Download Student Information 8.2 Ancient Egypt and Its Rulers As in

Student Information 8.2
Ancient Egypt and Its Rulers
As in Mesopotamia, religion played an important role in Egypt. Pharaohs, rulers of ancient
Egypt, were believed to be gods on Earth. They owned all the land and were responsible for
taking care of their people. Pharaohs were responsible for keeping Egyptian society in order as
well as protecting Egypt from its enemies. They were the kings, generals, and religious
leaders……….all combined into one person!
Egyptian history is divided into three parts. These were the Old Kingdom, the Middle
Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. During each of these periods, Egypt enjoyed stability and
unity under the rule of the pharaohs.
Old Kingdom
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2700 – 2200 BCE
Pharaohs built the first pyramid.
Also called “Age of the Pyramids”
 Strong governments were established.
Middle Kingdom
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2000 - 1800 BCE
Called the “Period of Reunification” because during this time period stability and order returned to
Egypt after several hundred years of instability and chaos.
Many achievements in art, architecture, and literature
New Kingdom
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1600 – 1100 BCE
Called “Egypt’s Golden Age”
Egypt reached its greatest power as an empire
Pharaohs interested in conquest of other lands and expanding Egypt’s empire.
Increased trade with other places
Pharaohs built huge monuments to document their accomplishments.
Student Information Stop 1 (8.3):
Giza
Pharaoh:
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Khufu (KOO-foo)
Old Kingdom
2551 – 2528 BCE
Known as the builder of Egypt’s most famous pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza
Ruled all of Egypt (both Upper and Lower)
Declared himself a god
Had the great pyramid built as a magnificent tomb for himself and family members
The Great Pyramid of Giza:
 The Great Pyramid is the center of an area with many other tombs, temples, statues, and
monuments.
 Made from more than 2 million blocks – fitted perfectly together
 Inside were tunnels that led to burial chambers.
 The King’s burial chamber is at the end of a long passageway called the Grand Gallery.
 The King’s Chamber has six roofs to hold up the weight of all of the stones above it.
 No one knows how the Egyptians built it.
 It took 20 years to complete and thousands of workers worked on it.
 Each block weighed more than six thousand pounds.
Prompt: After completing the pyramid activity, draw a simple illustration of which
hypothesis you think best explains how the Great Pyramid was built. Write one sentence that
explains the hypothesis. Write one sentence to tell why you think it is the best choice.
Student Information Stop 2 (8.4):
Karnak
Pharaoh:
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Senusret I (SEHN-oos ret)
Middle Kingdom
1971 – 1926 BCE
Strong leader
Ruled over all of Egypt (Upper and Lower)
While he was ruler, many works of art, literature, and architecture were completed.
Greatest accomplishment was in religious architecture. He had many temples, shrines,
and religious monuments built and improved to honor the gods.
White Chapel at Karnak:
 Also known as the Jubilee Chapel
 Built to celebrate Senusret’s 30th year as ruler of Egypt.
 Made of alabaster, a hard white stone. Some historians believe that it was covered with a
thin layer of gold.
 Artwork and hieroglyphics decorated the chapel’s pillars (columns).
 The scenes showed Senusret with many gods.
 Once Senusret died, another Pharaoh ordered the chapel taken apart. The other Pharaoh
used the parts to make a monument for himself.
 In 1924, archaeologists found parts of the Senusret’s chapel. They put the pieces together
like a puzzle and were slowly able to rebuild the chapel.
Prompt: Create a drawing of a pillar (column) of the White Chapel. Include symbols on the
pillar that illustrate some of the accomplishments of Senusret. Write one sentence to explain
your symbols.
Student Information Stop 3 (8.6):
Abu Simbel
Pharaoh:
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Ramses II (RAM-seez)
New Kingdom
1290-1224 BCE
Called “Ramses the Great”
One of the most important pharaohs in Egyptian history.
Ruled for over 60 years.
Fearless soldier and military leader
Fought many battles to extend Egypt’s empire. He led his army into many battles against the Hittites (a
group that lived to the north of Egypt). In one battle, Ramses was outnumbered 2 to 1 and very close to
defeat. He rallied his troops and fought to a stand-off ever though he was greatly outnumbered.
Order the building of many projects to honor his accomplishments. Ordered more temples and
monuments built than any other pharaoh in history.
His mummy is one of the best preserved bodies ever found.
Temple at Abu-Simbel:
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Main temple was carved into a cliff on the bank of the Nile.
Also smaller temple honoring his favorite wife.
Four giant statues of Ramses were carved at the entrance of the main temple.
Inside the temples were statues of Ramses and three Egyptian gods. Twice a year, the sun lines up
perfectly with the entrance of the temple and beams of sunlight shine down the halls and light up the
statues.
Prompt: After considering the options for dealing with the problem of what to do about the
Great Temple of Ramses II, choose the option that you would recommend to the Egyptian
government. Write a sentence to explain why you think this would be the best option to solve
the problem.