2. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The Kingdom of Egypt
Preview
• Starting Points Map: The Nile Valley
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Geography and Early Egypt
• The Old Kingdom
• The Middle Kingdom
• The New Kingdom
• Map: The New Kingdom
• Faces of History: Hatshepsut
3. Nile Civilizations Section 1
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4. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The Kingdom of Egypt
Main Idea
1. Egypt was one of the most stable and long-lasting civilizations
of the ancient world.
Reading Focus
• How did geography influence Egypt’s early history?
• What achievements were made in the Old Kingdom?
• What happened during the Middle Kingdom?
• What was Egypt like during the New Kingdom?
5. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Geography and Early Egypt
• The Nile
– Most important physical feature in Egypt
– 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert
• Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there.
Geography of Egypt
• The Nile flooded every year
– Predictable floodwaters with spring rains
– Left rich, black silt
• Narrow band of fertile soil
• Became home of Egyptian civilization
6. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Geographical Features
Cataracts
• Nile afforded protection
itself
• Flowed through cataracts
to the south
• Currents and waterfalls
made sailing impossible
• Not an easy invasion route
Delta
• Egypt’s most fertile soil in
Nile Delta
• Silt deposits at mouth of
river
• Black Land of rich arable
soil
• Red Land unlivable but
afforded protection
7. Nile Civilizations Section 1
2. Two Kingdoms
• First farming villages as early as 5000 BC
• Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt
– Mild climate; cobra goddess worshipped
• Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt
– Warmer climate; prayed to a vulture goddess
Unification
• Two kingdoms unified around 3100 BC
• Upper Egypt ruler Menes conquered north
– Founded capital city of Memphis
– Adopted both symbols, the snake and the vulture
• First of 31 dynasties
8. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Draw Conclusions
How did geography affect where the early
Egyptians lived?
Answer(s): They lived in a narrow strip of fertile
land where they could raise crops. It was
surrounded by inhospitable desert, which would
not easily support life.
9. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The Old Kingdom
Many of the institutions for which the Egyptian civilization is known
were created during the period which began around 2650 BC.
The Pyramids
• Most famous symbols of Egypt
• Largest located near Giza
• Built as tombs for rulers
– Hollow chamber for burial
– Treasures buried with them
– Deadly traps within
• Design changed to smooth-sided
over time
Building Pyramids
• Took great planning and skill
• Ordered when kings took the
throne
• Built from the inside out
• Not built by slaves
– Peasants required to work
one month per year
– Professional craftspeople
like architects, artists
10. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The Pharaohs
• The head of the government was the king
• Became known as pharaoh (“great house”)
• Had great power because he was believed to be a god
• Egypt a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures
Egyptian Bureaucracy
• Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone
• Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s relatives
• Most powerful official was the vizier
• Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly
11. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Summarize
What Egyptian institutions were developed
during the Old Kingdom?
Answer(s): a government headed by the
pharaoh, highly structured bureaucracy
12. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The Middle Kingdom
Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC
Warfare, economic strife for almost 200 years
• New dynasty began Middle Kingdom 2055 BC
– Strong leadership brought stability
– Trade with surrounding lands encouraged
• Trade routes not always safe
– Fortresses built along the Nile
– The Hyksos invaded, conquered around 1650 BC
13. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Summarize
How did the Middle Kingdom rise and fall?
Answer(s): new dynasty came to power after
almost 200 years of chaos; brought stability and
economic prosperity; Middle Kingdom fell when
Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos, who conquered
Lower Egypt
14. Nile Civilizations Section 1
The New Kingdom
Hyksos ruled almost 100
years
•Not harsh, but resented
•Defeated by nobles from Thebes
who became new rulers of Egypt
First permanent army
• Traditional foot soldiers
• Archers and charioteers
• Adopted weapons from Hyksos
Securing Egypt
• Egypt could not rely on
geography for protection
• Desert and sea not enough
• Had to build powerful military
Created an empire
• Egypt to rule beyond Nile Valley
• Headed south into Nubia
• Also campaigns east into Asia
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3. The Reign of Hatshepsut
• Hatshepsut best known for encouraging trade
• Only woman pharaoh
– Wanted to be treated like any other pharaoh
– Dressed like a man, statues of her as a man
Monotheism in Egypt
• Amenhotep IV, 1353
– Worshipped only one god, Aten
– Banned worship of all other gods
• Built temple to Aten at Akhetaten
• The next pharaoh restored worship of traditional gods
18. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Ramses the Great
Egypt expanded empire
• Fought campaigns in Nubia and Syria
• A new foe around 1250 BC
• Hittites invaded from Mesopotamia
Confrontation with Hittites
• Ramses the Great led army
• Accounts of battle vary, but two armies signed truce
• Ramses married Hittite princess and conflict ended
Ramses’ rule
• Reign marked with extravagant splendor
• Built more temples and monuments than other pharaohs
• Many political and artistic achievements
19. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Egypt’s Decline
• Ramses’ successors faced challenges to authority
• Major invasions of Egypt
– Sea Peoples devastated empires
– Ended Hittite Empire, weakened Egypt’s control of
Syria
• Egypt broke into small states
– Many foreign rulers over next 700 years
– Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks
– Finally fell to Rome
20. Nile Civilizations Section 1
Sequence
How did Egypt grow and change during the
New Kingdom?
Answer(s): built strong military, created own
empire, increased trade
