Download The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly

The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability
to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River Valley.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Support the reasons why the Nile River was so influencial in ancient Egyptian civilization.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, and
also fueled social development and culture by providing an abundance of rich natural resources.
Egypt is rich in building and decorative stone, copper and lead ores, gold, and semiprecious
stones, all of which could be found in the Nile River Valley. These natural resources allowed the
ancient Egyptians to build monuments, sculpt statues, make tools, and fashion jewelry.
Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan,
and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along riverbanks.
TERMS [ edit ]
wadi
A valley, gully, or stream bed in northern Africa and southwest Asia that remains dry except
during the rainy season.
Nile
Usually considered to be the longest river in the world, flowing 6,677 km (4,150 miles) through
Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, generally regarded as the
longest river in the world. It is 6,650 km (4,130 miles) long and runs through the ten
countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and
Egypt. The northern section of the river
flows almost entirely through desert, from
Sudan into Egypt, a country
whose civilization has depended on the
"Great River" since ancient times . Most of
the population and cities of Egypt lie along
those parts of the Nile valley north of
Aswan, and nearly all the cultural and
historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found
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along riverbanks. The Nile ends in a large
delta that empties into the Mediterranean Sea .
Mediterranean Sea
Gaza
Damietta
Rosetta
Rafah
Alexandria
Buto
NE
Bubastis
Nile Delta
E
SW
Pelusium
Avaris
Merimda
SE
S
Great Bitter
Lake
Heliopolis
(km)
0
(mi)
Giza
100
60
Cairo
Saqqara
Dahshur
Faiyum
Lake
is
Moer
Meydum
Lahun
Sinai
Memphis
Helwan
Lower
Egypt
Timna
Herakleopolis
Serabit al-Khadim
lf
Gu
Nile
river
0
of
ez
Su
Bahariya Oasis
Beni Hasan
Hermopolis
Amarna
Asyut
Badari
Qau
Eastern Desert
Gulf
of Aq
aba
W
Busiris
Wadi Natrun
N
NW
Tanis
Sais
Naukratis
Dead Se
a
Jerusalem
Qau
Western Desert
Red Sea
Akhmim
Thinis
Abydos
ver
Nile ri
Kharga Oasis
Dendera
Quseir
Koptos
Naqada
amat
Hamm
Wadi
Thebes
(Luxor and Karnak)
Dakhla Oasis
Tod
Upper
Egypt
Hierakonpolis
Edfu
Kom Ombo
Aswan
Bernike
First Cataract
Dunqul Oasis
Nabta Playa
Wad
i Al
Abu Simbel
laqi
Buhen
Second Cataract
Kush
W
i
ad
b
Ga
a
b
ga
Nubian Desert
Third Cataract
Kerma
r
le
Ni
r
ive
Kawa
Fourth Cataract
Napata
Gebel Barkal
Fifth Cataract
Meroe
Map of Egyptian Settlement in the Nile River Valley
This map of ancient Egypt shows the path of the great Nile River, along with major cities and sites of the
Dynastic period (c. 3150 BCE to 30 BCE).
"Great River" Hieroglyphics
In the ancient Egyptian language, the Nile is called Ḥ'pī or Iteru, meaning "great river," represented by
these hieroglyphs.
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches
of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced
around 3150 BCE with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first
pharaoh. The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by
periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods. The success of ancient Egyptian
civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River Valley. The
predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops and
also fueled social development and culture by providing an abundance of rich natural
resources.
Egypt is rich in natural resources, such building and decorative stone, copper and lead ores,
gold, and semiprecious stones, which are all found in the Nile River Valley. These natural
resources allowed the ancient Egyptians to build monuments, sculpt statues, make tools, and
fashion jewelry . High-quality building stones were abundant: the ancient Egyptians
quarriedlimestone all along the Nile valley, granite from Aswan, and basalt and sandstone
from the wadis (valleys) of the eastern desert. Deposits of decorative stones such as porphyry,
greywacke, alabaster, and carnelian dotted the eastern desert and were collected even before
the First Dynasty.
These resources from the Nile subsequently allowed successive rulers to sponsor mineral
exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an
independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural
projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military powerful enough to assert Egyptian
dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes,
religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a Pharaoh, who ensured the
cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of
religious beliefs. The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians included the quarrying,
surveying, and construction techniques that facilitated the building ofmonumental pyramids,
temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics; a practical and effective system of medicine;
irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques; the first known ships; glass
technology; and new forms of literature.