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EGYPT
“Gift of the Nile”
Impact of Geography
• The Nile is the longest river in
the world
• The Nile Delta is Lower
Egypt
• The land to the South is called
Upper Egypt
• The Nile served to unite the
region
The Impact of Geography
• The Flooding of the
River
– Steady and Predictable
– Created fertile soil
known as the Black
Land
– Small villages rather
– than massive state
control
Impact of Geography
• Natural barriers (desert/river)
• Being around desert helped keep away
invaders.
• People felt safe and happy.
The Importance of Religion
• Religious ideas were
inseparable from daily life
• Polytheistic Religion with
multiple gods
• Poly vs. Mono(theistic)
• Most important gods
associated with land (Isis),
river (Osiris), and sun (Atum
or Re)
The Course of Egyptian
History
• Three major periods: Old, Middle,
and New kingdom separated by
brief periods of chaos
• 3100 b.c. King Menes united
upper and lower Egypt
• First Egyptian dynasty
• Dynasty a family of rulers whose
right to rule is passed on within the
family
The Old Kingdom
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Lasted from 2700 to 2200 B.C.
Age of prosperity
A Pharaoh ruled over a powerful unified state
King was seen as a god
Government bureaucracy developed headed by
the vizier
• Bureaucracy An administrative organization with
officials and procedures
The Old Kingdom
• Building of the pyramids
occurred in the time of the
Old Kingdom
– Pyramids were believed to be
portals to the next life
– Contained rooms stocked with
possessions for use in the next
world
– Bodies were mummified: a
process of slowly drying a dead
body to prevent it from rotting
Think about it
• What was the purpose of the great building
projects such as the Pyramids and the
Sphinx?
The Middle Kingdom
• Lasted from 2050 to 1652 B.C.
• Period of militaristic expansion
– Conquered Nubia
– Built fortresses to protect borders
• New role for the pharaoh
– New concern for his people
– Seen as the “shepherd of his people”
– Built public works and provided for the public
welfare
The New Kingdom
• Invasion of the Hyksos ended the Middle
Kingdom
• Egyptians learned from their conquerors
– The use of bronze
– Mastered the use of chariots
– Used new skills to drive out Hyksos and reunite
Egypt
The New Kingdom
• Lasted from 1567 to 1085 B.C.
• Created a military empire that dominated the
Middle East
• Massive wealth boosted the power of the
pharaoh
• Anmenhotep tried to change the religion
• Social upheaval led to the downfall of the
Egyptian Empire
• Dominated by outsiders for the next 1000
years
Society in Ancient Egypt
• Simple social structure organized
like a pyramid
– God-king at the top
– Upper class of nobles and priests
– Merchants, artisans, scribes, and
tax collectors
– Simple farmers, lower class
peasants
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
• Positive attitude towards life
• Married young and practiced monogamy
• Marriages were arranged by the parents
• Main concern was family and property
• Worked hard but had fun
The Role of Women
• Husband was master of the house
but wives were well respected
• Wives were in charge of the
household and education of the
children
• Women could own property
• Some women could operate
businesses and 4 became Pharaoh
• Hatshepsut first female Pharaoh
Writing and Education
• Writing emerged around 3000 B.C.
• Hieroglyphics “priest carvings”
• Hieratic script was a simplified version used
by most people
• Written on papyrus
• Training for scribes was strict and began at
the age of 10
Achievements in Art and Science
• Architectural masters
• Artists and sculptors were expected to
follow a particular style for thousands of
years
• Advancements in mathematics
• Developed an accurate 365 day calendar
• The practice of embalming led to medical
expertise in human anatomy
Comparing Egypt and
Mesopotamia
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Impact of Geography
Government
Religion
Social Structure
Writing
Art / Architecture
Development of Cities