EGYPT:

THE GIFT OF THE

NILEAncient Egyptian

Civilization

c. 3200-1000 B.C.

The Nile Shapes Egyptian Life

*The Greek historian, Herodotus, called Egypt the “gift of the Nile”

*Water from central and eastern Africa flows north through the deserts, making life possible

“Black Land” – fertile soil“Red Land” – desert soil

*Annual flooding cycles made life predictable:

Summer – flooding Fall & Winter - planting & growingSpring- harvesting

Nile Delta

Western (Sahara)Desert

Sinai

Red Sea

Why would Egypt have been well protected by its unique geography

and environment?

Egypt Unites as One Kingdom

Unlike Mespotamia, Egyptian cities and villages united into one large kingdom by 3100 B.C.

Menes (king of Upper Egypt) conquered Lower Egypt and established his capital at Memphis

He united the two crowns of Egypt into one “double crown” (pictured at left) and started the first dynasty in Egyptian history

Menes is also considered the first pharaoh (god-king) of Egypt, considered all-powerful by the Egyptian people

Crowns of Upper & Lower Egypt (above)

Ancient Egyptian KingdomsHistorians divide up ancient Egyptian history into three “kingdoms” that lasted for extensive periods of time

The Old Kingdom 2660-2180 B.C.Period of internal turmoil for 100 years

The Middle Kingdom 2080-1640 B.C.

Hyksos conquest (1640-1570 B.C.)

The New Kingdom 1570-1075 B.C.

also known as the Egyptian Empire

What can you identify about the ancient Egyptian society and economy from the

image below?

The Egyptian “Social Pyramid”

• How did Egyptian society help to promote social order?

• How did Egyptian society compare with Mesopotamian society?Slaves?

The Pyramid Builders

Rulers of the Third Dynasty (the start of the Old Kingdom) began to build pyramids as royal tombs, starting with the Step Pyramid of Djoser c. 2650 B.C.

Imhotep, the royal architect, designed the Step Pyramid as a “castle of eternity” from which the pharaoh’s ka (divine spirit) could continue to rule in the afterlife

The Great Pyramid of Giza, completed by 2550 B.C. as a tomb for Cheops (Khufu) represented perhaps the greatest architectural achievement of the ancient world

The Step Pyramid at Saqqara (above)

The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza

(above)

The Great Pyramid of Khufu

Egyptians Embrace the Afterlife

• Pyramids were designed to help pharaohs ascend to the heavens to join the sun god, Ra; viewed as a symbol of national unity and hope in an eternal future

• Egyptians believed in an afterlife and viewed death as a transition from this world to the eternal “Other World”

• Mummification was first used with Old Kingdom pharaohs to preserve their bodies for eternal life; it later became common to all classes of Egyptian society

• Egyptians were buried with artifacts from daily life that would prove useful in the afterlife, including their mummified pets

Guess who?

Egyptian Gods & GoddessesHow did the gods and goddesses reflect

Egyptian beliefs about the world around them and their future destiny?

Osiris Isis Amon Ra

Hapy

Hathor

Anubis

Horus

SethThoth NephthysMa’at

The Book of the DeadA collection of texts and images that helped

to guide the soul to eternal life

The Ceremony of JudgmentWhat steps must the soul take on

its journey?

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

• Egyptian tombs and temples are covered in art works and hieroglyphics that give us insight into Egyptian life

• Hieroglyphics = “sacred carvings”• Pictograms originally represented

ideas but then shifted to representing sounds

• The invention of papyrus, made from marsh reeds, provided an easier writing and artistic surface

• A French scholar deciphered hieroglyphic writing in 1822 by using text provided on the Rosetta Stone, discovered by Napoleon’s invading troops in 1799

Rosetta Stone (pictured to the right)

Egyptian Technological Achievements

Solar calendar

Engineering & Architecture

MedicineNumeric system

Irrigation Systems

Navigation & Boat Building

The Rise of the New Kingdom

• Egypt reached the height of its power and influence in the 500 years following liberation from Hyksos control (c. 1600 B.C.)

• The Egyptian Empire conquered Nubia, Libya, and Palestine and traded with India, Mesopotamia, and the emerging cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean

Several famous pharaohs emerged during this period to lead Egypt to glory, including Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaton, Tutankhamen, and Ramses II (the Great); Thebes was the major political and religious center

Hatshepsut & Thutmose IIIc. 1480-1425 B.C.

How were these two figures related?

How did they expand Egypt’s power and influence?

Akhenatonc. 1350-1335

B.C.

Ramses II1279-1213 B.C.

How and why did Akhenaton challenge Egyptian religious traditions during his reign?

Why didn’t King Tutankhamen carry on his father’s religion?

What made Ramses II “great?”

Did he deserve the title?