Download The Land of Egypt - Mr. Banks` AP World History Page

Introduction
• Located at the
intersection of
Africa and Asia
• Due to
surrounding
natural features,
Egypt remained
largely isolated
from other early
civilizations
The Land of Egypt: “Gift of the Nile”
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• The Nile River is the world’s
largest and it travels from
south to north, emptying
into the Mediterranean
Sea
o Primarily bordered by desert
o However, along the river, lush
vegetation can grow
• The Nile Delta was home to
the vast majority of
Egyptians, as it allowed for
greater food production
The Land of Egypt: “Gift of the Nile”
• The southern
part of the
civilization was
known as
“Upper Egypt”
and the
northern part
was called
“Lower Egypt”
o Upper = The
beginning of the Nile
o Lower = The end of
the Nile
The Land of Egypt: “Gift of the Nile”
• Egypt was well endowed with
natural resources and much more
self sufficient than Mesopotamia
• As temperatures warmed and the
Sahara became a desert, the
people living in the region flocked
to the river
Divine Kingship
• Unlike Mesopotamia,
Egypt was unified early
in its history
• The early kings of Egypt
were called the “Ruler
of Two Lands”
• The Egyptian term
pharaoh refers to
Egyptian king, who
was considered to be
a god sent to maintain
the order of the
universe
Divine Kingship
• The pharaohs were so important that their deaths called for
the construction of elaborate tombs
• Pyramid: A large, triangular stone monument, used in Egypt
as a burial place for the king
• The largest pyramids, near Memphis, demonstrate the
Egyptian belief that the proper and spectacular burial of the
divine ruler would guarantee the prosperity of the land
Administration and Communication
• The Egyptians created
an extensive
administrative system
that began at the
village level
• Bureaucrats kept track
of land, products, and
people in addition to
collecting taxes
• Unlike Mesopotamia,
the Egyptian
government controlled
all long distance trade,
limiting the role of
merchants
Administration and Communication
• Hieroglyphics: A system of writing in which pictorial
symbols represented sounds, syllables, and concepts
o Literacy was confined to a small group of scribes and administrators
o Used for official and monumental inscriptions
Administration and Communication
• The Egyptians used their language for
many different reasons beyond record
keeping including literature, religious
hymns, and instructional manuals on
technical subjects
• Papyrus: A reed that grows along the
banks of the Nile that produced a paperlike writing material
Administration and Communication
• Egypt lacked real cities because political
capitals were extensions of the palace and
central administration
• Compared to Mesopotamia, far more
Egyptians lived in rural villages and
engaged in agriculture
o Egypt’s wealth came from this land and these products more
than from urban areas
• For most of its early history, Egypt was
isolationist
• However, Egypt did trade along the
Mediterranean coast and to the south
along the Nile, into Nubia
The People of Egypt
• The population of Egypt during this period surpassed
one million
o This was a very diverse group that included
darker skinned people from sub-Saharan Africa
and lighter skinned people like those from North
Africa and western Asia
The People of Egypt
• Unlike Mesopotamia, no formal class structure
existed
• However, the king and his high ranking officials still
controlled more power than the lower officials,
local leaders, and other professionals
• The majority of Egypt’s population were peasants
The People of Egypt
• Women were
depicted with dignity
and affection but
shown as clearly
subordinate to men
• Women were typically
depicted with lighter
skin, emphasizing that
their role was inside
the home
The People of Egypt
• Egyptian women
could own
property, inherit
property from
their parents, and
will their property
to whomever
they wished
They had some tiny kids…
The People of Egypt
• At certain times queens
and queen mothers
played major behindthe-scenes roles in the
politics of the court
• Priestesses sometimes
supervised the cults of
female deities
• In general, women in
Egypt were treated more
respectfully and had
more legal rights and
social freedom than
women in Mesopotamia
and other ancient
societies
Belief and Knowledge
• The Egyptians believed
the world followed
specific patters and
cycles due to the
unchanging weather
and climate they lived
in as well as the
consistent flooding of
the Nile River
Belief and Knowledge
• The Egyptian king was the chief priest of Egypt
and intervened with the gods on behalf of his
land and his people
• Much of the country’s resources were spent in an
effort to keep the gods appeased and allow for
the continued prosperity of Egypt
Belief and Knowledge
• Egyptians believed in the
afterlife and made
extensive preparations
for safe passage to the
next world and a
comfortable existence
once they arrived
• The Egyptians Book of
the Dead contained
rituals and spells to
protect the journeying
spirit
Belief and Knowledge
• Obsession with the afterlife led to great concern about
the physical condition of the cadaver and Egyptians
preferred techniques of mummification to preserve the
dead body
• Mummification: The preserving of a body by chemical
processes or special natural circumstances, often in the
belief that the deceased will need it again in the afterlife
Belief and Knowledge
• Mathematics was developed to measure the dimensions
of fields and calculate the quantity of agricultural
produce owed to the state
• Through careful observation of the stars, Egyptians made
the most accurate calendar in the world and could even
predict the exact days in which the Nile would flood
• The building of great the pyramids and other large
structures called for great skill in engineering
Introduction
• Not as much is known about the early Indus River Valley
civilization in comparison to Mesopotamia and Egypt
• As a reminder, the Indus river is located in present day
Pakistan, India, and China
Natural Environment
• Twice a year, the Indus
River floods and even
more water is added
thanks to snow melt
from nearby mountain
ranges
• Therefore, despite the
lack of rainfall,
agriculture was able to
take hold thanks to a
consistent supply of
water
Material Culture
• The remains of two ancient cities tell us
almost everything we know about the
culture of the region
o Harappa
o Mohenjo-Daro
Material Culture
• Harappa was 3.5 miles in
circumference with a
population of around
35,000
• Mohenjo-Daro was several
times larger
• High, thick walls
surrounded each city and
the streets were laid out in
a rectangular grid
o The consistent width of these
roads and the uniformity of
the mud bricks used in
buildings suggests a strong
central authority
Material Culture
• Most people did not live in large cities like
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, instead
populating smaller settlements that appear to
be scaled down versions of those larger cities
Material Culture
• Much like Mesopotamia and Egypt, the Indus Valley
Civilization showed skill in irrigation, created large,
public buildings, and developed a system of writing
• Unlike the other two civilizations, large quantities of
metals have been found in the Indus Valley, typically
tools or other every day objects
Material Culture
• Indus Valley seal stones have been found in
the Tigris-Euphrates river valley, showing a
trading link between the two civilizations
and perhaps and even wider trade network
Transformation of the Indus Valley Civilization
• The Indus Valley cities
were abandoned
sometime after 1900 BCE
for unknown reasons
o Historians have come to
believe that the
civilization suffered a
“systems failure”, or
breakdown of the fragile
relationship between the
political, social, an
economic systems that
sustained order and
prosperity