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Chapter 2 Notes
Ancient Egypt
Section 1
The Nile Valley
This section traces the appearance of the Egyptian civilization along the banks of the Nile River and the
steps taken to create one united kingdom.
1.) The earliest _____________ moved into the Nile River valley from less _____________ areas.
2.) They _____________ and built _____________ along the riverbanks.
3.) The Nile River is the _____________ river in the world, about _____________ miles long.
4.) Egyptians used the Nile River for many things. They used river water to _____________, clean,
_____________, and cook. They also ate _____________ from the river.
5.) The Nile valley is a narrow, green valley in Egypt. The northern end of the valley
is a _____________ area of land called a _____________. The _____________, the largest _________
in the world, lies west of the Nile Valley. The _____________ Desert lies to the east of the valley.
6) Egypt has several natural borders to protect it. The _____________, the dangerous _____________ of
the Nile, and _____________ in the delta kept enemies from entering Egypt.
7.) The _____________ Sea to the north and the _____________ Sea to the east allowed trade with
other peoples. Within Egypt, people traveled on the Nile to trade with each other.
8.) _____________ along the Nile were predictable and were not devastating. Each _____________ the
Nile would flood and leave a dark, fertile _________ along its banks. Farmers learned about the waters
of the Nile. They used the soil left behind by the floods to grow ________, barley, and ________ seeds.
9.) Farmers learned about _____________. They dug _____________ to trap floodwaters, dug
_____________ to channel water to the fields, and built _____________ to strengthen the basin walls.
10.) _____________, a reed plant that grew along the Nile, was used to make _____________, sandals,
and river _____________. Later, it was used to make _____________.
11.) The Egyptian system of writing was called _____________. This system consisted of thousands of
_____________ _____________. Some Egyptian men learned to read and write. They attended schools
to learn to be _____________.
12.) Because the people in Egypt had surplus food, some people became __________ instead of farmers.
Artisans wove _________, made pottery, carved __________, and crafted _________ and tools.
13.) Egyptians traded with each other and with others in __________. A few strong ___________ united
groups of villages into kingdoms. Eventually, the strongest kingdoms _____________ the weaker ones.
14.) In this way, two large kingdoms emerged—_________ Egypt and _________ Egypt. Narmer united
the two kingdoms. He ruled from the city of _________, and his kingdom lasted long after his death.
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15.) Narmer’s descendants passed the ruling power on from father to son to grandson, forming a
_____________. Ancient Egypt was ruled by _________ dynasties that historians have grouped into
_______ time periods—_________ Kingdom, _____________ Kingdom, and ________ Kingdom.
16.) Ancient Egypt also had _____________ classes. The _____________ was the highest power. The
upper class consisted of _____________, priests, and _____________ officials.
17.) The middle class included _____________, artisans, _____________, and scribes.
18.) _____________ were the _____________ group of people and were in a lower class than the
middle class. However, unskilled workers were the lowest class of people in ancient Egypt.
19.) Although men were the ________ of households, women had more _________ in Egypt than in
other ancient civilizations. They could _________ and pass on _____________, buy and sell
___________, make wills, and obtain _____________.
20.) Few children went to ___________ in ancient Egypt. Children had time to play games and had toys.
Egyptian _____ learned to sew, cook, and run a household. _____ learned farming or a skilled trade.
Chapter 2 Section 1 Review Questions
A.) How did natural protection help Egypt?
B.) Why might scribes be important to Egyptian civilization?
C.) In what ways was ancient Egypt like Mesopotamia?
D.) How are U.S. children today like children of ancient Egypt?
E.) What is papyrus and how did the Egyptians use it?
F.) What rights did women have in ancient Egypt?
G.) How did the geography of the Nile River valley lead to the growth of a civilization there?
H.) Describe the Egyptian writing system.
Section 2
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
This section discusses government, religion, and ways of life during the Old Kingdom.
1.) The Old Kingdom lasted from about _____________ B.C. until about _____________ B.C.
_____________ were all-powerful Egyptian _____________ who guided every activity in Egypt.
Pharaohs appointed _____________ to carry out their commands. Egyptian people served pharaohs
because they believed the kingdom _____________ on one strong leader.
2.) They also believed the pharaohs were the sons of _________, the sun god. They thought pharaohs
were _____________ on earth.
3.) Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses, or _____________. These deities controlled every
human activity and all natural forces. The major god was Re. Another major god was _____________,
who ruled the Nile River. _____________ was the most important _____________. She was a loyal
wife and mother that ruled over the dead with her husband _____________.
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4.) Egyptians believed in life after death. The _____________ of the _____________ contained a
collections of spells that Egyptians believed they needed to enter the afterlife. If people lived good lives
and new the magic spells _____________ would grant them life after death.
5.) Egyptians believed only _____________ and a few ___________ people could have life after death.
6.) To protect the pharaoh’s body after death, Egyptians developed an _____________ process.
7.) During the process, the body’s _________ were removed. The body was treated with _________ and
_________, then _________ with strips of _________. The wrapped body was called a _________.
8.) Egyptian doctors used _____________ and drugs to treat _____________. They also set broken
_____________ and stitched cuts. Egyptian doctors were the first doctors to specialize in different areas
of _____________, and they wrote the world’s first _____________ book.
9.) Egyptians built _____________ to protect the bodies of dead pharaohs. The pyramids also contained
items the pharaohs might need in the _____________. A pyramid took thousands of people and years of
labor to build. The Egyptians would use _____________ and _____________ to create the pyramids.
10.) To build a pyramid, Egyptians first selected a _____________. Then, they searched for ________.
The artisans cut the stone into blocks, and other workers tied the stone to sleds and pulled them to the
Nile.
