Download Group one notes Physical Geography The Nile River flows north

Group one notes
Physical Geography
1. The Nile River flows north from the headwaters in burundi to the Mediterranean Sea.
2. The Nile River’s shape resembles a lotus flower
The Nile is a distance of 6,650 kilometres which makes it the longest river in the world! In
ancient Egypt, the lotus flower was a symbol for regeneration of life.The long narrow river valley
is the stem, the delta that spreads in a triangle shape is the flower and the Fayyum region is the
bud.
3. Ancient Egyptians relied on the Nile River because it provided fertile land.
4. The Nile River had rich soil which was good for growing crops. The three main crops were
wheat, flax, and papyrus.
Wheat was the main staple food of the Egyptians. They used this to make bread. They sold a lot
of their wheat through the Middle East which made them become rich. The Flax was used to
make linen for clothing. Finally, Papyrus was a plant that grew along the Nile. The Egyptians
found many uses for this plant including paper, baskets, rope, and sandals
FLOODING,SOIL,AND FARMING IN THE NILE VALLEY
Flooding-the nile rises in the highlands of ethiopia.Flooding happens every year between june
and september. COOPERATION is key for controlling the flooding.They had many different
ways of trying to maintain the flood.
Solutions???
They built dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation ditches to channel water and store water for dry
season.
Soil-During flooding rich soil gets deposited along the bank of the nile.
After flood waters went down the nile was left with fertile soil in which to plant crops
Farming-Farmers were left with rich soil.They grew everything that people needed to eat.They
made new and different tools to help produce large amounts of food to feed entire villages.No
farming took place during the annual flooding time
UNIFICATION OF EGYPT-OLD KINGDOM-GOVERNMENT,SOCIETY,ADVANCES DURING
THAT TIME PERIOD
Pharaohs organized a strong, centralized state.They had absolute power and was viewed as
gods.The chief minister was there to help rule with them-they also supervised the business of
government.Other departments looked after tax collection, farming, and irrigation system.They
believed in Justice and Order.They also believed in the afterlife.Preserving bodies of their
rulers.They were buried with everything they needed for their new life
Ancient Egyptian technology
The Egyptians invented and used many simple machines, such as the ramp and the lever, to
aid
construction processes. They used rope trusses to stiffen the beam of ships. Egyptian paper,
made
from papyrus, and pottery were mass produced and exported throughout the Mediterranean
basin.
The wheel was used for a number of purposes, but chariots only came into use after the Second
Intermediate period. The Egyptians also played an important role in developing Mediterranean
maritime technology including ships and lighthouses.
Pyramids
Egyptians built the magic pyramids that still stand Giza. Pyramids were built for the body of
rulers in Egypt, people believed in the afterlife, and wanted to provide their death rulers with
gifts and special objects to help their rulers in their new life. Millions of limestone blocks, this
blocks were lifted and moved by hand. This process would take so long the pharaoh would build
his tomb as soon as he inherited the throne.
Little known Facts
1. The Ancient Egyptians worshiped the Nile as one off f their gods.
They called the Nile “Hapi” and made sacrifices for the Niles’s sake. They sacrificed servants,
enemies, prisoners, convicts, and virgins.
2. The Nile River is the Greek word Neilos.
The word Neilos means valley.
3. In 1787,the famous Rosetta stone was found in the Nile Delta in the city of Rosetta.
This was an artifact that played a key role in Egyptian Hieroglyphics.
4. The Aswan High Dam was built in 1970 to help regulate flooding of the Nile River.
Before the Aswan Dam was built, year's featured high levels of water could wipe out crops while
years of low level water could produce famines and drough
Group 1 notes