Transcript Ch 2 section 1 and 2

Ancient Egypt
The Creation of Egypt
• Beginning in the 5th
millennium it has been
said that the early settlers
of Egypt were native of
North Africa.
• By 3500, a new group
arrived i Egypt, most
likely Armenians who
came in small groups and
mixed with the the old
population making up the
population of ancient
Egypt
4th Millennium
• Village settlement spreads through the
Nile River Valley
• Creating basic social structures as well as
irrigation systems.
• Several of these small villages group
themselves together forming Kingdoms.
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Geography
Egypt is situated in the northeast corner of the Africa.
Egypt’s History
Divided into 3 Stages
• Old Kingdom 3100 - 2200
• Middle Kingdom 2050-1750
• New Kingdom 1580-1200
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Government
Old Kingdom
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom
(2700 B.C.- 2200
B.C.)
(2050 B.C. – 1800
B.C.)
(1550 B.C. – 1100
B.C.)
-pharaohs
-new pharaohs
organized a
reunite the land
strong,
centralized
state
-pharaohs had
divine support
of the gods
-help from
viziers
-powerful &
ambitious
pharaohs
(Hatshepsut,
Ramses II)
create a large
empire
Pharaoh
• The political basis of Egypt was a kingship in which the throne
was passed on to the oldest son of the pharaoh.
• A vizier was the main power under the king
• Three basic function of the government:
• One function was to locate and collect resources for the
support of the court and its projects.
• The second was to issue laws and variations of laws with
detailed codes and punishments. This Egyptian basis for
laws is known as Ma'at; their concept of justice and truth
that went beyond present existence to include the ideal
state of the universe.
• The third function of the Egyptian government was to
maintain subordinate position of the people. They could be
forced into work for the government or service in the
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military.
Vizier in Ancient Egypt
• In the Egyptian kingdom, the vizier was the second most
powerful official.
• Usually picked from the ranks of the scribes, the vizier was
the pharaoh’s most trusted advisor.
• He oversaw many of the key functions of government
including building projects, the state archives, and the state
judiciary system.
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Unifying of Egypt
• Menes unifies both upper and lower Egypt
around 3100 who instituted the first dynasty
and called himself Pharaoh.
• King Menes establishing the new capitol in
Memphis, from where the Pharaoh would rule
with the support of a strong central
government.
• Ancient Egyptian history is divided up into 31
dynasties
• Ending with Alexander in 331.
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• The Old Kingdom "The Pyramid Age"
• During this period Egypt
enjoyed prosperity and
stability.
• The erection of the step
pyramids at Saqqara
during the reign of King
Djoser. This was the
largest structured
believed at the time.
• 3 pyramids were built at
Gizeh.
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Old Kingdom
• In the Old Kingdom the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids
and Sphinx.
• The sphinx was a man’s head on the body of a lion. Because of
the Great Pyramids, the Old Kingdom was also known as the
pyramid age.
• During the Old Kingdom, Ancient Egypt was ruled by a strong
government for 500 years.
•
Then priests and other government officials demanded more
power.
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Middle Kingdom
•
In the Middle Kingdom the Ancient Egyptians developed a new government where
the pharaoh did not have total power over Egypt.
•
The officials got their way. However, this did not mean that their civilization was
weak or that the pharaohs did not have any power. In fact, strong pharaohs of the
12th dynasty had complete authority.
•
Their civilization was quite successful.
•
The Egyptians had engineering projects, irrigation, and were building ditches
during this period
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Queen Hatshepsut
• Hatshepsut was unique because she took
on several male adornments while she
ruled Egypt. Unlike most women of that
time, she attached a false beard, wore
male clothing, and was depicted in
statutes as a pharaoh.
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New Kingdom
•
The New Kingdom started out as a great time for Ancient Egypt, but it ended very
differently.
•
In the New Kingdom, Ancient Egypt was one of the world’s greatest powers.
•
Egypt conquered many countries around Nubia, supplying Egypt with many
treasures.
•
Soon Egypt developed a great empire that reached its highest point in 1400 BC.
•
The New Kingdom capital was moved to Thebes.
advantage of their weakness.
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New Kingdom
• Later the pharaoh Amenhotep devoted himself to the god
Aton, who replaced all the gods in the New Kingdom
except for Ra, the sun god.
• At the end of the New Kingdom, Ancient Egyptians moved
their capital to Akenton. Soon there was another power
struggle among the government officials.
• This caused Ancient Egypt to break into smaller states,
making it weak. Invaders gladly took advantage of their
weakness.
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“The Gift of the Nile"
• About 95 % of Egypt's
population still live in
the Nile valley.
• Egypt is mainly made
up of hot deserts and
receives little rainfall.
Without the River
Nile, the area would
be entirely desert.
• All of Egypt depended on the
Nile for water, food and
transportation. The Nile also
provided the ancient Egyptians
with fertile land which helped
them to grow their crops and
raise their animals.
• the River Nile would flood each
year coating the land on either
side of the river with thick back
mud. This mud was ideal for
growing crops on.
-Nile River
-annual floods provide life-giving water
and a layer of rich soil
-had to use technology to control the
floods (dikes, reservoirs,
irrigation ditches)
-Nile River (continued…)
-fertile land for farming
-wheat and flax (plant fibers used for
clothing)
-Nile River (continued…)
-served as a “highway”
-unites Upper & Lower Egypt
-trade route for merchants
Pyramids
tombs of the dead.
Book of the Dead was placed in the
graves. This was to help the dead answer
the judgements of gods.
Temples of gods.
Priest performed prayers
Pharaohs took on the daily serves of the
gods and the people helped.
Pyramid of Khufu and Gizeh (Giza)
Religion
-Egyptians were polytheistic (believed in many gods)
-chief god was Amon-Re (sun god)
-A young pharaoh named Akhenaton challenged
Egyptian beliefs and traditions
-belief in an afterlife
-buried the dead with everything they needed
-mummified the bodies
Religious Beliefs
• Egyptian society was influenced by religious
belief and practice.
• Believed that everything during their life was
influenced by “Divine Forces.”
• In Ancient Egypt, religious beliefs were a direct
means of social control.
• The people had a strong sense of loyalty to the
pharaoh, and believed that he ruled by divine
right, that he was a god incarnate.
• The Egyptians believed in a polytheistic system
in which the gods controlled the world and 2519man.
• They believed that the gods major events,
such as regular flooding of the Nile and
victory in battle, even household incidents.
• Affected morality and human behavior.
• Egyptians religion and beliefs grew over
time.
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Deities
god/goddess
• Egyptian deities were believed to have three
shapes:
–
–
–
–
animal
human
combination of both
1400 gods were discovered in the Book of the Dead
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Sacred Bull, Apis
• Protector of the city of Memphis
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Horus “Rising sun”
• Falcon-Headed man looked upon the child
of Osiris and Isis, the god and goddess of
the Nile.
• Re
• Amon
• Amon- Re
• national gods
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After Life
• Story has it that Osiris the god of fertility
and agricultural marries Isis, the goddess
of the Nile. Together they had a child,
Horus.
• Osiris was killed by his step brother, Set.
• Set threw Osiris dismembered bodied into
the Nile River.
• Isis gathered her husbands body and
restored him back to life.
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Ancient Egypt - National
Geographic - YouTube
• Osiris now is the symbol of immortality.
• Ancient Egyptians believe that if they
associate themselves with Osiris they too
will have immortality.
• Imhotep advisor to the King
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Social Order
Achievements
-hieroglyphics as writing system
-Rosetta Stone helps us translate
-medicine, astronomy, mathematics
-12 month calendar
-statues & paintings
-folk tales and other literature