Egypt and Kush

Geography

Located in Africa

The Nile River helped Egypt develop a civilization

Egypt’s economy depended on farming

Religion

Believed in many gods

Polytheistic – belief in more than one god

Believed in a happy after life (life after death)

Akhenaton tried to replace Egyptian old gods with one god called Aton.

Achievements

Egyptians made advances in calendars, geometry, medicine, astronomy,

Egyptians developed a writing system called Hieroglyphics which are pictures that stand for different words or sounds

Pharaoh Khufu built a huge monument to proclaim his glory

Politics

Egypt united under a central government that ruled for centuries

Egypt entered a period of change as centralized rule weakened

Ramses II ruled Egypt for decades and created a stable empire

Economy

Fertile land provided everything Egyptians needed

The Nile and other resources influenced Egypt’s economy

Strong economy because of mining, fishing, hunting, and trade

Egyptians developed a complex society with many different jobs and social roles

Queen Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh and expanded trade during the New Kingdom

Social Structure

Pharaoh – the ruler was above all other people because he or she was considered a god

Priests – The priests cared for the temples and held ceremonies to keep the gods happy

Scribes – trained in the art of writing and record keeping

Craftspeople and merchants- built architecture, monuments

Farmers- took care of the fields and crops

Laborers and slaves – bottom of society. They became slaves if they owed a debt, committed a crime, or were captured in war