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Ancient Egypt Notes
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Nile River
• The Nile is the longest river in the world.
• The Nile flows 4,184 miles north through Africa.
Why was the Nile important
to the people of Ancient
Egypt?
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The Nile Delta
• The Delta is where all the rich soil carried by the river is set down and then the river meets a larger body of water.
• Cataracts – water rapids that flow over large boulders (These prevented boats from traveling the entire Nile – they could
only use the southern section of the river)
• The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'.
What was Papyrus? What
was it used for?
• Papyrus – a reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile
○ It was used for:
○ Making baskets
○ Making sandals
○ Making river rafts
○ Papermaking
Vocabulary
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Geography
• Located in the Nile river valley
• Civilization developed by about 3,000 BCE
• Egypt was protected from invaders by:
○ vast deserts on both sides
○ Mediterranean Sea to the north
○ Mountains to the south
○ the delta of the Nile
○ the cataracts in the Nile
• This location kept Egypt separate from the rest of the world, so the Egyptians had a unique and enduring style of life and
art for about 3,000 years.
People
• Communities were made up of:
○ Hunters and fishermen
○ Soldiers
○ Slaves
○ Priests and nobles
○ Scribes
○ Traders
○ Shopkeepers
○ Artists and craftsmen
○ Farmers and herdsmen
○ Pharaoh
• Artists, craftsmen and scribes were honored and admired.
• A scribe is an educated person who could read and write.
• Scribes wrote on paper made from papyrus.
Writing System
Rosetta Stone
Provided water for drinking, bathing, cooking
Provided fertile soil for crops
Irrigation
Provided food (fish), and plant life (papyrus)
Transportation – boating
Trading
For Fun!!!!!!
Hieroglyphic
Pharaoh
Papyrus
Scribe
Deity
Dynasty
Theocracy
• They wrote in hieroglyphics.
○ Hieroglyphics are an early form of picture writing.
• The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian stele inscribed with a decree issued in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The
decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the
lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences
between them), and provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
5 Themes of Geography Page 1
Rosetta Stone
Government
Religion
Mummies
Architecture
Contributions
• The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian stele inscribed with a decree issued in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The
decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the
lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences
between them), and provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
• Since the Ancient Egyptians farmed and had extra amounts of food, they could focus on other things like developing a
government.
• The leader was the pharaoh (the Egyptian king or queen).
• The pharaoh was believed to be half man, half god.
• Ancient Egypt had many dynasties.
• A dynasty is a line of rulers from the same family. Pharaoh’s son becomes the next pharaoh.
• Their government was a theocracy. Theocracy is a government lead by a religious leader.
• The ancient Egyptians followed a polytheistic religion.
• They worshipped more than one deity. A deity is a spiritual being such as a god or goddess.
• The pyramids and tombs contained the mummified remains of the pharaohs.
• The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul (called the Ka) would need to use the body in the afterlife, so the bodies
were carefully preserved. Many items in the tombs were left there to be used by the Ka in the afterlife.
• The greatest architectural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians were the pyramids.
○ Pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs.
○ They contained the items that the Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh would need in the afterlife.
○ Much of the art that remains was preserved in the pyramids
• The ancient Egyptians:
○ Gave us the first known national government
○ Created the 365-day calendar
○ Hieroglyphic writing
○ Created a number system based on 10
○ Trained donkeys to carry people
○ Had medicine and medicine books
Summary
5 Themes of Geography Page 2