Download Civilization / Era: Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom of

Civilization / Era: Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom of Egypt
General History of Civilization
- Old Kingdom was from 2686 BCE to 2150 BCE, and the Middle Kingdom from 2050 BCE to 1700 BCE
- Old Kingdom - Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Lower represented by red crown, and Upper represented by white crown.
- King Menes was believed to unite these to parts, and wore a double crown to symbolize unity.
- Central Government broke down at the end of the Old Kingdom
-civil wars thrust Egypt into 150 years of anarchy now referred to as the First Intermediate Period.
- Theban Kings ruled Egypt at his time, and would for the next 250 years
- Was a time when Egypt experienced 2 centuries of peace and stability during which the nation prospered
Geography of Civilization
- 4 major geographical locations surrounding Egypt that influenced the culture and civilization: The Nile Valley, The Nile Delta and the Faiyum,
Deserts, and the Mediterranean Sea
- Nile Valley was the wealth of Egypt, and depended on the water of the Nile was made up the White Nile and Blue Nile. Tigris and Euphrates
River also depended on their fortune.
-They feared the Nile but at the same time depended on it.
- The area where the Nile empties into the Mediterranean was known as the Nile Delta
- This was the largest fertile land in Egypt, and was the third largest settlement in Egypt
- The Nile Valley was between 2 deserts, Eastern and Western Desert, which protected Egypt from invasion and was also the source was minerals,
supplies, gold, tin, copper, and natron
Characteristic
Old Kingdom
Middle Kingdom
Centralized
King Menes: He is believed to have been the first to
Political Structures: They believed Pharaohs where the
Government /
unite Egypt and wore the double crown symbolizing the
earthly embodiment of the god Horus, son of Amon-Re.
Leaders
unity Egypt and wore the double crown symbolizing the
The King or Pharaoh had absolute power. The king was
unity of the two kingdoms and he also had absolute
expected to govern to rule of Ma’at.
power in Egypt.
Imhotep: Imhotep was one the great leaders of Egypt
although he was not a Pharaoh. But his life was
extremely important. He was considered a genius. His
contributions to Egyptian society were so great that he
rose to become the right hand man of the Pharaoh Djoser.
Agricultural
Intensity /
Way of Life
- Important influence on Egyptian culture and civilization
was The Nile River.
- Water from the Nile, came from the white Nile and the
blue Nile which did the flooding during July and
October.
- The flood had left behind a rich moist soil, which gave
a fertile soil for agriculture
- They were able to plan with some certainty the planting
and harvesting of crops concluding the outcome of the
Nile
- They feared the Nile because they became reliant on the
flooding for harvest and growth.
- Egyptian prosperity and stability were dependent on
abundant harvests and the ability to manage food
supplies in order to survive years in which harvest
declined.
- The abundance of food supplies was the measure of
Egypt’s wealth. Full granaries, plenty of wildlife and
fish, and thriving herds were the signs of prosperous
times.
- Agriculture production was organized to provide a
stable food supply for both the living and the dead.
Surplus food was used in trade with neighbouring
people.
Religion
- Trade had initiated culture change, which began to form
religion at this time.
Class Structure
- Lower Egypt known as the Delta Kingdom
-was ruled by a monarchy symbolized by the red crown
- Upper Egypt represented by the white crown
- King Menes-believed to be the first to unite Egypt and
believed to be the first to wear a double crown
symbolizing the unity of the two kingdoms
Science,
Technology,
Arts
- In sculpture and painting, the human figure was usually
represented with the head in profile, the eye and
shoulders in front view, and the pelvis, legs, and feet in
profile. This was known as the law of frontality.
- Colour in art was applied in flat tones, and there was no
attempt at linear perspective.
- The artist's task was to produce a statement of reality
- Tombs were decorated with domestic, military, hunting,
and ceremonial scenes
Gods: One of the gods that where really important to
the Egyptians was there National God Amon-Re which
was the Son god Re and Amon a local Theban Deity
merged together.
- Ruler of the middle kingdom-encouraged social
mobility through the promotion of members of the
middle class
- The Structure of Ancient Egyptian Society, Gods,
Pharaoh, Government officials, Soldiers, Scribes,
Merchants
Artisans, Farmers, Slaves
- Hysksos conquered using technologically superior
weapons like improved bows, horse drawn carriages
and bronze weapons.
- mastered new weapons and drove out the Hysksos and
gained a technological evolution from this 150-year
conquest.
- The forms of the Old Kingdom were retained, but the
unity of style of the art was broken.
- Increase delicacy of craftsmanship.
Merchant and
Trade
- Trade became important, by engaging in trade
throughout much of the Mediterranean, and by mining
copper in the Sinai Peninsula.
- The Egyptians acquired tremendous wealth in both
materials goods and new ideas to gain economic growth.
- Egypt introduced important goods of trade such as
timber from Syria, wine and oil from Crete, and the
potter’s wheel from Mesopotamia
Occupation
Specialization /
Gender Roles
- Women-same legal rights as men
-did not hold important titles, had little political power,
were usually illiterate, and were banned from intellectual
and government life
- did a lot of household work
- Men-head of family and passed on the inheritance to his
children
- could have as many wives as he wanted
Impact on
History /
Society
- The Old Kingdom was known for its incredible
architecture, designed by Imhotep, who was the founder
of Egyptian system of medicine, and was highly regarded
for hundreds of years as the best of the ancient world. He
designed and supervised the construction of the world’s
first pyramid built and designed the fantastic tomb in
- Trade begun in the Mediterranean Sea but reached as
far as Northern Europe, subtropical Africa, and the Near
East.
- The Last Bronze Age ships would travel in a circular
pattern starting in Egypt, to Syria and Palestine, and
then on to Cyprus, the Aegean Sea before heading back
toward North Africa and Egypt.
- Trade of culture became much more important than
trade of goods and kept civilizations growing
-Trade was introduced to the barter system
- Egyptians sold goods, paid salaries, collected taxes,
and even paid interest on loans through the exchange of
goods.
- Pharaoh-owned all land, the people, and their
possessions of Egypt
- King-governed a portion of land under the Pharaoh’s
name
- any personal wealth, said to be from king
- Government Officials-advised the king, enforced the
laws, pleased gods, oversaw the: construction of the
pyramids and tombs, sought trade
- were rewarded for their efforts with grants of land and
valuable food
- Scribes-recorded the deeds of the Pharaohs, real or
imagined, and kept stock of supplies
- filled the role of vizier or prime minister to the king
- Vizier-were the advisors to the king
- Minor Officials-collected taxes etc.
- The Middle Kingdom changed the world by spreading
their vast knowledge of things through a broad trading
network.
- centered around the Mediterranean Sea
- interchanging of such a variety of cultures; many
ideas, forms of artistic expression, technology, and
which he and Pharaoh Djoser’s corpses laid to rest in
- Construction of the three pyramids at Giza.
building methods were developed
- became known for even more of its traditions and
technological advancements.