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EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION Geography and Early Egypt • The Nile – Most important physical feature in Egypt – 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert • Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there. • The Nile flooded every year – Predictable floodwaters with spring rains – Left rich, black silt • Narrow band of fertile soil • Became home of Egyptian civilization Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics ROSETTA’s STONE The Rosetta Stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BCE on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences among them), it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs Geographical Features Delta Cataracts • Egypt’s most fertile soil in Nile Delta • Nile afforded protection itself • Silt deposits at mouth of river • Flowed through cataracts to the south • Black Land of rich arable soil • Currents and waterfalls made sailing impossible • Red Land unlivable but afforded protection • Not an easy invasion route Two Kingdoms • First farming villages as early as 5000 BC • Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt – Mild climate; cobra goddess worshipped • Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt – Warmer climate; prayed to a vulture goddess Unification • Two kingdoms unified around 3200 BC • Upper Egypt ruler Narmer conquered north – Founded capital city of Memphis – Adopted both symbols, the snake and the vulture • First of 31 dynasties PALETTE OF NARMER 3200 B.C. (Museum of Cairo) Approximate dates • • • • • Archaic Period (3100-2660 The Old Kingdom (2660-2200 B.C.) First Intermediate Period (2200-2000 B.C.) The Middle Kingdom (2000-1800 B.C.) Second Intermediate Period (1800-1500 B.C.) • The New Kingdom (1500- 1100 B.C.?) Dynastic Chronology • Egyptians divided their history into dynasties • not always chronologically successive • the system is confusing, but maintained by Egyptologists Transportation • Mesopotamia: wheeled vehicles and boats • Egypt: boats (The Nile as Highway) • sailboats still a major means of transportation • Old and Middle Kingdom: wheeled vehicles rare Architecture • lacks timber • used mud-brick • main building: STONE SAQQARA COMPLEX (Pyramid and Palace) Sculpture • early and sophisticated development • human figures and architectural forms • led to great expertise in painting and other representational arts falcon headed god wearing double crown. Mycerinus and Queen c. 2500 B.C. Ti watching Hippopotamus Hunt (painted stone relief) c. 2400 B.C. Theocratic Government • all Egyptian government was theocratic in form • all power was concentrated in the Pharaoah • the pharaoh was the head of a planned and organized economy • modern comparisons ??? The Old Kingdom Many of the institutions for which the Egyptian civilization is known were created during the period which began around 2650 BC. The Pyramids Building Pyramids • Most famous symbols of Egypt • Took great planning and skill • Largest located near Giza • Ordered when kings took the throne • Built as tombs for rulers – Hollow chamber for burial – Treasures buried with them – Deadly traps within • Design changed to smooth-sided over time • Built from the inside out • Not built by slaves – Peasants required to work one month per year – Professional craftspeople like architects, artists Pyramid (Giza) PHARAOHS The Pharaohs • The head of the government was the king • Became known as pharaoh (“great house”) • Had great power because he was believed to be a god • Egypt a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures Egyptian Bureaucracy • Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone • Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s relatives • Most powerful official was the vizier • Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly Ramses the Great Egypt expanded empire • Fought campaigns in Nubia and Syria • A new foe around 1250 BC • Hittites invaded from Mesopotamia Confrontation with Hittites • Ramses the Great led army • Accounts of battle vary, but two armies signed truce • Ramses married Hittite princess and conflict ended Ramses’ rule • Reign marked with extravagant splendor • Built more temples and monuments than other pharaohs • Many political and artistic achievements New Kingdom (1570-1085 B.C.) BOOK OF DEAD Egypt’s Decline • Ramses’ successors faced challenges to authority • Major invasions of Egypt – Sea Peoples devastated empires – Ended Hittite Empire, weakened Egypt’s control of Syria • Egypt broke into small states – Many foreign rulers over next 700 years – Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks – Finally fell to Rome