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Today’s Bell Ringer
Workbook page 19
Tonight’s Homework
Workbook page 21
Ancient River Valley Civilizations
ANCIENT EGYPT

Nile River

Mummies

Pharaohs

Rameses

King Tutankhamen

Hieroglyphics
Egyptian civilization

Egyptian
civilization arose a
bit after
Mesopotamia.

Geography: It was
centered around
the Nile River.
The Nile River
Why did the Ancient Egyptians believe the
Nile River was a gift?
Ancient Egypt
3200-500 BC
I. Location
1. North Africa
2. Natural barriers: Mediterranean Sea, Sahara
Desert, Red Sea
A. Result = less prone to invasion.
II. Nile River
1. World’s longest river (4000 miles)
2. “Gift of the Nile”  annual flooding that deposits
rich soil.
3. Benefits
A. Easy communication.
Egyptian Society
I. Egyptian Kingdoms become one.
1. Menes: Unified Lower & Upper Egypt around 3100 BC.
II. Religious Beliefs
1. Polytheistic: belief in many gods controlling earth.
2. Mummification: process of preseriving the dead.
A. Afterlife  Happy Field of Food or Devourer of Souls
3. Pharaohs: god-kings of Egypt.
4. Chief gods: Isis, Osiris, Amon-Re, Anubis
III. Kingdoms of the Nile
Old Kingdom
2650-2134
BC
Achievem
ents
Built
enormous
tombs &
pyramids.
Decline
Power
struggles,
crop failures,
& cost of
pyramids.
Middle
New Kingdom
Kingdom
1550-1070 BC
2040-1640
BC
Land drained
Traded with
for farming. lands along the
Red &
Mediterranean
Sea.
Hittites
Nubians, then
invaded &
others,
conquered.
invaded.
Pyramids

These are the Giza
pyramids, the most
famous.

Pyramids were tombs for
the kings.

These were built in 3500
B.C.E.

How old are they?
Political:Egyptian Pharaohs
Egyptians were led by
Pharaohs.
 They were priest-kings
 King Tut is the most
famous
 Using computers, this
image was reconstructed
using his remains

Tutankhamun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmkDPaHSBzg
Tutankhamun on the throne
Abu Simbel was built by Ramses II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8oP5ZvDb70
Hatshepsut: First Female
Pharaoh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYRy_wZEJI
Mummies

Egyptians who could
afford to do so would
have themselves
mummified.

They believed in a better
afterlife if their body was
preserved.
The Egyptians took out all of the internal organs, except
the heart. When they removed them the organs were put
in canopic jars, that were put in the tomb with the
mummy. They did not take out the heart because it was
believed to be the intelligence and emotion of the
person. The Egyptians thought the brain had no
significant value, so they took it out through the nose.
The body was packed and covered with natron (a salty
drying agent). After this the body was left
for 40-50 days.
Mummies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gD0K7oH92U
Egyptians wrote in hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics
What did Egyptians write on?

Ancient Egyptians used
papyrus, a substance
derived from the plant of
the same name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT4FwLaYD6k
The Great Sphinx is
located on the Giza
plateau, about six
miles west of Cairo.
Nubia

People around the world have learned
about the glorious past of the Egyptian
empire, but most have failed to learn of
the Nubia, which was sometimes even
stronger than the Egyptian empire.
Nubia rivaled Egypt in wealth and
power, and mutually influenced each
other.
The Egyptians called them the Kush. The Kush was
comparable with Egypt, and both states
communicated with each other constantly. Today we
do not hear of Nubia nor Kush. It’s located in modern
day Northern Sudan. With the construction of the
Aswan high dam in the 1960s, Nubian land was
flooded and that forced some 100,000 Nubians to
seek new homes in Egyptian and Sudanese cities.
Nubia's glorious past is now under water.
Egyptian Economy

Although Egypt looks really
sophisticated, the economy is a
traditional economy based on
farming and trade.

Egyptians traded up and down the
Nile, with Mesopotamians and
sometimes with Indus Valley (in
Pakistan)
Egyptian Society
The ancient Egyptian people were grouped in a hierarchical system with the
Pharaoh at the top and farmers and slaves at the bottom. The groups of
people nearest the top of society were the richest and most powerful. The
diagram above shows the structure of ancient Egyptian society.
The Pharaoh was believed to be a
God on earth and had the most
power. He was responsible for
making laws and keeping order,
ensuring that Egypt was not
attacked or invaded by enemies
and for keeping the Gods happy so
that the Nile flooded and there was
a good harvest.
The Vizier was the Pharaoh's chief
advisor and was sometimes also the High
Priest. He was responsible for overseeing
administration and all official documents
had to have his seal of approval. He was
also responsible for the supply of food,
settling disputes between nobles and the
running and protection of the Pharaoh's
household.
Nobles ruled the regions of Egypt
(Nomes). They were responsible
for making local laws and keeping
order in their region.
Priests were responsible for
keeping the Gods happy. They did
not preach to people but spent
their time performing rituals and
ceremonies to the God of their
temple.
Scribes were the only people who
could read and write and were
responsible for keeping records. The
ancient Egyptians recorded things such
as how much food was produced at
harvest time, how many soldiers were
in the army, numbers of workers and
the number of gifts given to the Gods.
Soldiers were responsible for the
defense of the country. Many
second sons, including those of the
Pharaoh often chose to join the
army. Soldiers were allowed to
share riches captured from
enemies and were also rewarded
with land for their service to the
country.
Craftsmen were skilled workers
such as - pottery makers,
leatherworkers, sculptors,
painters, weavers, jewelry
makers, shoe makers, tailors.
Groups of craftsmen often worked
together in workshops.
Farmers worked the land of the
Pharaoh and nobles and were
given housing, food and clothes in
return.
Some farmers rented land from
nobles and had to pay a
percentage of their crop as their
rent.
There were no slave markets or auctions in Ancient Egypt.
Slaves were usually prisoners captured in war. Slaves could
be found in the households of the Pharaoh and nobles,
working in mines and quarries and also in temples.
Today’s Bell Ringer
Workbook page 25
Tonight’s Homework
Workbook page 27 & 29
The Egyptians called them the Kush.
The Kush was comparable with Egypt,
and both states communicated with
each other constantly. Today we do not
hear of Nubia nor Kush. In its place is
northern Sudan. With the construction of
the Aswan high dam in the 1960s,
Nubian land was flooded and that forced
some 100,000 Nubians to seek new
homes in Egyptian and Sudanese cities.
Nubia's glorious past is now under
water.
Egyptian economy
Although Egypt looks
really sophisticated, the
economy is a traditional
economy based on
farming and trade.
 Egyptians traded up and
down the Nile, with
Mesopotamians and
sometimes with Indus
Valley (in Pakistan)
