Download WHICh2EGYPTSec1-notes-2014 - Alabama School of Fine Arts

Ch2, Sec 1, part 1
GEOGRAPHY
1. How has the land of Egypt changed since about 12,000 years ago?
2. What are the most important features of the geography of Egypt?
3. What did the ancient historian Herodotus mean by saying “Egypt is the gift of the Nile”?
4. What is the “Black Land”? What is the “Red Land”.
5. What are the Blue Nile and White Nile? Where do they begin?
6. Label: Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Nile, Nile Delta, Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt.
7. What are cataracts? How many main cataracts are there on the Nile? What area did “ancient
Egypt” cover.
8. In what direction does the Nile River flow? In what direction does the wind blow? Why was the
helpful?
9. Annual flood of the Nile:
a. Each year, about __________________ the water level of the Nile River began to rise.
The star Sirius appeared above the horizon just before dawn on June 21.
b. The flood was caused by spring rains farther _____________ in Africa, where the Nile
river begins.
c. The water level continued to rise until it reached its maximum in ____________. In
____________, the water level began to fall, and returned to its original level.
d. As the flood water receded, it left a layer of rich, fertile ____________,.
10. The pattern of life and farming that resulted from the Nile flood. 3 seasons
a. ______________________(June-September):
No ______________was done at this time, as all the fields were flooded. Instead, many
farmers worked for the __________ (ruler) on building projects, or made repairs.
b. ______________________(October-February):
In October, this fresh, fertile ______left after the flood was ploughed and seeded. The
crops, including ________________________________ grew.
c. ______________________ (March-May):
The fully grown crops had to be cut down (harvested) and removed before the Nile
flooded again. It was also the time to repair the canals ready for the next flood.
11. What do these terms mean:
a. Inundation
b. Nilometer
12. How did the recurring flood of the Nile affect Egypt and the life of the people? How did this
cycle affect their beliefs and attitudes?
13. What other natural advantages did the Nile valley have to offer?
14. Explain how Egypt’s location helped protect it from invasion:
a. Invasion from the east and west:
b. Invasion from the north
c. Invasion from the south
15. How did this natural protection help Egypt?
Ch2,Sec1 continued
16. What advances had the Neolithic people of the Nile valley made by about
6000 BC
3800BC
17. What two kingdoms had developed along the Nile by 3100 BC? What else had the Egyptians
accomplished by 3100BC?
18. What political event happened in about 3100BC? Who was the leader responsible for this? Draw
the crowns of Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt and United Egypt.
19. a. What is a dynasty? How many dynasties were there of Ancient Egypt?
b.
What did the rulers of Egypt come to be called, and what did the Egyptians believe about
them?
c. Describe the bureaucracy that helped the Pharaoh rule Egypt.
20. a. What was the oldest form of Egypt writing, and when was it invented?
b. What was it originally written on?
c. What new material was produced by the Egyptians to write on?
d.
How was this new material made?
e.
What two newer forms of Egyptian writing were eventually developed?
f.
When was Egyptian writing finally deciphered in modern times? By whom?
g.
What important archeological find used as the key to deciphering Egyptian writing?
h.
What 3 languages were used on this stone? Which one was already known, and used as a key
for the other?
21.
What are the main periods of Ancient Egyptian history? (I have rounded up to the nearest
century. You can get more exact dates from the textbook, if you wish.)
3100BC-2700BC: _____________________________________
2700BC-2200BC_____________________________________

