Download Ancient Egypt - Mr. Wilson`s Global History

Ancient Egypt
One of the first great civilizations
Geography
• Egypt is located in
northeastern Africa
• The Nile River runs the
length of the country
flowing south to north
• The river begins in the
mountains of Africa and
empties into the
Mediterranean Sea
• The climate is hot and
dry, part of the Sahara
Desert
http://www.worldcountries.info/Maps/GoogleMap-Egypt.php
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/explore/ter.html
Timeline
• Old Kingdom
2650 BC – 2134 BC
• Middle Kingdom
2125 BC – 1550 BC
• New Kingdom
1550 BC – 1295 BC
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/resources/timeline.html
1
Three Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt
OLD
KINGDOM
Pharaohs organized
a strong central
state, were absolute
rulers, and were
considered gods.
Egyptians built
pyramids at Giza.
Power struggles,
crop failures, and
cost of pyramids
contributed to the
collapse of the Old
Kingdom.
MIDDLE
KINGDOM
Large drainage
project created arable
farmland.
Traders had contacts
with Middle East and
Crete.
Corruption and
rebellions were
common.
Hyksos invaded and
occupied the delta
region.
NEW
KINGDOM
Powerful pharaohs
created a large
empire
that reached the
Euphrates River.
Hatshepsut
encouraged trade.
Ramses II expanded
Egyptian rule to Syria.
Egyptian power
declined.
Geography
• Ancient Egypt was divided into
two regions: Upper and Lower
Egypt
• Lower (northern) Egypt
consisted of the Nile River's
delta made by the river as it
empties into the
Mediterranean.
• Upper Egypt was the long,
narrow strip of ancient Egypt
located south of the Delta.
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/home.html
Union of Two Crowns
• Red Crown
– Upper Egypt
• White Crown
– Lower Egypt
• Menes
– Overthrew the king of
Lower Egypt
– Wore a Double Crown
• Unification
– Joining of separate parts
into one whole
The Nile River
• The Nile was the
lifeblood of ancient
Egypt
• It made life possible in
the otherwise barren
desert of Egypt.
• It is the longest river in
the world (4,184 miles).
• It served as a source of
food for the people of
ancient Egypt
• It was the major source
of water for bathing and
drinking
• The Nile was crucial for
farming
Blue Nile
White Nile
White & Blue Nile Meet in Sudan
Floodplain
• The low strip of fertile land
located on either side of the
Nile River
• The river flooded during the
annual inundation (flood)
• When the inundation
subsided, it left the earth
soaked and overlaid with a
fresh layer of black silt.
• Most of the farming occurred
here
Floodplain
Nile Delta
• Located in northern
Egypt where the Nile
River spreads out
and empties into the
Mediterranean Sea
• 150 miles of
coastline, 100 miles
in length
• Rich agricultural
region
• Most fertile soil in
Africa
Bordered on the south, east and west by the
Sahara Desert, and on the north by the sea, ancient
Egypt was protected from outside influences.
Great Sahara Desert
Life in Ancient Egypt
• Life centered around
the Nile river
• Yearly floods brought
nutrients to the soil
• The river was a main
route of travel
Social Pyramid of Egypt
• Pharaoh
• Upper Class
–
Royal Family, Government Officials,
Army Officers, Priests, Landowners,
and Doctors
• Middle Class
–
Merchants, Manufacturers, and
Artisans
• Lower Class
–
Unskilled Laborers and Farmers
• Slaves and Servants
Egyptian Religion
• Polytheism
– About 2000
gods & goddesses
– Amon-Ra
– Osiris
– Horis
• Death and Funerals
– Three souls “ka, ba, and akh”
– Embalming
– Burial Tombs
Religion
• Belief that many gods
and goddesses ruled
the world and the
afterlife
Amon-Re: sun god
Osiris: god of the
underworld and of the
Nile
• The pharaoh was
believed to be a god
as well as a ruler
Falcon Headed Sun God
Religion
• Belief in eternal life after death.
Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them
through the afterworld.
• Practiced mummification, the preservation of the
body for use in the next life.
Book of the Dead
Collection of spells, hymns, and prayers intended to secure a safe
passage to the underworld for the deceased
Building the Pyramids
• Built as tombs for the Pharaohs
• Afterlife
– Housed everything needed for the
Pharaoh
• Khufu’s pyramid
– Total number of blocks
• 2,300,000
– One block’s average weight
• 2.5 tons
– Number of blocks added each day
• 285
The Afterlife?
• Elaborate death ritual
• Embalming Procedure
– Directed by Priests
• Uses sophisticated
tools and techniques
• HOWEVER
– It is not a medical
procedure
• He is already dead!
Mummification
Excessive respect for the Dead body
•
(A) ANUBIS
The priest in charge of the mummification
wore the mask of Anubis (the god of the
dead).
(B) INCENSE
A priest stands by, holding sweet-smelling
incense.
(C) WRAPPING THE BODY
The body, or mummy, was wrapped in
layers of linen before being placed in the
coffin.
(D) NATRON
Natron, a kind of soda, was placed in the
body to dry it out before it was wrapped in
linen.
(E) SOAKING THE BANDAGES
Sometimes, linen strips were soaked in
plaster so they would harden when dry.
Will hinder medical developments for many years
Sacred Body does not allow for exploration or experimentation.
Dissection Forbidden
Egypt’s Economy
• Pharaoh was at the
center of the economy
• Based upon Agriculture
• Pharaoh took taxes on
the crops that were
grown, and goods that
were made
• Goods were “bartered” or
traded for other needed
goods
A System of Writing
• Hieroglyphics
– Used to keep record
• Scribes
– Record keepers
– Original Accountants
• Papyrus
– Paper made from plants
• Rosetta Stone
– Transcribed Hieroglyphics,
Greek, and Demotic
Writing
Making paper from papyrus
What are hieroglyphics?
• Hieroglyphics are the picture writing used in
ancient Egypt. The word hieroglyphics is made
up of two Greek words - hieros, which means
sacred, and glyphe, which means carving.
• The Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system
consists of several hundred picture signs. The
signs can be divided into two classes,
phonograms and ideograms
Phonograms represent sounds, much as
alphabet letters do. Ideograms are signs
that represent whole words or concepts.
Children in Egypt
RICH
• Children of Pharaoh
swam in palace pools
• Learned their parents
trade
• Spun tops, and
played games
•
•
•
•
POOR
Swam in canals
Worked alongside
their parents
Little time to play
Daily chores
Legacy of Egypt
• Greece and Rome conquer Egypt
• Greece and Rome respect many of
the Egyptian ideas on medicine
• Egyptian Physicians in demand in
Ancient Greece
• Role of Alexandria
What was new in
Egyptian Medicine?
(compared to Prehistoric Medicine)
What was the same?
What was new in
Egyptian Medicine?
What was the same?
(compared to Prehistoric Medicine)
Master Physicians
Herbal remedies
Attempt to explain diseases
(Nile Theory)
Role of Gods and Spirits
Can identify parts of the body
Little understanding of internal
workings of body
Imported new herbs from other
civilisations
No idea what actually caused
diseases
Metal Instruments
Paid for medical care
Some Public Health measures
Hygiene identified
Pyramids
The Great Sphinx
Credits
Websites
•
•
http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/EgyptCredit.4.3.html
http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml
Text
• Banks, James A. , Gloria Contreras, Jean Craven,
and Gloria Ladson-Billings. World: Adventures in
Time and Place. New York: Mc Graw-Hill, 1999.