Nile river valley egypt & kush

Ancient Egypt culture and achievements
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1. Ancient Egypt & Kush Nile River Valley

2. The water, fertile soil, and protected setting of the Nile Valley allowed a great civilization to arise in Egypt around 3200 BC Big Idea (Geography)

3. Egypt’s Geography Developed along 750 miles of the Nile River Two regions: - Southern region called “Upper Egypt”-location is upriver from the Nile’s flow - “Lower Egypt”-located in northern Egypt downriver

4. The Nile River created a 13 mile wide fertile river valley in Upper Egypt (surrounded by hundreds of miles of desert on both sides) Cataracts - First marks the border of upper Egypt, five more downstream Delta - flow into the Mediterranean Sea, 2/3 of Egypt’s fertile farmland was located in the Nile Delta Floods - easier to predict that those in the Tigris & Euphrates flooded Upper Egypt midsummer Flooded Lower Egypt fall Coated land with rich silt “The Gift of the Nile” Video of 1 st cataract

5. Egypt was hard to invade! Vast deserts to the west Mediterranean & Red Seas to the north Dangerous cataracts With little threat of invasion the villages of Egypt grew as well as their social hierarchy. By 3200 BC, the villages banded together to create two kingdoms: the Upper and Lower Kingdoms Early on each kingdom had its own king and way of life . Egypt’s Natural Barriers Upper- City Nekhen Lower- City Pe

6. Hunter-gathers moved in to the area about 12,000 years ago Farmers built: Irrigation systems Basins to collect flood water Canals attached to basins for dry months Farmers grew: Wheat Barley Fruits Vegetables cattle sheep Early Civilization on the Nile The also fished in the Nile and used traps to catch wild geese and ducks that lived along the river as well

7. Growth of Ancient Egypt The Nile provides life. Natural barriers provide protection. Fertile soil for crops Water for people, animals, and irrigation Deserts Cataracts along the Nile Bodies of water

8. Nile Similarities Tigris & Euphrates Predictable flooding Provided water Destructive Gentler flooding pattern Irrigation led to increased crop production Unpredictable flooding Silt enriched the soil Civilizations arose on their banks

9. You are preparing for a trip to Egypt to study the culture. You need a map to help you navigate. Task: Draw a map of ancient Egypt. Label: Map Activity Water Features: Nile River Nile Delta Blue Nile & White Nile Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Dead Seas Lake Moeris Location of cataracts Geographic Locations Sinai Peninsula Upper & Lower Egypt Western & Eastern Deserts Cities Nubia Kush Pe Memphis Thebes Nekhen Elephantine

10. Kings Unify Egypt 3100 BC- Menes takes power in Upper Egypt He wanted to unify Egypt like his predecessor- The Scorpion King

11. He united the two kingdoms by Invading Lower Egypt Married a princess from Lower Combined the white crown of the Upper and red crown of the lower to symbolize his leadership over both kingdoms ------------------------------------------------------------------ First pharaoh - “great house” Built new capital (Memphis) @ southern tip of the Nile Political & cultural center of Egypt for centuries First dynasty lasted ~ 200 years (wore double crown) Rivals challenged for power-start of the second dynasty King Menes

12. Big Idea: Egyptian government & religion were closely connected during the Old Kingdom Take notes using this organizer form. The Old Kingdom Government Religion

13. A period in Egyptian history that lasted from about 2700 BC to 2200 BC. Political system based on the belief that the pharaoh was both a king & a god. Beliefs about the pharaoh : Egypt belong to the gods was sent by the gods to rule for them had absolute power over all the land & people The Egyptian people : Blamed Pharaoh for crop failure or disease Demanded that pharaoh make trade profitable and prevent wars Pharaoh appointed government officials from their family to help carry out duties The Old Kingdom

14. Social Structure & slaves Noble : people from rich & powerful families 80% of Egypt’s population

15. Old Kingdom Bartering Bartering- trading goods with others Cultural diffusion - Sumerian designs found in Egyptian pottery & pottery similar to Nubia, south of Egypt Traded with Nubia for gold, ivory, slaves and stone Travelled to Punt to acquire incense & myrrh (to make perfume and medicine) Traded with Syria for wood Q: What effect did these bartered items have on Egyptian society in the Old Kingdom?

