Download Section 3: The Middle and the New Kingdoms

Ch. 4: Ancient Egypt and Kush Study Guide
The Map: Be able to identify the following on the map: Upper and Lower Egypt, Memphis,
Thebes, location of the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings, Nile Delta
Section 1: Geography and Ancient Egypt
Main ideas:
Egypt was called “the Gift of the Nile” because the river gave life to the desert.
Civilization developed due to fertile soil, good water and a protected location.
Vocabulary:
cataracts
Strong rapids and rushing water in a river
delta
A triangle-shaped area of land made of soil deposited by a river
Menes
Upper Egyptian leader who united Upper and Lower Egypt @ 3100BC; 1st pharaoh
pharaoh
Title used by rulers of Egypt; means “great house
dynasty
A series of rulers from the same family; Menes founded the first dynasty.
Facts to know:
Lower Egypt
in the north near the Mediterranean Sea
Upper Egypt
to the south in the higher land
The cataracts
made river travel difficult but protected against invasion.
Best farmland was in the delta region of lower Egypt.
Memphis
built by Menes as the capital near the delta.
Double crown
worn by Menes to symbolize unification of the two kingdoms.
Nile floods
were more predictable than those in Mesopotamia.
Mineral-rich silt brought by the floods; Egypt = black land; desert = red land
Irrigation
made farming possible in the dry times
natural barriers the desert, the cataracts, the Mediterranean and the Red Seas.
Wealthy farmers became village leaders, villages banded together to become Upper and Lower
Egypt.
Section 2: The Old Kingdom
Main Ideas:
Pharaohs ruled as gods and were at the top of the social structure.
Religion shaped Egyptian life.
Pyramids were built as royal tombs for the pharaohs.
Government and religion were closely connected during the Old Kingdom.
Vocabulary and Facts to know:
Old Kingdom
lasted about 500 years (2700BC-2200BC)
The pharaoh
represented the gods and was held responsible for good and bad
things that happened
Gov. officials were usually family or nobles hired to help pharaoh govern the kingdom.
Khufu
was most famous king of Old Kingdom
Great Pyramid tomb of Pharaoh Khufu who is remembered for his many monuments, temples
Nobles
people from rich and powerful families who helped rule
Social Pyramid Order of importance of the people top to bottom: Pharaoh,
Upper class:
priests, gov. officials
Middle class
soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans,
Lower class
farmers, slaves, servants; (80% of the people)
Trade
Not isolated – traded with Sumer, Nubia, Punt
Acquire
to get or obtain
Religion
Before the first dynasty, each village worshipped its own gods.
Polytheism
the worship of many gods, practiced by the Egyptians
Gods
Osiris, Isis, Horus, Re, Anubis; many others
Afterlife
life after death: more perfect than life
Ka
a person’s spirit or life force; remained linked to the body, stayed at burial site
Embalming
method of preserving the body after death
Mummy
a body embalmed and wrapped in linen cloth
Elite
people of wealth and power; only royalty and the elite were mummified
Pyramids
built as royal tombs for pharaoh’s and family; engineering feats
Engineering using science and math knowledge to do something practical
Section 3: The Middle and the New Kingdoms
Main ideas
The Middle Kingdom was a period of stable government between times of disorder.
The New Kingdom was when Egypt’s trade and military power reached its peak.
Work and daily life were different for each social class.
Facts to Know:
Old Kingdom fall due to lack of farming, huge building projects, nobles challenging the pharaoh
Mentuhoptet II leader who became strong enough to reunite the whole river valley
Middle Kingdom (2050 BC to 1750 BC…@300 years) began when Mentuhoptet II took power
Hyksos
used superior weapons to attack the delta and ruled it for 200 years
Ahmose
ruler of Thebes who drove out the Hyksos and declared himself ruler of all of
Egypt
New Kingdom
period when Egypt reached the height of its power and glory
Empire
what Egypt became as it conquered its neighbors to prevent further invasions
Military conquests made Egypt rich.
Trade networks developed between Egypt and the areas it conquered, making Egypt rich
Merchants
people who used the trade networks to import and export goods and services
Import
to bring products into a country
Export
to send out products from an area
Hatshepsut
first woman ruler; increased trade and built many beautiful monuments
Ramses the Great
Or Ramses II
longest ruling pharaoh; military leader; signed peace treaty with Hittites,
Fought Tehenu
Tutankhamen
Boy king whose tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter in the Valley of
the Kings, still containing all the treasures and his mummy; taught us much
about Egyptian life
Sea people
Invaded Egypt after Ramses II died; end of New Kingdom
Women’s rights could own property, enter contracts (binding legal agreements) and divorce
their husbands
Education
Most boys and girls received this in ancient Egypt
Slaves
Had some legal rights and could sometimes earn their freedom
Section 4: Egyptian Achievements
Main ideas:
The Egyptians developed a writing system using hieroglyphics.
The Egyptians created magnificent temples, tombs and works of art
Facts to know:
Papyrus
a long-lasting paper-like material made from reeds that grew along the river
Scrolls
long, rolled up sheets of papyrus, written on with brushes and ink
Scribes
highly honored professional writers and record keepers
Hieroglyphics a formal writing system using more than 600 symbols;
determined which way to read
Cartouche
royal names encircled with a line on one end;
Rosetta Stone a stone slab found near the town of Rosetta in the delta; used to crack the code
of how to read hieroglyphics
Pyramids
huge stone tombs for the pharaohs
Sphinxes
imaginary creatures with the bodies of lions and the heads of people or other
animals often lining the paths to the temples
Obelisk
a four-sided pillar with a pointed top (Washington Monument, Andrew Johnson’s
grave)
Great temples Temple of Karnak, Abu Simbel, Luxor….originally brightly painted
Paintings
showed historical events, religious celebrations and scenes of daily life;
Distinctive style: upper bodies shown straight on; heads and legs seen from the
Side
Section 5: Ancient Kush
Main Ideas:
Geography and location on the Nile helped this civilization develop.
Kush and Egypt traded, but also fought.
Kush conquered Egypt for a while and became powerful for a while.
Facts to know:
Nubia
An area south of Egypt which the Egyptians called Kush. Provided gold, slaves,
ivory and stone to Egypt
Kush
copied and adopted many Egyptian ways as a result of being conquered by Egypt
Kerma
first capital of Kush
Cataracts
kept Kush safe from attack by Egypt for a long time
Thutmose I
Egyptian pharaoh who conquered Kush
Napata
Capital of Kush after it regained its independence from Egypt
Kashta
Kushite king who conquered Upper Egypt
Piankhi
Kashta’s son; conquered the rest of Egypt after Kashta died
Shabaka
Piankhi’s brother who took over after Piankhi; began the 25th dynasty of Egypt
Iron
Industry which made Kush rich in trade; Meroë was economic center for this
Shanakhdakheto First woman ruler of Kush
King Ezana
King of Axum who took over Kush
Kushite decline Caused partly by overgrazing or animals and destructions of forests for fires