committed suicide!
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Section 3
Egyptian Religion
Wow! Those Egyptian pharaohs were power rulers! In fact,
Egyptians would have considered them gods that lived on earth!
In this section, we’ll learn about Egyptian religion and find out how
important their gods were to them. Without their religion, Egyptians
never would have built the pyramids or embalmed a mummy!
1. Define AFTERLIFE –
It is a life after death. Egyptians believed when people died on
Earth they would live forever in the Afterlife.
2. Who was the Egyptian god of the dead?
His name was ANUBIS. He was the god you prayed to for a
peaceful afterlife.
Egyptian gods and goddesses
3. What was the most important part of an Egyptian’s life?
Religion was the biggest part of an Egyptian’s life.
4. What did the Egyptians believe their god and goddesses controlled?
They believed their gods controlled nature -- The flooding of the Nile,
storms, the sun rising and setting, etc.
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Regional Differences
5. How did Egyptian religion change over time?
Early on, each town believed in its own gods and goddesses.
Over time, all Egyptians believed in the same gods and goddesses.
Important gods
6. Who was the chief god in Egyptian religion? What did the Egyptians believe
about him?
His name was Amon-Re – The Sun god who protected both the rich and
the poor.
He was born each morning in the East and died each evening in the
West. That’s why the West was considered the home of the dead.
7. What did the Egyptians believe about OSIRIS, ISIS, and HORUS?
Osiris was the god of the living and the dead. His wife was Isis. Their
son was Horus, the sky god.
Belief In an Afterlife
Journey to the Afterlife
8. How did an Egyptian spirit make its way to the afterlife?
They traveled to the afterlife in boats if they please the gods while they
lived on Earth.
9. What did the dead do in the afterlife?
The lived a life of leisure. They ate, drank, and visited
friends and family members who had died.
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10. Why were people buried with food, clothing, and other items from life?
They needed these things to survive in the afterlife.
11. How did the ideas of the afterlife change between the Old and Middle
Kingdoms?
In the Old Kingdom, people believed only the king and his friends lived
in the afterlife.
In the Middle Kingdom, people of all classes looked forward to an
afterlife.
Preparing the Dead
12. How did people become “naturally mummified” in Egypt?
When people were buried in the hot, dry sand they were
naturally mummified.
13. Define MUMMY –
It’s the preserved body of a dead person. Egyptians did this so a dead
person’s spirit would recognize its body.
14. How did the Egyptians mummify a person’s body?
It was expensive and took between 2 or 3 months.
The organs would be removed and salt would be added to dry out the
body. Spices would be added and the body would be wrapped with
linen bandages.
The body was then placed in coffins – Small ones inside larger ones.
The innermost coffin was usually shaped like a body with the dead
person’s face pained on the outside.
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The Pharaohs’ Tombs
The Pyramids
15. Define PYRAMIDS –
They were HUGE buildings with four sloping
triangular-shaped sides. They were tombs built for the
Pharaohs.
16. During which Kingdom were the pyramids built? What pharaoh had the
largest pyramid?
They were built early in Egypt’s history during the Old Kingdom.
The Great Pyramid was built for King Khufu.
17. In what city were the great pyramids built?
They were built in the city of GIZA.
18. What is the Great Sphinx?
It’s the largest Sphinx in Egypt located next to the pyramids.
It has the body of a lion and the head of a Pharaoh.
The Building Process
19. How many stones were used to build the Great Pyramid? How much did the
average stone weigh?
There are about 2 million stones. The average stone weighs about 5000
pounds!
20. How long did it take to build a pyramid?
It could take 20 years to build a pyramid!
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21. Why were pyramids built on the WEST side of the Nile River?
That’s where the sun set – It was believed to be the land of the dead.
22. How did workers get the huge blocks from the quarries
to the pyramids?
They were loaded on boats and shipped along the Nile River!
