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Pyramids on
the Nile
Chapter 2 Section 2
While the Sumerian civilization was growing a similar process was
developing along the banks of the Nile river. Egyptian Civilization would
turn out to be different than the Sumerian city states.
Geography of Egypt
• Nile = 4184 miles
• Nile is the longest
river in the world.
• it winds from Uganda
to Ethiopia, flowing
through a total of nine
countries. While the
Nile River is often
associated with Egypt,
it actually touches
Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania,
Rwanda, Burundi and
Sudan, as well as
Egypt.
• Gift of the Nile - Just like in Mesopotamia, yearly flooding
brought rich soil which allowed settlements to grow. The
flood left behind a fertile black mud.
• The people
would use the
soil to
prepare fields
for growing
wheat and
barley. They
also used
irrigation
ditches. Some
Egyptians
worshiped the
Nile as a god
who gave
them life and
seldom turned
against them.
• The Greek
Historian
Herodotus would
remark Egypt was
the gift of the
Nile.
• The Egyptians mostly
used the lower part
of the Nile, the 750
miles before the
river empties north
into the
Mediterranean.
• Beyond those 750
miles jagged granite
cliffs and boulders
turn the river into
churning rapids called
a cataract.
River boats could not pass this First
Cataract. Between the First
Cataract were Upper and Lower
Egypt. Upper Egypt went from the
First Cataract to the point at which
the Nile fans out.
• Lower Egypt
consisted of
the Nile
delta region,
which begins
about 100
miles before
the Nile
enters the
Mediterrane
an Sea.
• The delta
region is
rich land
because of
the soil
deposits.
Boat travel was easy because the Nile flowed north,
and the winds went from north to south. This made
it easy for people to trade with one another.
Farmers had an easier time in Egypt than they did in the
Mesopotamia region. The Nile flooded on a yearly cycle like
clockwork rather than following an unpredictable pattern.
Egypt vs
Mesopotamia
• The deserts separated Egyptians from other lands
The people were forced to live by the Nile, but
they did not have to worry about the threat from
invaders and avoided constant warfare.
•
•
•
•
•
(A) THE DELTA
North of Memphis, the Nile divided into channels, to form a delta. Much of this land was swampy, but
the rest was good for farming.
(B) OASIS
The Western Desert had a few places where enough water was available for crops to be grown. These
were called oases.
(C) THE EASTERN DESERT
The Eastern Desert had no oases but it contained valuable minerals, including gold.
(D) THE VALLEY
The valley was only 19 km wide but over 5,960 km long.
(E) CATARACTS
Ships sailing south were stopped by cataracts (rapids).
Around 3200 B.C., the Egyptians started
making contact and trading with the people
from Mesopotamia. Around 2000 B.C. the
Egyptians were using barges to travel south
to Nubia and Kush. They traveled to those
places in search of gold, ivory, cattle, and
granite blocks for their temples and tombs.
• The Egyptians
blended the
cultures of the
Nile Valley
peoples with the
cultures of
people who
migrated into the
valley from other
parts of Africa
and the Fertile
Crescent.
• Egypt became a
land of cultural,
ethnic, and racial
diversity
throughout its
3000 year
history.
Egypt Unites into a Kingdom
• Farming
villages in
Egypt
dated back
to 5000
B.C.
• The villages
had their
own rituals,
gods, and
chieftains.
• The villages were under
the rule of two separate
kingdoms, Lower Egypt
and Upper Egypt.
• According to legend the
king of Lower Egypt wore
a red crown and the king
of Upper Egypt wore a
white crown shaped like a
bowling ball pin.
• Around 3100 B.C., an
Upper Egypt king named
Menes united all of Egypt.
• As a symbol of this union
he created a double crown
that mixed the red and
white crowns.
• Menes established
the capital at
Memphis, near the
spot where Lower
and Upper Egypt
met.
• Legend has it that Menes had a long and successful
reign until he was carried off and killed by a
hippopotamus
The Old Kingdom
• Little is know about
the first two
dynasties, but
records were kept
for the Third
Dynasty.
• This dynasty has
become known as
the Old Kingdom.
• In the Mesopotamia region the kings were representatives
of the gods, in Egypt, the kings were gods. The Egyptian
god-kings were called pharaohs.
