3. Geography of Ancient Egypt Nile River has fed Egyptian civilization for over 5,000 years
4. The Longest River Nile River Longest river Has cataracts (waterfalls) Branches into a delta (area near a river’s mouth where the water deposits silt) Flows north to Mediterranean Sea Use to flood every summer causing silt to be deposited along Nile’s shores Silt was fertile & good for growing crops
5. Black Land, Red Land Egyptians Lived in narrow bands of land on each side of the Nile Called black land because of fertile soil Red land was the desert region beyond the fertile region Weather Always the same; 8 months sunny & hot, 4 months of winter were sunny but cooler Deserts Acted out barrier to keep out enemies Mediterranean Coast Swampy & lacked good harbors
6. Land of Plenty Ibises birds Flew up from the south Egyptians knew when these birds arrived annual flood waters would soon follow When waters drained away crops were planted in fertile soil
7. Agricultural Techniques Developed ways to control yearly flood Irrigation canals Dug to divert water to dry areas Catch basins Areas where water would pool to be used at a later date Removed earth was used to make embankments to protect areas from the flood Shadoof Introduced in 1600 B.C. Used to move water between the Nile and a canal, a canal and a catch basin or a catch basin and a field
8. Egyptian Crops Variety of crops grown Wheat & barley were important 1st to grind wheat into flour & add yeast to make bread Vegetables were also grown Also grew materials for their clothes 1st to weave fibers from flax plants into linen
9. Egyptian Houses Used bricks made of mud & straw Had narrow windows Painted walls white to reflect the sun Used sticks & palm branches for roofs Woven reed mated covered the dirt floor Wealthier people had fancier homes Tree-lined courtyards, pools with lotus blossoms & fish
10. Geography Shapes Egyptian Life Economy depended on farming Also used natural resources for everyday need & developed economic activities
11. Minin Mined & quarried different metals & minerals Copper: used to make tools & weapons Iron: stronger metal choice Gold: prized by Egyptians White limestone: used to build important religious centers & artistic centers Turquoise & emeralds: precious stones used to make jewelry
12. Fishing & Hunting Rafts were made to go onto the Nile Used nets & harpoons to catch fish Hippopotamuses & crocodiles Captured quail & nets Used boomerangs to knock down flying ducks and deese
13. Transportation & Trade Sails & oars were later added to reed boats Nile became a highway Nile provided a surplus of food Began to trade with each other There was not money so people bartered
15. Work and Family Life Surplus leads to economic expansion Cities become centers of culture & power People learn different jobs i.e. scribes
16. Specialized Jobs Complex civilizations led to new jobs Artisans: created stone or brick houses & temples; other made pottery, mats, furniture, clothing, sandals, or jewelry Traders: traded with other Africans; traded Egyptian products (scrolls, linen, gold & jewelry) for exotic woods, animal skins, & live beasts
17. Rulers & Priests Growth led to need for organization Empire divided into 42 provinces Army created for defense Jobs: Priests: highest jobs; followed rituals & cared for temples; pleased the gods Slaves: bottom of society; most captured in war; worked on public building projects; some were domestic servants
18. Women & Children Best place to be a woman Had equal rights Women Care for children and home Wove clothes Worked in fields or workshops Children: Played w/ toys (dolls, animal figures, board games, etc.) Rough games: balls mad of leather or reeds Some went to school Most learned parents jobs Most married in their early teens
19. Pets Dogs Used on hunting trips Lapdogs Cats Favored pet Even cat goddess, Bastet
20. Expanding Knowledge Came from priests studying the world to find ways to please the gods Because of practical discoveries
22. Math & Science Developed 1st geometry Surveyors used it to restore property lines Used to design royal temples & monuments Study of the sky allowed them to develop the 1st calendar
23. Medicine Prepared bodies for burial Knowledge of the body helped w/ surgeries Penicillin Antibiotic that changed modern medicine Willow bark Similar to aspirin
24. Life After Death Positive view of life Not just pharaoh or nobles could look forward to life after death Afterlife: life believed to follow death Views of what made for a happy afterlife varied
25. Many Gods Polytheists Worshiped gods that were related to the afterlife & to parts of nature Many gods were worshipped in certain areas only
26. Making Mummies Bodies embalmed before they were placed in tombs All organs removed except the heart Organs kept & treated Body was washed & purified Body packed and covered w/ natron Body transformed into a mummy Linen was wrapped around the mummy Whole process took about 70 days
27. Egyptian Tombs Tombs held everyday objects any person might want or need Food, drink, clothing, & furniture Living relatives were suppose to bring fresh food & drink daily, as well as prayers for persons soul
29. The Old Kingdom King Narmer Legend says he united Upper & Lower Egypt Occurred in about 3100 B.C. History divided into Old, Middle, & New Kingdom Pyramids built during Old Kingdom
30. The First Dynasties Began when Egypt was unified First three before Old Kingdom Dynasty: a line of ruler from the same family When king died one of his children took place as ruler Succession: order in which members of a royal family inherit a throne More than 30 dynasties ruled Egypt
31. Pharaohs Rule Pharaoh King of Egypt Ruled from capital city of Memphis Though to be child of the gods & a god himself Happy lives = pharaoh pleased gods Suffering = pharaoh angered gods; new pharaoh usually took over Religion & Government were not separate Priests had a lot of power in government
32. Kufu’s Great Pyramid 1st rulers Buried in an underground tomb topped by mud bricks Soon mud bricks replaced w/ small pyramids King Djoser Built step pyramid
