Download Egyptian Civilization

Egyptian Civilization
Global Connections
Impact of Geography

Nile River
– Details
– Divides Egypt
– Advantages
 Transport
 Flooding (soil)
– Sept/Oct
– More predictable

Other geographic advantages
– Barriers to invasion
Religion

Two groups of gods (Sun and Land)
– Sun god took many forms (Anthropomorphic)
 Atum (human form)
 Re (Body human head of a falcon)
– Osiris and Isis
 Osiris : underworld
– brought Civ. to Egypt
– taught them agriculture
 The Myth
– Sig: Cycle of life, rebirth
History
Begins when King Menes united the
South and North around 3100 BC and
formed the first dynasty
 There are 3 distinct periods in Egyptian
history

– The Old Kingdom
– The Middle Kingdom
– New Kingdom
The Old Kingdom (2700-2200 BC)

The Kings took the title Pharaoh
– Absolute and divine
– Development of Bureaucracy
 The Vizier
– The Pyramids
 Part of the burial rite for Pharaoh and his family and
officials
 Important to preserve the body and furnish the
tomb with important items so the spiritual body
(The Ka) could return
 Mummification
Building the Pyramids

The Great Pyramid at Giza (c. 2540)
– Built by King Khufu (13 acres and 481 ft.
high)
– The Sphinx
– Symbolized the power of the Kings
The Middle Kingdom
(2050-1652 BC)

Period marked by Expansion
– Conquest of Nubia
– Armies and traders into new areas
 Meso., Crete, Syria
– The changing role of the King
 More concern with helping the people with
public works and welfare programs
– This period ended with the invasion of the
Hyksos from Western Asia
The New Kingdom (1567-1085 BC)

The Hyksos
– Chariots and metal working allowed them to
control Egypt for almost 100 years

A new dynasty (wealth and militarism)
– Eventually the Egyptians adopted these
techniques and were able to throw the Hyksos
out of Egypt
 Empire reached the East to the Euphrates river
and West to Libya
 Hatshepsut : First Woman to become Pharaoh
The Fall of the New Kingdom

Akhenaton and Monotheism
– Aton is the sole god
– Eventually the gods were restored by
Tutankhamen but the upheaval led to the
decline of the Empire
– Invasion led to the collapse of the New
Kingdom in 1085 BC
– Cleopatra VII attempted to restore Egyptian
independence but failed
Writing and education
First writing traced to 3000 BC
 Hieroglyphics: Picture writing was used
by priests and a simpler hieratic script was
developed for business and record keeping

– Stone and papyrus