16. Worshipping the gods was part of everyday life Most customs & rituals focused on the Afterlife Like Mesopotamia , they were polytheistic Temples were built for the gods throughout Egypt Collected payments Led to their growing influence Originally temples were for worship of all gods but they became the center of worship for certain gods Q: Compare Polytheism in Mesopotamia & Egypt. That Good Ole’ Religion The Temples of Abu Simbel

17. had a god for nearly everything, including the earth’s four elements Believed gods took the form of animals or half-human/ half- animals Major gods: Anubis -God of the dead Re or Amon -Re - the sun god Osiris - god of the underworld: Very important to Egypt Isis - goddess of magic Horus - a sky god & god of the pharaohs Egyptian Gods

18. Video: 2 min

19. The Afterlife Most Egyptian religion surrounded the Afterlife Believed the Afterlife was a much happier ideal place where people were young and healthy k a - a person's life force Left the body and became a spirit Remained connected to the body and could not leave the burial site Had the same needs as when the person was living

20. People meet the need of ka by filling the tomb with: Furniture Clothing Tools Jewelry Weapons Relatives would leave food and beverages at the tomb so the ka would not be hungry or thirsty

21. Replica of Tutankhamen's tomb

22. Archeology of Ancient Egypt Video: the Real Tomb Raider 4:21

23. Believed the body must be preserved for the afterlife if the body decayed the ka wouldn’t recognize it and the link with the body would be severed that would led to the ka not being able to eat and drink To solve this they developed the method of embalming - creating mummies Body was wrapped in cloths and bandages Placed in a coffin with magic spells written in it to help ka find the food and beverages Only the royal and elite could afford to be mummified Burial Practices

24. Peasants would bury their dead in shallow graves at the edge of the desert. The dry sand & lack of moisture created natural mummies Mummification Song- 29 sec

25. Believed burial sites & royal tombs were very important Pyramids - huge stone tombs for kings with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point at the top (similar in size to Ziggurats) Most were built during the Old Kingdom era The Great Pyramid of Kuhfu is the largest still standing Near town of Giza Covers 13 acres at the base and is 481 feet high took 2 million limestone blocks to build The Pyramids

26. Most Famous Pharaoh- Khufu

27. Amazing feat of engineering The greater the Pharaoh= the bigger the pyramid The shape pointing to the sky = journey to the afterlife Why did the people built the Pyramids? People believed the Pharaoh was their link to the gods & their afterlives So they built spectacular pyramids to keep the spirit of the Pharaoh happy Symbolism of the Pyramid Video DYI Pyramid- 59 sec

28. Egyptians had to have a good understanding of Geometry in order to successfully build the pyramids. Each side of the pyramid must have an upward and inward slope at the exact some angle in order to support itself. Little miscalculations or mistakes early in the building process could lead to huge errors and/or disasters later! Task: Imagine you are a designer/builder of Kuhfu’s pyramid. You will need to research designs and geometry needed to build a pyramid. Build and label a model pyramid to demonstrate your findings. Included a brief written description of the building process and the effect it may have had on the actual people who built the pyramids. The Geometry of Pyramids

29. During the Middle and New Kingdoms order, order and greatness were restored in Egypt The Egyptians made lasting achievements in writing, architecture, and art. Big Idea- Middle & New Kingdoms

30. Period of order & stability that lasted until about 1750 BC. Building & maintaining pyramids was expensive Led to a decline in wealth because Pharaohs could not collect enough taxes to keep up with expenses Nobles gain power & challenge the pharaohs By 2200 BC the Old Kingdom has fallen Next 160 years nobles battle each other over power No central power to lead Egypt is in chaos disrupting trade Chaos causes farming to decline-leads to famine Pharaoh Mentuhotep II brings stability in 2050 BC The Middle Kingdom

31. Pharaohs again had trouble holding the kingdom together mid-1700s BC: invaded by the Hyksos of Southwest Asia- ruled Egypt for 200 years Used horses, chariots, & advanced weapon to attack Lower Egypt Egyptians revolted against the Hyksos mid-1500s BC- Ahmose of Thebes pushed the Hyksos out of Egypt Once the Hyksos were all out, he declared himself king of all Egypt The End of the Middle Kingdom

32. Period during which Egypt reached the height of its power and glory (1550-1050 BC) Begins with Ahmose’s rise of the 18 th Dynasty Conquest & trade brought great wealth to the Pharaohs United Egypt again Took control of all possible routes to prevent future invasions by others The New Kingdom

33. Conquered Syria to the north, all of the Mediterranean shore, & Kush south of Egypt By 1400s BC empire extended from Euphrates River to southern Nubia Conquests made Egypt rich Kingdoms that were conquered sent treasures to Egypt EX: Kush (kingdom in Nubia), Assyria, Babylon, and Hittite kings sent payments/ gifts to try and maintain good relationships Military Conquests

34. Trade routes Queen Hatshepsut- Textbook page 97 & map page 98 Growth & its Effects on Trade She sent Egyptian traders south to trade with the kingdom Punt on the Red Sea and north to trade with the people of Asia Minor and Greece Many monuments & temples built during her reign Pharaohs used wealth from trade to support the arts and architecture Expedition to Punt- 5:00 Meet the Queen 1:24

35. Ramses the Great (longest reign in history) fought: the Hittites for years- led to a peace treaty b/c neither side could win Tehenu invaded the Nile Delta- Ramses pushed them back & built a series of forts in the western front for security After Ramses’ death- Sea People (strong warrior people) attacked in the west Took 50 years to fight they off Lost empire in Asia Marks the end of the New Kingdom Egypt fell into violence and chaos again Egypt would never again regain its power Invasions of Egypt- textbook page 101 Video- 2min