33. The Great Pyramid King Kufu Had great pyramid built 760 feet long 7 core was built from 2.3 million blocks of stone Hard work to build pyramid Blocks of stone cut using copper saws & chisels Stones pulled up ramps & put in place Farmers did heavy labor Hauled stone during flood season Took 20 years to build 20,000 Egyptians worked on it City of Giza was built for pyramid workers & for the people who fed, clothed, & housed them
34. Grave Robbers Pyramids stopped being built Pyramids drew attention to tombs; grave robbers broke into tombs to steal treasure buried there Robbed Tomb Believed if tomb was robbed the person buried there could not have a happy afterlife New Kingdom During this period pharaohs built secret tombs in the Valley of the Kings Treasures, however, were stolen from almost every tomb Only one not was that of Tutankhamen Discovered in 1922
35. Middle Kingdom 2160 B.C. Central power of pharaohs began to break down Disunity, civil war, & invasion plagued Egypt for 100 years Mentuhotep II 2055 B.C. brought stability back to Egypt Period known as Middle Kingdom
36. Connect to Tradition Amenemhet I Founded 12th Dynasty in 1985 B.C. Not a member of the royal line Claimed ancient prophecy supported his claim to the throne Prophecy of Neferti dated from the time of Snefru (4th Dynasty pharaoh) Fortold of the coming of a king, Ameni, who would save Egypt from chaos The Truth Amenemhet had this story written to connect him to Snefru & show his kingship was meant to be
37. Strength & Prosperity Egypt extended boundaries with military during 12th Dynasty Wanted to control Numbia’s resources 1800 B.C. Reached 2nd cataract of the Nile Built fortresses to control new territory Agriculture Boosted during Middle Kingdom Vast swamps were drained in area known as Faiyum 150,000 acres created Increased food production The arts flourished, trade expanded, & pharaohs were stable & orderly during the thriving 12th Dynasty
38. Decline & Overthrow 13th Dynasty Weaker rule Asiatics (people from Sinai Peninsula) immigrated to eastern Nile Delta Hyksos invaded from Palestine & Syria Conquered Lower Egypt w/ the help of better weapons & horse-drawn chariots Eventually drove out after 100 years in Egypt
40. A Woman Pharaoh Period of most powerful rulers of Egypt New capital city of Thebes created Empire expanded Queen Hatshepsut 1st woman pharaoh Wife of pharaoh who died shortly after taking power Ruled with stepson Thutmose III Eventually declared herself only ruler Wore a false beard reserved for pharaohs alone
41. Trade Grows Empire expanded through war Hatshepsut Used war as well as trade to expand empire Sent traders to the Red Sea; ships brought back rare spices, scented wood, live monkeys, and potted trees to make incense
42. Hatshepsut’s Legacy Erected the obelisk Four-sided shaft with a pyramid shaped top Carved from blocks of red granite Hieroglyphs recorded her great deeds After ruling for 15 years Hatshepsut disappeared Died peacefully or killed by Thutmose III ? Thutmose III became pharaoh after her death Tried to destroy all records of her reign Damaged temple & tomb restored by archaelogists
43. A Reforming Pharaoh A New Belief Akhenaton became pharaoh Worshiped sun god Aton Closed temples of other gods & promoted worship of one god (1st time in Egyptian history) Priests who served other gods lost power; feared actions angered the old gods New way of thinking affected art Small steps towards realism began to appear
44. Reform Ends New religion did not last long 3 years after Akhenaton death relative Tutankhamen became pharaoh Tut relied on advisors to help him rule Convinced him to reject new religion & worship old gods
45. A Powerful Pharaoh Ramses II took throne in 1279 B.C. Reigned for 66 years Empire Builder Ramses the Great wanted to make Egypt powerful through war Territory extended into African kingdom of Nubia & to eastern rim of Mediterranean Sea where empire bordered the empire of the Hittites Egyptian & Hittites were enemies Ramses led army into battle against Hittites No one won but Ramses claimed victory Negotiated 1st known peace treaty Ramses built city of Pi-Ramses At Abu Simbel he built 4 66 foot statues of himself to guard his temple Wanted statues to appear god like in statues Ramses was over 90 years old at end of his reign 66 years of rule made Egypt’s gov’t stable & brought peace
46. Egypt’s Decline Egypt never the same after Ramses died Gov’t became weak Foreign rulers took over Persians conquered Egypt in 525 B.C. Alexander the Great took over in 332 B.C. Began 300 years of Greek rule
47. Nubia & the Kush Civilization When central power broke down at end of New Kingdom separate ruling groups came to dominate Lower & Upper Egypt Where not able to exert control in Nubia A Nubian kingdom called Kush came to power
48. Cultural Relations Between Egypt & Kush Cultural exchanges took place during the times when Egypt controlled Nubia Art influenced by Egyptian rule Young Kushite nobles learned Egyptian language in Egypt Adopted customs & clothing styles Brought back royal rituals & hieroglyphic writing system Egyptian pyramids also copied in Kush
49. Kush Rises to Power Kushite worshiped Amun Power struggle took place in western delta & threatened Upper Egypt Rules of Thebes, center of Amun worship, invited Kushite king Piye to defend them Piye sailed up the Nile to Thebes where he was declared pharaoh Continued into Lower Egypt defeating enemies along the way After long war he ruled all of Egypt
50. Political and Commercial Relations with Egypt Piye united Egypt & Kush Nubia est. own dynasty Piye rule marked beginning of 25th Dynasty Did not live in Egypt, lived in Kush capital city of Napata Napata Located at head of a road to move goods by one of Nile’s cataracts Led to trade along the Nile Became for the spread of Egyptian goods and culture & other Kush trading partners
51. The Decline of Kush 704 B.C. KushiteEgyptain forces battled Assyrians in Palestine Supported ruler there who resisted Assyrian rule Assyrians iron weapons better than Kush copper weapons Assyrians won Sides fought off and on for years 671 B.C. Assyrians invaded & conquered Egypt Ended Kushite rule in Egypt
