Download I. The Egyptians

I. Ancient Egypt
A. “The Gift of the Nile”
B. Nile flows northward >4,000 miles and
empties into Mediterranean Sea.
1. Where the Nile empties into the Med, it
forms a triangular territory called a delta.
Upper and Lower Egypt
• In 3000 BC, Egypt was
formed from two
kingdoms, Upper Egypt
(the south) and Lower
Egypt (the delta region).
Upper and Lower Egypt (don’t write
notes)
• The two kingdoms of Upper
and Lower Egypt were
united c. 3000 BC, but
each maintained its own
regalia: the hedjet or White
Crown for Upper Egypt and
the deshret or Red Crown
for Lower Egypt. Thus, the
pharaohs were known as
the rulers of the Two
Lands, and wore the
pschent, a double crown,
each half representing
sovereignty of one of the
kingdoms.
2. The Nile flooded in summer, receded in fall. The
floods left behind rich soil called silt.
Picture of the
Nile from space
3. Farmers in the Nile Valley grew a surplus, which
made Egypt prosperous. The river was also the
fastest way to travel. North winds pushed sailboats
south (upstream).
B. Religion
1. Egyptians were polytheistic and believed in sun
gods and land gods. Egypt depended on the sun
and the land! The ruler of Egypt was called the “son
of Ra.”
Ra, the creator, travelled by
boat. Why?
2. The Story of Osiris
a) Osiris - God who brought civilization to Egypt
1) Osiris’s brother cut Osiris into pieces and
tossed them into the Nile.
2) Osiris’s wife Isis found the pieces and
helped bring Osiris back to life.
People identified with Osiris, because he
resurrected. They hoped to do the same!
3) This story symbolizes the rebirth Egyptians hoped
to gain after death. Do other religions believe in
rebirth or life after death?
Osiris judging
whether people
gain entrance to
the underworld
C. Hieroglyphic writing – Ancient Egyptian writing
system. Used on temple walls and in tombs.
1. Hieratic Script-Was a simpler form of
hieroglyphics
2. Papyrus - Hieratic script was written on papyrus
scrolls. Paper made from papyrus reeds that grow
along Nile.
The Rosetta Stone (no notes)
• The Rosetta Stone
allowed the
decipherment of
hieroglyphics
• It was inscribed with
Greek, Egyptian
hieroglyphic, and
demotic (a form of
hieratic)
D. Old Kingdom (2700 B.C. - 2200 B.C.)
Pharaohs ruled Egypt. Pharaohs had absolute
power, but received help from government
bureaucracy.
Pharaohs were monarchs; they alone had power.
1. Bureaucracy - An organization with officials
and regular procedures. Egypt’s 42 provinces
were ruled by governors.
2. The Pyramids – The burial chambers of the
pharaohs. Located mostly west of the Nile, so the
pharaoh could join the setting sun in its descent.
a) Tombs - Contained rooms stocked with supplies,
including chairs, boats, weapons, games, dishes,
and foods. Egyptians believed human beings had
two bodies - a physical and spiritual one, which they
called ka. If the physical body was preserved and
the tomb furnished with all objects of life, the ka
could return. The spiritual ka could then continue
its life.
b) Mummification - A process of slowly drying a
dead body to prevent it from rotting.
Steps:
1) Workers first removed the liver, lungs,
stomach, and intestines and placed them in jars
that were put in the tomb with the mummy.
2) Next, they covered the corpse with a natural salt
that absorbed the body’s water. Later, they filled
the body with spices and wrapped it with layers of
linen soaked in resin. At the end of 70 days, a
lifelike mask was placed over the head and
shoulders of the mummy.
D. The Middle Kingdom (2055
B.C.E.-1650 B.C.E.)The pharaohs:
– Built the Canal of Pharaohs
that connected the Nile River
to the Red Sea
Canal – a man-made waterway
– Drained swampland in the
Nile Delta
The Hyksos
• The Hyksos are a
mysterious invader; they
conquered the Middle
Kingdom
• They used chariots and
bronze weapons
• They taught the
Egyptians the use of
bronze
• After a hundred yrs., the
Egyptians regained their
kingdom
F. The New Kingdom (1550 B.C.-1070 B.C.) - A
period of great wealth. Ramses II, built great
temples. For instance, he built the mortuary temple
called Ramesseum at Thebes.