36. Two New Kingdom Rulers Queen Hatshepsut Ramses the Great Challenges -Husband died, leaving the throne to his son by another wife -objections to rule by a woman -had to fight the Hittites -faced invaders from the west Accomplishments -took over as ruler when her husband died -stayed in authority over many objections -increased trade -built many monuments & temples -kept the Hittites from conquering Egypt -built forts to strengthen western frontier Built monuments

37. Review your Social Hierarchy Pyramid Daily did not change much through the rise and fall of Dynasties in Egypt As populations grew- society became more complex resulting in the need for people to take on different jobs. - make this table in your notes to take notes on each job Daily Life in Egypt Scribes Artist & Architects Soldiers Farmers & Peasants Slaves

38. Scribes Highest honor (for civilian) Worked for the government & temples Kept records & accounts of the state Wrote & copied religious & literary text Did not have to pay taxes Many became wealthy

39. Below scribes Required advanced skills Sculptors, builders, carpenters, jewelers, metal workers, and leather workers Most worked for government or temples Made statues, furniture, jewelry, pottery, footwear, painted Pharaoh’s tombs, ect Architects designed temple, royal tombs Talented architects could become government officials Artist & Architects

40. Achievements- Temples, Tombs, & Art Textbook page 104-105 Sphinxes - imaginary creatures with the body of a lion and head of another animal or human Obelisk - tall, four sided pillar that is pointed on top

41. Vivid colors on canvas, papyrus, pottery, plaster, and wood Depicted historical events, religious rituals, the afterlife, and everyday life Painting was very distinctive: Peoples heads and legs are always seen from the side Upper body and arms seen from straight on People were painted different sizes to represent status Animals were drawn mostly realistically Egyptian Art

42. Professional army created in the New Kingdom Offered rise in status Given land and could keep treasure they captured in war Officers were chosen by excelling as a soldier Soldiers

43. Farmers & Peasants Made up most of Egypt’s population Used wooded hoes or cow-drawn plows to prepare the land before the annual floods After the flood water receded they planted seeds and worked together to harvest crops Had to pay taxes in food to the pharaoh Subject to special duty- pharaoh could call them to build pyramids, mine gold, or fight in wars Wife Swap 3:42

44. Slaves Only a few in Egypt Considered lower than Peasants Worked on farms, building projects, and in households Had some legal rights In some cases they could earn their freedom

45. Lived in own homes Expected to marry young so they could start having children Women were devoted to the home and children Some served as priestess or worked as administrators & artists Unlike other women of the ancient world- they had certain legal rights: Own property, make legal contracts, & divorce their husbands Children played with toys , had ball games, and hunted Most went to school to learn morals, writing, math , & sports At age 14- Boys left school to enter their father’s profession Family Life

46. Hieroglyphic- Egyptian writing system; “to teach” Used more than 600 symbols Each symbol represented one or more symbols of the Egyptian language Written horizontally or vertically And left to right or right to left Made writing easy, but reading very hard The individual symbols show which way the text is written Achievements- Writing

47. Earliest writing from 3300 BC- carved in stone/ hard materials Papyrus- long lasting paper-like material made from reeds Rolled it into a scroll Scribes sued brushes and ink to write on it Papyrus did not decay in the dry climate- many text survived Historians have uncovered: government & historical records, science texts, medical manuals, stories, poems, and mythological tales Ex: The Book of the Dead - tell about the afterlife More W riting Achievements

48. A stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics Found by a French soldier in 1799 Included hieroglyphics, text in Greek, and a later form of Egyptian Because scholars knew how to read Greek they were able to decipher what the hieroglyphics said The Rosetta Stone

49. Big Idea: the kingdom of Kush, which arose south of Egypt in a land called Nubia, developed an advanced civilization with a large trading network Main ideas: 1. geography helped civilization develop there 2. Kush & Egypt traded, but also fought each other 3. Later Kush became a trading power with a unique culture 4. Both internal and external factors led to the decline of Kush Ancient Kush

50. Established the first great kingdom in interior Africa Fertile silt flood plains (today covered by desert) Rich in minerals: gold, cooper, and stone Flood plains allowed for a summer & winter crops Grew wheat, barely, & other grains Banks of Nile became graze land for livestock- by 3500 BC Geography of Early Nubia

51. Through trade- Kush was introduced to many new cultures and idea Influenced by Egyptians Similar temples, gods, clothes, Kush rulers called themselves Pharaoh and were buried in pyramids Unique Kushite Culture: Houses in the city were formed by interweaving split pieces of palm wood or bricks Had their own unique written language too- Meroitic Worshipped some of their own gods as well Cultural Diffusion

52. Chapter 4 Standardized Test Practice: Textbook page 117 #1-7 Let’s Practice!!!