2200BC-2100BC________________________________
2100BC-1700BC______________________________________

1700BC-1600BC_________________________________
1600BC-1100BC: _____________________________________
22. What were the main accomplishments of the “Early Dynastic Period”?
23. What were the main accomplishments of the “Old Kingdom”?
24. PYRAMIDS
a)About how many pyramids are there in all in Egypt? Over what period of time were they built?
Where are the largest ones located? When where the largest ones built?
What was the purpose of the pyramids?
b) Who built the pyramids? (actually did the labor)
c) What shape was the first pyramid? Draw the 1st pyramid. Tell who designed it, what Pharaoh it was built for, etc.
d) Describe & draw the 2nd, 3rd, 4th pyramids, who they were built for, etc.
2nd
3rd
4th
e) Describe & draw the 5th pyramid, who it was built for, etc.
f)Describe the 6th pyramid, who it was built for, what famous large statue was built for him, etc.
f)Describe the 7th pyramid, and tell who it was built for.
g) Describe the 8th pyramid, and tell who it was built for. How long did he live?
25. Describe the social classes during “OLD KINGDOM EGYPT”>
26. Explain what brought about the decline and collapse of the Old Kingdom and the temporary
period of disunity called the 1st Intermediate Period.
27. What were the main accomplishments of the 400 year period called the Middle Kingdom?
28. a. What factors began to make the Middle Kingdom less stable?
b. Who were the Hyksos?
What new weapons did they have?
What role did they play in the history of Egypt during the 2nd Intermediate period?
c. What did the Egyptian historian Manetho say about how the Hyksos came to power?
d. What do historians say who disagree with the account given by Manetho?
29. How did the 2nd Intermediate period end, and the New Kingdom period begin. What did New
Kingdom pharaohs learn from the Hyksos? What changes did New Kingdom Pharaohs make?
30. Tell important facts about each of these famous New Kingdom Pharaohs:
(1)
Ahmose
(2)
Hatshepsut
(3)
Thutmose III
(4)
Amenhotep IV/Akhenaton
(5)
Tutankhamen
(6)
Ramses (Ramesses) II
WHI Review:
1.
About 3200BC: King M___________ united upper & lower Egypt.
2. About 3100BC: H____________ writing invented
3. *2700BC-2200BC - Old Kingdom – stable & prosperous
a.
A strong central government was established, under the p__________, the v_________ and the
s_______________;
b.
the p__________________ were built as tombs for the p_________, and
c.
i_______________ system established.
4. * 2200BC-2100 - 1st Intermediate period - The central government temporarily broke down due to
c________ failures and r____________.
5. * 210BC-1700BC - Middle Kingdom - The central government was reestablished, but was not quite as stable.
However
a.
the land of ____________ to the south was conquered, and
b. the greatest engineering project was ___________________________.
6. * 1700BC-1600BC - 2nd Intermediate Period - The land was ruled by people called the
H_________________, who invaded and temporarily conquered Egypt using w___________c___________________. Using w_______-c_____________, the Egyptians soon drove the
H___________________ out.
7. * 1600-1100BC – New Kingdom - Egypt was again strong & powerful, & conquered the lands of
P___________ & S______________. Pharaohs were buried in hidden tombs in the V_________ of the
K___________ . Famous pharaohs:
a.
H___________ : only female pharaoh; sent trading expeditions to the land of P___________
b. A___________: established monotheistic worship of A____________; more r_________ art.
c.
T___________: died as a teenager; only royal tomb found with its contents still in it.
d. R____________: lived until his 80s; hundreds of children; military victories; many statues,
pharaoh when the H____________ left Egypt.
NOTES:
11. OTHER NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF THE NILE VALLEY:
* Sunny, frost-free climate
* The current of the Nile flows north, while the wind blows south, so it was easy to travel both north
and south on the Nile. This helped unify the country
* Plenty of stone for building
* A location protected from invasion:
Deserts on the East and East. The Isthmus of Suez was the only land-bridge to Asia
The Mediterranean Sea on the North.
The cataracts helped protect from invasion from the South.
Because of this natural protection, Egypt was not often invaded.
12. By at least 6000BC, there were farming villages along the Nile.
By 3800BC, the Egyptians mined copper, and soon learned to make bronze.
By 3100BC, the villages along the Nile had united into 2 kingdoms: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
In 3100BC, Menes, the ruler of Upper Egypt, conquered Lower Egypt, and united the 2 kingdoms.
Thus Egypt became the world’s first unified country.
To show this, Menes combined the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt into one crown.
Established Memphis as the capital.
According to legend, Menes was killed by a hippopotamus.
13. Dynasty: family of ruler. 30 Dynasties of Ancient Egypt.
Pharaohs; Human forms of the god Horus
Viziers – assistants
Departments
EGYPTIAN WRITING:
Oldest form: Hieroglyphics
* Invented about 3000BC.
* About 600 picture signs. Some represent whole words. Some represent syllables.
* At first, it was carved on stone.
* Soon a paper-like material called papyrus was invented. It was made from the papyrus
plant. Peel the stalk. Cut the stalk into strips. Soak the strips. Lay them out. Press them.