Teamwork
23. How did workers get the huge blocks to the top of the pyramids?
They used sleds, wooden rollers, and levers to push the blocks up giant
ramps that looped around the pyramids!
24. Even though it was dangerous work, why did workers continue to build the
pyramids?
Many people died building pyramids but workers still did it to ensure
the Pharaoh a peaceful afterlife.
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Section 4
Ancient Egyptian Culture
The ancient Egyptians were amazing people, weren’t they? They had to
be to build those enormous pyramids!
In this section, we’ll learn more about the people of Egypt and what
their daily lives were like. We’ll find out what it was like to live in each
social class and how life was different for men and women.
We’ll even find out why writing was so important to the Egyptians and
why we should be thankful they recorded their history. It’s sure going
to be tough to crack the code of hieroglyphics!
1. In the opening paragraph of this section, why do you think we know so much
about Uni?
We know a lot about him because his life’s story was probably written
down and preserved in his tomb.
Also, he was buried with things he needed for the afterlife.
Archaeologists study these artifacts.
The Lives of the Egyptians
Social Classes
2. How did Egyptian society resemble a pyramid? What jobs might people
have in each social class?
PHARAOH
The largest Social Class
was the Low class.
They were the base of
the pyramid – They
were the foundation of
society!
Upper Class
Priests&Wealthy Nobles
Middle Class
Merchants & Skilled Workers
Low Class
Farmers & Peasants
Slaves
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3. Who were made slaves in Egypt? What rights did they have?
They were people who the Egyptians captured in war.
They could own personal items and inherit land from their masters.
They could also be set free.
4. What job did peasants do for most of the year? What did they do when the
Nile was flooding?
Most farmed the land that was owned by wealthy people.
When the Nile was flooding, they couldn’t farm. During this time, the
worked on roads, temples, and other buildings – Even the pyramids!
Women of Egypt
5. What rights did Egyptian women have? What could NOBLE women do in
Egypt?
They had most of the rights as men. They could own land
and run businesses.
They traveled freely and supervised work.
They had all different jobs from priests to dancers.
Writing In Ancient Egypt
A New System of Writing
6. Define HIEROGLYPHICS –
It’s what we call Egyptian picture writing.
7. What two things do the pictures stand for?
A symbol can stand for things or ideas or may stand for sounds.
It’s a very difficult written language!
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Writing Materials
8. Define PAPYRUS –
It’s a form of paper the Egyptians used made from reed
plants that grew along the Nile River.
9. How was papyrus paper made?
It was made by weaving strips of papyrus together, pressing it flat, and
letting it dry in the sun.
Unlocking a Mystery
10. Why didn’t we understand a lot of Egypt’s history for about 1500 years?
We couldn’t read Egyptian Hieroglyphics!
11. What is the ROSETTA STONE? Why is it so important?
It’s a stone that was found in the city of Rosetta, Egypt.
It has 3 languages on it: Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Greek, and another
form of Egyptian.
It’s one of the most important archaeological finds of all time!
12. How did Jean Champollion crack the code of Hieroglyphics?
He realized all 3 languages said the same thing.
He could read the Greek language and matched it with the Egyptian
Hieroglyphics. It was tough but he cracked the code!
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Science and Medicine
Keeping Track of Time
13. Define ASTRONOMER –
They are scientists that study the stars and other objects in the
sky.
14. What did Egyptian astronomers figure out?
They realized the Nile River flooded when certain stars appeared
in the sky at certain places.
They figured out a year has 365 days in it.
Mathematics
15. How do we know Egyptians were very good at math?
They added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided. They used fractions.
They knew how to measure stone to build pyramids and used geometry.
Medicine
16. How did Egyptian doctors learn things about the human body?
They learned things by studying bodies during mummification. Yuck!
17. What were some things Egyptian doctors could do?
They performed surgery, set broken bones, and treated
injuries.
They gave people medicine to cure stomach and
headaches and fevers.