Download Egypt - Bonar Law Memorial

Egypt
• Predynastic Period
• 3100BCE – 2650 BCE
• Old Kingdom
• 2650 BCE – 2134 BCE
Predynastic Period
In the Beginning
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Upper Egypt
Nile River valley
6 – 20 km wide
Settlements are
sparse and spread
out
• People lived close to
the desert
• Lower Egypt
• North of present-day
Cairo is a fertile delta
spreading northeast
and northwest
• Good pasture land
• Outlet to
Mediterranean
• Abundant in birds
Unification
• 3100 BCE
• War between Upper
and Lower Egypt
• Upper Egypt, led by
King Menes was
triumphant
• Menes is
remembered as the
Ruler who united the
two kingdoms
One Kingdom
• Later rulers, after
Menes, wore the
Double Crown of
Egypt
• It represents both
Kingdoms
Menes
• Founding King of 1st
Dynasty
• Founded the City of
Memphis
• His queen was
named Berenib
• Died a mysterious
death, he was said to
be attacked by wild
dogs and crocodiles
Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics
• Early system of
writing
• Picture symbols
represent words and
ideas
• Similar to cuneiform
Hieroglyphics
• Appear on tablets
• Also appear on many
common objects of
their time
• Hieroglyphics have
been translated and
they reveal much
about ancient Egypt
The Old Kingdom
• Known as “The Age of the Pyramids”
• 2650 BCE – 2134 BCE
The Power of the Ruler
• First Pyramid was
ordered built by King
Djoser
• It was 60M high
• It stands as a symbol
of the ultimate power
enjoyed by Egyptian
Kings
Step Pyramid at Saqqara
Advanced Engineers
• Egyptians were great
engineers
• Aside from the
pyramids, they also
built elaborate
temples and irrigation
systems
Traders and Travelers
• Potter’s Wheel came
from Mesopotamia
• Timber came from
Syria
• Oil and Wine came
from Crete
How was the Country Ruled?
• Rulers divided the
state into provinces or
districts
• Each had its own
governor
• Governor was
appointed by the
pharaoh
Threats to the Kingdom
• In the Old Kingdom, there was no large
standing army
• Provincial Governors raised armies
whenever a threat surfaced
• The army was disbanded or put to other
tasks when the threat was dealt with
End of Old Kingdom
• Next – Middle Kingdom