Download Egypt Old Kingdom

Egypt’s Old Kingdom pharaohs ruled from
Memphis, in Lower Egypt.
1. Why might Lower Egypt, near the Nile Delta, be
a good place for a rich capital city?
2. Suppose you lived in Upper Egypt and were
invited to Memphis. If you traveled along the
Nile River, would you be going with the flow or
against the flow of the river? Why?
Ancient Egypt
Many thousands of years ago, Egypt was
inhabited by nomadic tribes who looked for food in
the rich vegetation of the banks of the Nile, and who
hunted the many wild animals that once thrived in
the region. Climatic changes led to a process of
desertification, and, in time, groups began to settle
permanently along the waters of the river.
By around 4000 B.C., the Nile Valley and
Delta was surrounded by agricultural communities
that had come to live in harmony with the river,
waiting for the annual floods before planting their
crops in the rich soil that lined its banks. In time,
these flourishing settlements, which originally had
little contact, began to establish strong links with
each other. The newly formed bonds gave rise to the
creation of two new kingdoms, that of Lower Egypt,
in the Nile Delta, and that of Upper Egypt in the
south.
1. What does the word nomadic mean?
2. Why would communities wait for the annual
floods?
3. Why is Lower Egypt in the North and Upper
Egypt in the South?
The Unification of the Two Kingdoms
In approximately 3100 B.C., an event occurred
that would greatly affect the future of the region. It
was then that a powerful king by the name of Menes,
the ruler of Upper Egypt, launched a military
campaign and united the two kingdoms. King Menes
established his capital at Memphis, which sat at the
point where the Nile Valley meets the Delta, some
15 miles south of present-day Cairo. The unification
of Egypt laid the foundations of a single state, and
gave birth to a new era - that of the pharaohs of
ancient Egypt.
4. Who was the first king to unite Upper and
Lower Egypt?
5. Why would the capital be located near the
Delta?
Lords of the Two Lands
The pharaohs of ancient Egypt ruled over one
of the oldest and most spectacular civilizations in the
world, spanning an astonishing period of more than
3,000 years. During this time a succession of 31
dynasties ruled the land, beginning with Menes
himself in 3100 B.C. and ending with the last
ancient Egyptian pharaoh in 343 B.C.
The king, who from around 2500 B.C. onwards
was believed to be the son of the sun god Ra, was
the all-powerful ruler over the land and considered
to be a direct link between his subjects and the gods.
He had the title of "King of Upper and Lower
Egypt" and "Lord of the Two Lands," and wore two
crowns that symbolized the union of the two realms.
Heading the military, legal, and religious
institutions of the state, the pharaoh of ancient Egypt
was charged with the critical task of maintaining
order and avoiding chaos in the world, thereby
ensuring the continued support of the ancient
Egyptian gods.
6. What were pharaohs thought to be by
Egyptians?
7. What kind of power did the pharaoh have?