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Ancient Egypt
I. Geography
A. Ancient Egypt is located in northeast Africa. Geography greatly
influences Egyptian life. The greatest influence on Egyptian society was the
Nile River Valley.
1. The Nile flooded every year, which allowed the Egyptians to
produce good crops.
a. Every year from June to October the Nile floods and deposits
layers of rich silt. “the black lands”= Kemet
b. Due to receiving soil each year, the Nile River Valley has been
farmed continuously for over 6,000 years.
c. The Nile flows NORTH from the mountains of east-central
Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
2. The Nile helped make Egypt the world’s first unified state:
it linked the Upper and Lower Kingdoms, unified by Narmer
(Menes) 3000 B.C.
3. The Nile served as a trade route and a travel highway.
Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile”
4.000 miles in length- Atlanta Georgia to San Francisco and back.
B. Natural Boundaries protected Egypt from invasions
1. Deserts, cataracts, delta marsh (no
harbors)
II. Periods of Egyptian History
Egyptian History can be divided into three main periods, Kingdoms.
During these periods, power passed from one dynasty or ruler families
to another, but the land generally remained united.
A. The OLD KINGDOM, also known as the AGE of PYRAMIDS
2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C.
During this period , pharaohs, as Egyptians rulers were called
organized a strong, centralized state. Pharaohs claimed divine
support for their rule. The Egyptians believed the pharaoh was a god
therefore, the pharaoh has absolute power, owning and ruling the
land.
1. The Old Kingdom is sometimes called the Pyramid Age because
during this time the Egyptians built the majestic pyramid that still
stands at Giza, near present day Cairo. The pyramids were tombs
for eternity. Because the Egyptians believed in an afterlife, they
preserved the bodies of their dead ruler and provided them with
everything they would need in their new lives.
2. The collapse of the Old Kingdoms can be contributed to the cost
of building pyramids, power struggles between pharaohs and
nobles, and crop failure.
3. The capital of the Old Kingdom was Memphis.
4. Two hundred years of power struggles and confusion.
B. Middle Kingdom 2050 B.C. – 1800 B.C.
This period was known as a time of stability, prosperity, and
achievement. The strong rulers organized a large drainage project
creating vast new stretches of arable or farmable land. Egypt
occupied part of gold rich Nubia and reached into present day
Syria. Traders had greater contact with the Mediterranean island of
Crete and the people of the Middle East.
1700 B.C. invaders, the Hyksos (HIHK sohs) occupied the delta
region. The Hyksos attacked with horse drawn chariots. They
dominated the delta for 100 years.
C. The New Kingdom; The Age of Empire
This period of time ambitious pharaohs created a large empire.
The Egyptian Empire reached as far as the Euphrates River.
1. Hatshepsut (hat SHEHP soot) 1503- 1482 B.C. 1st women
pharaoh. Greatest triumph was an expedition sent to Punt, down
Red Sea Coast. Ships returned with ebony, ivory, leopard skins,
Monkeys, incense, medicines, and perfume.
2. Ramses II 1290- 1224 B.C. known for military
victories. Pushed Egyptian rule northward through Palestine as
far as Syria.
III. DeclineInvaders such as the Assyrians and Persians conquered the Nile
Region. Greek and Roman armies also invaded.
IV. Egyptian Religion
A. Ancient Egyptians were polytheistic (belief in many gods)
The chief god was Amon-Re, the sun god.
B. Believed in an Afterlife
1. mummification: the preservation of the dead. Skilled embalmers
removed the vital organs, the body was wrapped in strips of linen.
At first this process was costly and reserved for the wealthy and
rulers. Eventually ordinary Egyptians also won the right to
mummify their dead.
C. Most pharaohs were buried in great tombs filled with riches.
1. Most famous tomb TUTUANKANKHAMEN –King TUT
tomb was found in tact.
V. Egyptian Society
A. Organized into social classes:
Pharaohs
Priest and Nobles
Traders, Artisans, Merchants, scribes
Farmers, Herders
Unskilled workers
1. women had rights too. They could inherit property, conduct
business deals, buy and sell goods, obtain divorces, and be
priestess.
VI. Writing
A. Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics use picture symbols that represent objects ideas, or
sounds. First inscribed in stone, later written on papyrus with ink.
B. Rosetta Stone
Key to the translation of hieroglyphics. Found in Rosetta, in the
Nile Delta by a soldier of Napoleon in 1799. Written in both Greek
and hieroglyphics, Jean Champollion, deciphered the stone in 1822.
VII. Contributions to Civilization
A. Medicine- prescribed medicines, set broken bones, and preformed
surgeries.
B. Astronomy- first calendar divided a year into 365 days.
C. Math- developed a system base on ten and our decimal system.
D. Architecture- stone work, pyramids, colonnades, dams,
irrigation systems.