Ancient EgyptMs. Means' 6th Grade Social Studies Class
October 2013
Geography
• The Nile River runs 4,000 miles north to the Mediterranean Sea.
• The land was dry and hot until the Nile flooded it.
• The Nile flooded Upper Egypt in midsummer and Lower Egypt in the fall, coating the land around the river with rich soil.
• These branches formed a Delta, a triangle shape area of land made of soil deposited by a river.
Government
• Egyptian kings and queens were called Pharaohs.
• Pharaohs were believed to be both a king and a god.
• To help with his duties, the pharaohs hired government officials.
• Egypt also founded some of the first dynasties (a series of rulers from the same family).
Religion
• Egyptians believed in polytheism.
• The afterlife was a big part of Egyptian religion.
• Egyptians believed someone’s ka (life force) became a spirit when they died.
• Mummification had to be performed to preserve the body for afterlife.
Egyptian Art
• Artisans were sculptors, builders, carpenters, jewelers, metal, workers, and leather workers.
• Artisans made statues, furniture, jewelry, pottery, footwear, and other items.
• Artists were employed by the state temple.
• Artists often worked in the pharaohs tombs painting detailed pictures.
Trade
• Queen Hatshepsut helped the people of Egypt by sending traders faraway places.
• They traded with Asia Minor, Greece, Kingdom of Punt, Sarai, and Nubia.
• They traded turquoise, copper, wheat.
• They received gold, ivory, slaves, stone, and wood.
Social Order
• 2 million people in 2200 BC were in the Egyptian society.
• The social order: Pharaohs, nobles, scribes, craftspeople, farmers, slaves, servants.
• A complex society required people to take on different jobs.
Architecture
• The science of building was called architecture.
• Egyptians were most famous for their pyramids.
• Near Giza lies the biggest pyramid, The pyramid of Kufu.
• The Egyptians also built the famous Sphinx and Obelisk.
Written Language and Major Achievements
• Their written language was called hieroglyphics.
• They wrote on papyrus or carved in stone.
• Rosetta stone: a stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics helped us to understand the language.
• Major achievements: pyramids, temples