SWBAT:- Identify significant

geographic features of Egypt

-Explain how these features contributed to their

success.

September 29, 2015

I. GeographyA. Located on the Nile River in N.E. AfricaA1. River flowed north 4,100 miles,

*longest river in the worldA2. Nile flooded the same time every year, A3. Egypt was considered “the gift of the Nile” the river gave them life.

B. Natural defense

-B1.Protected by the Sahara desert that lies to the west.-B2.Cataracts steep waterfalls in the upper Nile

-protected Egypt from Nubia in the south.

C. Egypt’s relative IsolationC1. Usually ruled by natives 3100- 500 B.C.E.

II. Early EgyptA. Agriculture & Domesticated animals appear by

6000 B.C.E.

A1. Series of villages along the Nile by 3600 B.C.E.

B. Invention of writing 3500-3000 B.C.E.- HieroglyphsB1. Rosetta StoneB2. Hieroglyphics, Demotic, GreekB3. Wrote on papyrus- reeds that grew near the Nile

Rosetta Stone• 196 B.C.E. • By comparing,

scholars could decipher the hieroglyphics.

Shaduf

Menes: Unifier of Upper & Lower Egypt

c. 3100 B. C. E.

D. Growing Power of Kings

D1. “Pharaoh” is a New kingdom word for king, means “palace”D2. Kings in time are recognized as godsD3.Role of King: To maintain ma’at (order or justice)

SWBAT:1. Explain the role of religion2. Describe early engineering

accomplishments of Egypt

III. Religion

A1. Emphasizes unification: Horus as patron god of kingsA2. Happy afterlife for the virtuousa. judgmentb. mummificationc. Necropolises

B. PolytheisticB1. believed in over 2,000 Gods

and Goddesses.B2. Most important god, Ra- the

sun godB3. Built huge temples to honor

the gods and goddess

C. PyramidsC1. Tombs for kings

Egyptian MythologyA. Osiris- God of the AfterlifeB. Kings were mummified to preserve the body and put into tombs with his belongings.C. Also give “the Book of the Dead” which contained prayers to go to the next life.

- Pyramids were built during the kings life to show strength in his dynasty.- Pyramid of Giza:

Stepped Pyramid at Saqqara

“Bent” Pyramid of King Sneferu

Plan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

The Valley of the Kings

G. City GrowthG1. Decentralized economy; compare to Mesopotamia city-statesG2. Rise of towns as administrative centersG3. Importance of towns as religious centersG4. Towns as capitals- Memphis, then ThebesG5. Trade cities, especially in the delta (N.Egypt)

III. Old Kingdom 2686 – 2181 B.C.E.

A. Pyramids as evidence of large-scale organization.B. Fortress buildingC. Political disintegration

C1. rising power of nomarchs (local governors)C2. Famine

D. First Intermediate Period, 2181- 2050 B.C.E.D1. No single kingD2. Competition b/w North and South

IV. Middle Kingdom 2050- 1750 B.C.E.

A. Trade revival-Local caravans- - long distance trade- Mediterranean

B. Flourishing arts-Literature The Autobiography of Si-nuhe

C. Development of state organization-spread into Nubia, Middle EAst

D. Second Intermediate Period 1750- 1550 B.C.E.D1. Hyksos invasion

Contributions/ Achievements

A. System of numbers A. to tax, farmers used geometry to survey the land after floods.

B. ArchitectureA. measurement, building of pyramids and palaces.

C. Developed a 365 day calendar based on flooding of the Nile

A. short of a solar year by 6 hours, 12 thirty day months, 5 extra days.

D. MedicineA. pulse, circulatory system, splint broken bones, surgery-

tonsils out