Ra - The Sun god
Horus - god of light
Isis - goddess who represented
the ideal mother and wife
Osiris - god of the dead
(A) HOME OF THE GOD
A temple was the palace or home of the god. Beyond the large hall was the sanctuary, containing
the shrine of the god.
(B) THE SHRINE
The gods statue stood in the sanctuary, which only the priests were allowed to enter.
(C) PRIESTS
The priests had to be pure and clean. They shaved their heads and bodies and washed four times
a day. They wore robes of fine, white linen.
(D) OFFERINGS
The chief priest brought daily offerings of food, and carried out other holy duties, such as
washing and clothing the god.
(E) STATUE
At religious festivals, priests carried the statue outside, where the people could pray to the god
or ask him questions.
(A) TRIBUTE
Rulers of smaller countries recognised the king of Egypt as their overlord. They sent him tributes expensive gifts - as a sign of loyalty.
(B) ATTENDANTS
The king was attended by scribes, courtiers, his family, priests, and sometimes the governors of the
provinces.
(C) VIZIER
The most powerful man after the king was the vizier, or chief minister.
(D) PHARAOH
The power of the pharaoh had no limit. He owned the whole country. He decided what was right and wrong,
and his word was law.
• The Pharaoh was the center of religion, government, and army.
• A government in which the ruler is a divine figure is known as a
theocracy.
Pharaohs
• Egyptians believed the
Pharaoh was in charge
of the country’s well
being.
• He caused the sun to
rise, the Nile to flood,
and the crops to grow.
• The Egyptians believed the Pharaoh ruled even after he
died. They believed he had an eternal spirit, or ka. In his
afterlife the Pharaoh retained his needs and pleasures.
• Tombs were made to be even more important than
the palaces. For the kings of the Old Kingdom, the
resting place after death was an immense structure
called a pyramid.
(A) RAISING STONE BLOCKS One of the hardest jobs was moving the heavy stone blocks
into place. The builders made huge ramps of earth and dragged the stones up the ramps with
ropes. (B) SUPERVISORS Officials, who were probably priests, directed the gangs of
workmen. (C) SHAPING THE STONE Each stone was carefully measured and shaped to fit
into place. (D) ACCIDENTS Many workmen were killed or injured, crushed by the heavy stone
blocks.
• The builders of the
pyramids had not
even begun to use
the wheel.
http://www.gridclub.com/info/fact_gadget/the_egyptians/ancient_egypt/
building_the_pyramids/1859.html
• For the Great Pyramid
in Giza, the limestone
used for the pyramid
was quarried 400 miles
up river.
• Each stone weighed
2.5 tons.
• 2 million blocks were
stacked to a precision
height of 481 feet.
(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 drying
Canopic jars
Book of the Dead
Contained declarations intended to prove the
ka was worthy of eternal life.
• Lower and middle
classes could move up in
society through
marriage or success in
jobs.
• For the best jobs
(treasury, priesthood,
kings court, military
leadership) people had
to read and write.
Women
• Women had many of
the same rights as
men.
• They could buy and sell
property, propose
marriage, seek a
divorce.
• If a woman was
granted a divorce she
could receive 1/3 of
the couple’s property.
Hieroglyphics
• Hieros = sacred
• Gluphe = carving
• Pictures stood for
ideas and sounds
• Written on clay then
papyrus
Science and technology
• Written numbers for adding and subtracting.
• 365 day calendar based on the rise of the star Sirius, which appeared
above the Eastern horizon just before the floods came.
• The calendar had 12 months of 30 days each.
Science and Technology
• Egyptians also knew to
check the heart rate
by looking for the
pulse.
• Made splints for bones.
• Performed surgery.
Hesyre, the oldest
known physician
• The power of the
Pharaohs declined
around 2180 B.C.
• This ended the Old
Kingdom
• 1st intermediate period
• 100 years later they
regained control.
• This began the Middle
Kingdom (2080-1640
B.C.)
• During the Middle
Kingdom years a
canal was dug from
the Nile to the Red
Sea.
• This allowed more
irrigation to create
more farms.
• Around 1640
B.C., Asian
Nomads, known
as the Hyksos,
swept across
the Isthmus of
the Suez on
horse drawn
carriages and
took over Egypt
for 70 years.
• This was the
2nd
Intermediate
Period.