They used ink made from soot, water, and sometimes plant juice.
Later, more simplified forms of writing were invented:
Hieratic: also used pictures, but more simplified
Demotic: uses simple strokes.
Eventually, by about 300AD, many years after the period we are studying, all three forms of
Egyptian writing went out of use. The meaning of the symbols was forgotten. No one knew
how to read them.
HOW HIEROGLYPHICS (and hieratic and demotic) were finally translated:
1799AD – a stone was found near the town of Rosetta, Egypt - - the “Rosetta Stone”.
It happened to have a royal proclamation, written in 3 different ways
HIEROGLYPHICS, DEMOTIC and GREEK
In 1822, a French linguist named Francois Champollion used the Rosetta stone to
decipher the hieroglyphics and demotic. He knew the Ancient Greek language and used it as a
key to the others.
PERIODS OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HISTORY:
3100
2700
Early Dynastic OLD Kingdom
2200- 2100
1st I MIDDLE Kingdom
1700-1600
2nd I
1100
NEW Kingdom
EARLY DYNASTICEstablished a strong central government, the first unified country in world history
Used writing.
Established the irrigation system
OLD KINGDOM
Improved the irrigation system
Build the large pyramids and sphinx.
SOCIAL CLASSES:
1)Pharaoh & the Royal Family
2)Government officials who governed the provinces of Egypt-Egypt was divided into 42
provinces called Nomes, and these officials were called Nomarchs. These officials gradually
became a small but powerful groups of hereditary nobles; Priests; Scribes (people whose
profession was reading and writing).
3)Skilled artisans and merchants
4)Peasant farmers
(In Old Kingdom Egypt, there were few slaves. Later, in Middle and New Kingdom periods,
the number of slaves greatly increased.
OLD KINGDOM DECLINED-1st Intermediate Period
Toward the end of the Old Kingdom Period, the strength of the central government began to
decline. Pepi II, last ruler of the Old Kingdom, just lived too long. He became weaker, and
the local nobles grew more powerful and rebelled. For about 100 years, the central
government there were civil wars as these nobles rebelled against the central government.
Finally, order was restored. The capital was moved from Memphis to Thebes (farther south).
MIDDLE KINGDOM (about 400 years)
Accomplishments:
Overall, called a golden age, marked by stability and prosperity
Repaired and improved the irrigation system
Drained swampy areas and created new farm land.
Conquered Nubia, the land to the south
Middle Kingdom Declined-2nd INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
Nobles and Priests became more independent, and weakened the position of the Pharaoh
A people called the Hyksos, who were nomadic herders from the Middle East, came into
Egypt and (temporarily) took in Lower (northern) Egypt. They had a new war weapon: the war
chariot.
Read p23. What are 2 versions about how the Hyksos took power and ruled
NEW KINGDOM EGYPT
AHMOSE: A strong, talented young ruler from Thebes, Ahmose, rallied the Egyptian forces
and drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.
Several strong pharaohs followed.
CHANGES:
Used war chariot. Became conquerors. Built an empire.
No longer built pyramids. Built hidden tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
HATSHEPSUT: -only female pharaoh who ruled in her own name
Oldest daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I, she married her half brother Thutmose II, and
then he died. They had no son together. Hatshepsut & her young stepson, Thutmose III
became co-rulers. Soon she declared herself pharaoh, and began dressing in the traditional
fake beard of pharaoh. She ruled 22 years. Major accomplishment-a famous trading
expedition to Punt.
After her death, her step-son Thutmose III took over and tried to erase her name from
monuments.
THUTMOSE III
Tremendously successful warrior pharaoh and conqueror. Conquered Palestine & Syria to
the east. Conquered more of Nubia in the south. Now Egypt was a true Empire. Brought
Egypt to the height of its military power.
AMENHOTEP IV - - - AKHENATON
During most of their history, Egyptians worshiped many gods---they were polytheistic. The chief god was
Amon-Re (Ra), but many others were worshiped. Akhenaton came to believe that there was only 1 god –
Aton –the sun-disk. He became a monotheist. He ordered that Egyptians quit worshiping all the other gods,
including Amon-Re, and worship only Aton. He closed the temples of the other gods and the priests lost
their jobs. To make a brake with the past, he built a new capital city called Amarna, and ordered the
Pharaoh’s court (20,000 people) to get up and move to his new capital. His wife, the beautiful Nefertiti, was
almost a co-ruler with him.
Akhenaton was so obsessed with his new monotheistic religion, that he neglected other needs of the country,
and Egypt lost some control of some of the empire Thutmose III had conquered.
After the death of Akhenaton, Egypt went back to worshiping the old gods, including Amon Re.
Sun disk Aton with little “hands” reaching down to earth.
AKHENATON
- & little daughters-
NEFERTITI
AKHENATON IS portrayed in art as rather strange looking.
NEFERTITI is beautiful!
NEFERTITI
TUTANKHAMEN
RAMSES II (RAMESSES II)

One of the last strong pharaohs of the New Kingdom

Constructed many temples and monuments, and had many statues
made of himself!!!

Is thought to be the pharaoh at the time of the “Exodus”, when
Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt.