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Chapter 2 “Egypt”
Sec. 1 The Nile River Valley
A Mighty River
• The Nile River - The Egyptians
drank from it, bathed in it, used it
for farming, cooking, and
cleaning.
• Provided fish and supported plant
and animal life.
• Nile began as 2 rivers
• Blue Nile has its source in the
mountains of eastern Africa.
• White Nile starts in marshes in
Central Africa.
• The 2 rivers meet & form the Nile
just south of Egypt.
• Cataracts - Wild rapids in the Nile River than
allow for only the last 650 miles where it flows
through Egypt.
• Shortly before the Nile reaches the
Mediterranean Sea, it branches out over fertile
soil called a delta.
• On both sides of the Nile lie desert. To the
west is the Sahara, the largest desert in the
world
• Egyptians took advantage of the Nile’s
flooding to become successful farmers.
• Grew more than enough food to provide
for their families and animals.
• Wise use of irrigation.
• Egyptians used papyrus, a reed plants
to make baskets, sandals, river rafts.
• Egyptians used their
papyrus rolls to write
hieroglyphics.
• As we discussed, only a
few could write, those
who could were called
scribes.
The rise of government
• By 4000 B.C. Egypt was made up
of 2 large kingdoms.
• Nile delta was Lower Egypt
• To the south, upriver, lay Upper
Egypt.
• 3100 B.C. the 2 kingdoms became
one.
Ruling Families
• Credit for one kingdom goes to
Narmer, also known as King
Menes.
• When Menes died, members of his
family ruled for many years.
• Such a line of rulers from one
family is called a dynasty.
• Over time, 31 dynasties, which
lasted 2800 years ruled Egypt.
• Historians group dynasties into 3
main time periods called
kingdoms.
• Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom,
New Kingdom.
Egypt’s social structure
Family Life
• Father headed the family
• Women could own and pass on
property.
• Upper class women were in charge of
temples and could perform religious
ceremonies.
• Schooling was minimal, especially for
females.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
Sec.2
• Began around 2600 B.C.
• Lasted 300 years
• The King, or Pharaoh,
ruled Egyptian life.
Religion in Egypt
• Worshipped many Deities, or gods
and goddesses.
• sun god Re.
• Hapi: goddess of the Nile
• Isis represented the loyal wife and
ruled the dead with her husband
Osiris.
Life after Death
• Egyptians believed the next life would
be better than the one on earth.
• Believed only Pharaohs and elite could
enjoy the afterlife.
• Believed the Pharaoh needed a body in
the afterlife so they preserved the body
here on Earth. But how?
Embalming
• Priest removed organs
• Special salt then applied to the
body
• Body then filled with spices &
perfumes then stitched closed
• Cleaned with oils and wrapped
with long strips of linen.
Mummification
The Pyramids
• Built to protect the bodies of their
Pharaohs.
• The Great Pyramid was built for KING
KHUFU and even today is guarded by
the Sphinx.
• Great Pyramid lies in Giza on the west
bank of the Nile.
The Egyptian Empire Sec 3
• The Middle Kingdom :2050 B.C. 1670 B.C.
• Pharaoh’s moved the capital from
Memphis to Thebes.
• Middle Kingdom known as the
“Golden Age of Stability.”
The Hyksos
• People from western Asia
who attacked Egypt in
1670 B.C.
• Mighty warriors
• Used bronze weapons
• Egyptians were easily
defeated
• Hyksos ruled for 120 years.
• in 1550 B.C. an Egyptian Prince
named Ahmose drove the Hyksos
out of Egypt.
• Ahmose reign began a period in
Egypt known as the New Kingdom.
A woman Ruler
• 1473 B.C. Hatshepsut came to power in
Egypt.
• Ruled with her husband then alone after
his death.
• One of the few females who ever ruled
Egypt.
• After Hatshepsut dies, her nephew
Thutmose III became pharaoh.
• He reconquered all lost lands and
became a great trade ruler.
• Slavery becomes common in the
new kingdom.
• 1370 B.C., Amenhotep IV comes to
power. With help from his wife Nefertiti
they tried to move Egypt in a new
direction.
• Swept away all the old gods and installed
a new god ATON.
• Priest resisted so Amenhotep changed
his name to Akhenaton which meant
“spirit of Aton.
King Tutankhamen
• After Akhenaton’s death, his son-in-law
inherited the throne.
• The boy pharaoh, King Tut, was 10
years old.
• After ruling 9 years, Tut died
unexpectedly. It is believed he fell and
broke a leg and that infection killed him.
End of the New Kingdom
• 1279-1213 B.C., Ramses II ruled
Egypt.
• He regained all lost lands.
• After his death Egypt began to
crumble.
• In 670 B.C. after many rulers, the
Assyrians conquered Egypt for
good.
Civilization of Kush
• Region called Nubia, later called
Kush, was a civilization south of
Egypt along the Nile.
• Nubian villages gradually took over
all of the land to the south forming
the Kingdom of Kerma.
Kerma
• Had gold, cattle, ivory, enslaved
people.
• Became a big trading partner of
Egypt.
• Became a very wealthy Kingdom.
Egypt Invades
• As we learned earlier. Egyptian
King Thutmose III invaded the
Nubians in 1400 B.C. taking over
their land.
• For the next 700 years the
Nubians were ruled by Egypt.
Rise of KUSH
• In 850 B.C. Egypt began to decline.
• Nubians saw this as their opportunity to
break away.
• Kingdom of Kush is formed
• Next 300 years Kushite Kings rule from
Napata, their capital.
A New Capital
• In 540 B.C. Kush’s ruler decided to
leave Napata to escape the reach
of the Assyrians.
• City of Meroe is formed as the new
capital of Kush.
• Popular trading city.