The Old Kingdom4-2

Pages 90-95

Early Egyptian Society

Old Kingdom (O.K.) = time in Egyptian history from 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C.

Rule by pharaohs:◦The pharaoh was both god and king◦Had absolute power ◦Government officials helped carry out the

pharaoh’s duties◦Khufu was the most well-known pharaoh of the

O.K./the Great Pyramid was built for him in Giza

Early Egyptian Society

Social Structure:◦Pharaoh*◦Priests*◦Government officials*◦Scribes◦Craft workers/Artisans◦Merchants◦Farmers (where most Egyptians fell in the social

pyramid)◦Slaves ◦*Made up of nobles (people from rich and wealthy

families)

Early Egyptian Society

Egypt and It’s Neighbors:◦Contact and influence from other cultures:

Nubia, Punt, Syria, and Sumer◦Attained

gold, ivory, slaves, and stone from Nubia incense and myrrh from Punt Lumber from Syria

◦Sumerian designs found in Egyptian art◦Egyptians used Nubian poetry style

Religion & Egyptian Life

The Gods of Egypt:◦Polytheistic◦Develop unified religion during the O.K.◦Temples built to honor the gods/goddesses◦Key Egyptian gods/goddesses:

Re/Ra or Amon-Re = the sun god Anubis = god of the dead/mummification Osiris = god of the underworld Isis = goddess of magic and women Horus = god of the sky and the pharaohs

Religion & Egyptian Life

Afterlife:◦Entered an ideal and perfect world after death◦Ka = a person’s life force that becomes a spirit

after death but is still tied to the body◦The ka still had the same needs in the afterlife

that a person had on earth◦As a result of this belief, Egyptians were buried

with objects ranging from furniture to clothes◦Families would bring food/drink to the burial

sites

Religion & Egyptian Life

Burial practices:◦The ka had to recognize the body or it would

suffer in the afterlife◦To preserve the body, Egyptians practiced

mummification◦Only the wealthy could afford to be mummified◦Average Egyptians were buried on the outskirts

of the desert in shallow graves where their bodies were naturally preserved (due to lack of moisture).

The Pyramids

Pyramids – huge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top

Pyramids began being built during the O.K.Pyramids are an example of the

engineering accomplishments of the ancient Egyptians

The size of the structures were a symbol of the pharaoh’s importance