Download Ancient Egypt - WORLD HISTORY Coach Pearce

U1LG2 - River Valley Civilizations
(Egypt & Mesopotamia)
Unit 1: Learning Goal 2: Analyze how geography affected
the development of the River Valley Civilizations and
describe the political and technological advances made
in the River Valley Civilizations. (TEKS/SE’s 15B,16A,B,
19A,27A)
What is my goal?
How am I going to achieve this goal?
Egypt had natural barriers-desert, Red Sea,
cataracts (rapids) on the Nile and the
Mediterranean Sea-helped to protect Egypt from
invasion. This gave the Egyptian people a spirit
of confidence.
Nile River is the longest
river in the world (4,000
miles). Splits into 2
major branches
Lower Egypt – Nile Delta
Upper Egypt. – Land
upstream to the South
Yearly flooding important
for growing crops. Nile
was also important for
transportation.
Religion:
Polytheistic- had sun gods and land gods, Sun=
Atum/Re (human body/head of a falcon), the
Egyptian ruler took the title = Son of Re
Osiris=river god, brought civilization to Egypt
Isis =land god, married to Osiris
Seth=Osiris’s evil brother, cut Osiris into 14 parts
and tossed the parts into the Nile. Isis with the
help of other gods brought Osiris back to life.
Osiris took on an important role as a symbol of
resurrection.
Seth
Isis
Osiris
ruled the
realm of
the dead.
The Egyptian dead were placed in tombs, kings
were placed in pyramids. It was thought that the
dead would be reborn. The flooding of the Nile
and the new life it brought to Egypt were
symbolized by Isis’s bringing Osiris back to life.
Egyptian History: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom,
and New Kingdom
During these periods there was long term
stability, strong leadership, freedom from
invasion, the building of temples and pyramids,
and considerable intellectual and cultural activity.
The Intermediate periods were between the
periods of stability and were ages of political
chaos and invasion.
The first Egyptian dynasty was begun around
3100 B.C by Menes, the king, when he united
Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom. A
dynasty is a family of rulers whose right to rule is
passed on within the family.
white=upper Egypt
red=lower
Egypt
Double
crown=unite
d kingdom
Old Kingdom:
Pharaoh- “great house/palace” is the title that the
Egyptian monarchs used.
Pharaohs had absolute power but
a bureaucracy (an administrative
organization with officials and
regular procedures developed). An
important office was vizier (“the steward of the
whole land”) who was responsible for the
bureaucracy.
Pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom.
These pyramids were built as burial places for the
dead pharaohs, their families and pharaoh’s
officials. The tombs contained all types of supplies
and food for the dead pharaohs because the
Egyptians believed that human beings had 2
bodies (physical/spiritual which they called the ka).
If the physical body was properly preserved and the
tomb furnished with objects of regular life, then the
ka could return.
Bodies of pharaohs and wealthy Egyptians were
mummified (process of slowly drying a dead body
to prevent it from rotting). First the liver, lungs,
stomach and intestines were removed and placed
in four special jars that were placed in the tomb.
The brain was also
removed by extracting
it through the nose. Then they
covered the body with a natural
salt that absorbed the body’s
water.
Society in Ancient Egypt:
Pharaoh
Nobles, priests (ran the government)
Merchants, artisans, scribes, (“middle class”) carr
on trade
Largest number worked the land of the nobles,
paid taxes in the for of crops and provided
military service.
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt:
•Married young (girls/12, boys/14)
•Monogamy (marriage to 1 person) unless wife
couldn’t have children
•Husband master of the house, wife in charge of
the household and education of children
•Women’s property remained w/them even in
marriage
•Some women operated businesses
•Marriages were arranged, only sons could carry on
the family name, could get a divorce
Mesopotamia
Geography
Rivers
Natural Barriers
Religion
Government
Social Structure
Economy
Writing
Egypt
Fertile Crescent Africa
Tigris/Euphrates Nile
Flat plains
Deserts, seas,
cataracts on Nile
Polytheistic
Polytheistic
City-states,
Rural villages,
Theocracy. kings dynasties, kings
Nobles,
Upper class,
commoners,
merchants,
slaves
artisans,
peasants
Farming/trade
Farming/trade
cuneiform
hieroglyphics
MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia- The Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers (now
Southern Iraq) overflowed
their banks and deposited
fertile silt.
Good for farming.
Ancient Mesopotamia: cities
include:Assyria, Akkad,
Sumer
FERTILE CRESCENT:
Fertile Crescent: an arc
of land from the
Mediterranean Sea to
the Persian Gulf.
Irrigation and drainage
ditches provided water
control which made it
possible to grow crops
on a regular basis and
support a civilization.
SAMARIA
Sumerians: their origins a mystery
Most famous city-URUK-surrounded by walls
Formed city-states-a city with political and economic
control over the surrounding countryside.
Dwellings made of mud,
shaped by hand and then
dried in the hot sun until hard
Invented arch/dome
SAMARIA CONTINUED
Built some of the largest brick
buildings in the world
Ziggurat-a massive stepped
tower on which was built a
temple dedicated to the
chief god/goddess of a
Sumerian city
People believed that
gods/goddesses owned the
cities-spent much of their
wealth on building temples
YEP: STILL SAMARIA
Temples served as the center of the city physically, economically
and politically.
Priests and priestesses had a great deal of power
Theocracy-government by divine authority-gods ruled the citiesthen passed on to kings and priests and priestesses helped the
kings rule.
Traded for copper, tin and timber in exchange for dried fish, wool,
barley, wheat and metal
Sumerian cuneiform
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT IN EARLY
CIVILIZATIONS
Theocracies-A government in which religious law is linked with secular law and the leader is often
seen as a divine figure.
 Examples: Mesopotamia- kings were considered to be representatives of the gods.
Egyptians believed that kings were gods, almost as great as the gods in the heavens.
Cleopatra
King
Tut