EGYPT!

Geography Nile River – 4,100 miles flowing S to N Yearly floods (July /October )

• Predictable • Silt – fertile black mud

Desert all around• How does this help the Egyptians?• How does it hurt them?

Cataracts = rapids • How would these make life more difficult?

Nile split into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

Why is Lower Egypt on top of Upper Egypt?

Three “Phases” Old Kingdom – 2600-2180 BCE

• Capital at Memphis• United Upper and Lower Egypt• Ruled as pharaohs

God-Kings Religious head too Called the sun to rise, Nile to flood, and crops to rise

• Government called a theocracy Rule based on religious authority

State and Religion

Religion Polytheistic – believed in over 2,000 gods

Pharaohs had ka, an eternal life force, that helped rule Egypt after their death• Needed tombs, pyramids, to maintain control

Afterlife! Would be judged on their deeds

• What does this sound like?• How much does your heart weigh??

Ra (Sun) and Osiris (Dead)

Entry to Eternal LifeDEVOURER OF SOULS - AMMIT

Mummification

See Ya Later Pyramids!

• Royal tombs Great Pyramid of Giza

• Limestone blocks weighing 2.5 tons

• Some weighed 15 tons• 2 million blocks stacked to

481 feet• Covered 13 acres

How would they move the blocks?

Who built these massive structures?

What is a down side to these tombs?

Three “Phases” Middle Kingdom – 2040-1640 BCE

• Built canal from Nile to Red Sea Improved trade and transportation

Are there any negative effects?

• Defeated by the Hysoks who ruled Egypt

Egyptian Writing Systems Hieroglyphics

• Flexible writing system

• “sacred carvings”• Picture stands for an

idea• Wrote on papyrus

Reeds from the Nile

The ability to read Hieroglyphics was lost until what “stone” was found?

Rosetta Stone

Papyrus Reeds from the Zambezi River

Let’s Keep Time! Calendar

• Keep track of flooding

• Calculated 365 day years 12 months of 30 days 5 days for holidays

• Only off our solar year by 6 hours

Social Classes

Pharaoh and Royal FamilyUpper Class – Landowners.

Priests, Government Officials, Army Commanders

Middle Class – Merchants and Artisans

Peasant Farmers and Laborers

Could move up and down based on success and marriage

Three “Phases” New Kingdom – 1570-1075 BCE

• Golden Age Conquered territory with bronze weapons and

chariots (what was this the equivalent of?)• Hatshepsut – Female pharaoh promoted

trade, not just war Increased wealth and prosperity Erased from history

• Built massive temples and pyramids Any downside to all this building?

Hatshepsut's Tomb

Ramses II