Download The Pyramid Builders

Chapter 5 Lesson 3
The Pyramid Builders
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Old Kingdom:
• A legend says a king named Narmer united Upper
and Lower Egypt
• Some historians believe Narmer represents several
kings who joined the land
• After Egypt was united its ruler wore a double
crown
• It combined the red Crown of Lower Egypt w/ the
white Crown of Upper Egypt
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The First Dynasty:
• The first dynasty of Egypt began around 2925 B.C.
• A DYNASTY is a line of rulers from the same family
• A ruler’s oldest child usually took the king’s place
when he died
• The order in which members of a royal family inherit
the throne is called SUCCESSION
• Egyptian dynasties are divided into the Old, Middle,
and New Kingdoms
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Pharaohs Rule:
• A king of Egypt was known as a pharaoh
• PHARAOH means “great house” it originally was
used to describe the king’s palace, later it stood for
the king himself
• The pharaoh ruled from the capital city of Memphis
• Egyptians thought a pharaoh was a child of the gods
and a god himself
• Egyptians believed if the pharaoh and his subjects
honored the gods their lives would be happy
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Pharaohs Rule cont.
• If Egypt suffered hardships for a long period of time,
people blamed the pharaohs for angering the gods
• If this happened, people might have revolted and
driven the pharaoh out to start a new dynasty
• Government and religion was not separate priest
had a lot of power in government
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Khufu’s Great Pyramid:
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First rulers of Egypt were often buried in an underground tomb
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2630 B.C. King Djoser built a large STEP PYRAMID its sides rise in a
series of steps
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This pyramid is the oldest-known large stone structure in the world
Later, rulers wanted more permanent structures
These structures became pyramids
PYRAMID a structure shaped like a triangle w/ four sides that meet @
a point
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Great Pyramid:
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80 years later a pharaoh named KHUFU ordered the construction of
the largest pyramid ever built
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Each side along the base was 760 ft. long. The core was built from 2.3
million blocks of stone
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Miners cut huge blocks of stone w/ copper saws and chisels
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Farmers did the heavy labor during flooding season
sloping ramps were used to pull the slabs into place
Towards the top workers dragged heavy blocks hundreds of feet to
set in place
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Great Pyramid cont.
• Skilled stone cutters and overseers worked yearround
• The Great Pyramid took 20 years to build
• Around 20,000 Egyptians worked on it
• A city called Giza was built for the pyramid workers
and those who fed, clothed, and housed them
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Grave Robbers:
• Pyramids were not built anymore due to the tombs inside them
• Grave robbers would break in and steal items buried w/ the
pharaohs. They would even steal mummies
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If a tomb was robbed, Egyptians believed the person buried
would not have a good afterlife
• In the New Kingdom secret tombs were built in the area called
The Valley of the Kings
• Chambers were hidden in mtns. near the Nile to protect those
buried
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Inside the Tombs:
• Pyramids and tombs had several passageways leading to
different rooms (done to confuse robbers)
• Small statues could be found representing servants for the
afterlife
• Artists painted and carved on walls
• Paintings showed a person’s head, arms, and legs from the side
• Paintings showed pharaohs enjoying themselves, some were
fishing, while others were portrayed in battle
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Middle Kingdom:
• Around 2130 B.C. Egyptian kings began to lose their
power to local rulers of the provinces
• 500 years later kings helped Egypt stay together, but
w/ a weaker government
• This period was called the Middle Kingdom
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Invasions:
• During the Middle Kingdom rulers faced challenges
outside of Egypt
• Nomadic people called Hyksos (HINK-sohs) invaded
Egypt
• This nomadic group conquered the Egyptians due to
having better weapons and horse drawn chariots
• About 100 yrs. later Egypt was able to drive out the
Hyksos and begin the New Kingdom
Wednesday, March 5, 2014