11.) At the river, workers loaded the stones onto _____________ and floated them to the site. There, the
blocks were unloaded and dragged or pushed up ramps.
12.) While studying the skies to create pyramids, Egyptians created the _____________ calendar that
became the basis for our calendar today.
13.) The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt. It was built for King _____________ and is
located near the city of _____________.
Chapter 2 Section 2 Review Questions
A.) How did people show respect to pharaohs?
B.) Why was it important for pharaohs to reach the afterlife?
C.) What mathematical advances did the Egyptians make while working on the pyramids?
D.) How was stone for a pyramid transported to the building site?
E.) What did Egyptians learn from embalming bodies?
F.) How did the building of the pyramids lead to advances in science and mathematics?
G.) How did the Egyptians’ religious beliefs compare to those of the Mesopotamians?
Section 3
The Egyptian Empire
This section discusses the cultural advances and territorial expansion that occurred during the Middle
and New Kingdoms.
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1.) Pharaohs lost control of Egypt in about _____________ B.C. At that time, a new dynasty of
pharaohs created a capital at _____________. This began the Middle Kingdom, a time of
_____________, prosperity, and _____________. Egypt took control of other lands and forced
conquered people to send _____________, or forced payments. In this way, Egypt increased its riches.
2.) During the Middle Kingdom, the _____________, literature, and _____________ blossomed.
3.) The Middle Kingdom ended when the _____________ attacked and conquered Egypt. The Hyksos
ruled until around _____________ B.C., when the Egyptian prince _____________ led a revolt to drive
the Hykos out of Egypt. During the New Kingdom period, Egypt grew richer and more powerful.
4.) _____________ was the first woman to rule Egypt. Trade grew during Hatsheput’s reign. Traders
exchanged _____________, tools, and weapons for _____________, wood, leopard skins, and incense.
Trade made Egypt wealthier.
5.) _____________ became pharaoh after Hatshepsut’s death. Thutmose conquered more lands, and
Egypt grew richer from tributes. _____________ became common in Thutmose’s reign. Slaves had
some rights. They could own land, _____________, and eventually obtain _____________.
6.) _____________ came to power in 1370 B.C. Amenhotep felt priests were gaining too much power.
He introduced a new religion with only _____________ god. This one god was called _____________.
Priests who did not follow the new religion were removed from power.
7.) Most Egyptians _____________ to accept the new religion. Amenhotep became so devoted to his
new religion that he neglected his other duties. He did not act when the _____________ attacked Egypt.
As a result, Egypt’s empire greatly diminished. He also changed his name to Akenaton.
8.) Tutankhamen, now called _____________, was a boy ruler who took power after Akhenaton died.
He ruled for only nine years before his death. In A.D. 1922, a British archaeologist named
_____________, found King Tut’s grave.
9.) _____________ was one of the most effective pharaohs of the New Kingdom. During Ramses’s rule,
many temples were built throughout Egypt. _____________ were used for services. Most Egyptians
prayed at home because they believed the temples were houses for the gods and goddesses.
10.) After Ramses’s rule, Egyptian rule began to decline. Egypt was attacked by neighboring groups and
eventually controlled only the Nile delta. Beginning in the 900s B.C., Egypt was ruled by the
_____________, then the people of _____________, and finally the _____________.
Chapter 2 Section 3 Review Questions
A.) Why do you think arts, literature, and architecture flourished during the Middle Kingdom period?
B.) How was Hatshepsut unlike other pharaohs?
C.) What happened as a result of the removal of the priests?
D.) In addition to religious purposes, what other purpose did the temples serve?
E.) What improvements did the Middle Kingdom rulers make?
F.) What purposes did temples serve in Egypt?
G.) What was unusual about the reign of Hatshepsut?
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H.) How did Akhenaton upset the traditional order?
Section 4
The Civilization of Kush
This section traces how the Nubians built the civilization of Kush, which eventually took control of
Egypt.
1.) The region of _____________, later known as _____________, was located south of Egypt on the
Nile River. The first people to arrive in Nubia were _____________ herders, who grazed their herds on
the savanna. A _____________ is a grassy plain. Later, farmers settled in villages in Nubia.
2.) More powerful Nubian villages took control of weaker ones, and the kingdom of _____________
was created. People of Kerma traded with the Egyptians, and Kerma became wealthy. The kings of
Kerma were buried in tombs like the Egyptian pharaohs.
3.) Egypt invaded Kerma, and after _____________ years of war, Kerma was defeated. During
Egyptian rule, the people of Kerma adopted many of the Egyptian ways.
4.) Nubians broke away from Egypt and formed their own kingdom called _____________. The Kushite
kings ruled from the city of _____________, which was located along the upper Nile. This location
helped the Kush people become important traders, and Kush grew wealthy.
5.) A king named _____________ and his son, _____________ conquered Egypt in 728 B.C. The
Assyrians later invaded Egypt and forced the Kushites out. The Kushites learned _____________
working from the Assyrians. The Kushites were the first Africans to become iron workers.
6.) Kush moved the ruling city south to the city of _____________, farther away from the Assyrians.
Monroë became an important center of _____________ and _____________ working. Kushite kings
rebuilt Meroë to look like Egypt, with pyramids and temples.
7.) Kush eventually declined in power, and the kingdom of _____________ rose up. Axum invaded
Meroë and _____________ it to the ground.
Chapter 2 Section 4 Review Questions
A.) Before the invasion by Egypt, how did the people of Kerma help the Egyptians?
B.) How did iron working skills help the Kushites?
C.) Who were the Nubians?
D.) What were the Kushites’ most important economic activities?
E.) Why was Napata’s location advantageous?
F.) How did the Kushite kings demonstrate their admiration for Egyptian culture?
G.) Describe the similarities between Kush and Egypt?