Transcript Unit 2 - River Mill Academy

Unit 2
DAY 10: EGYPT
Check DBQ Project #1-6 Documents
Work on Timelines
Geography
 Nile
Longest river in world, 4,000+ miles
 Flows through Sahara
 Floods every year, predictable
 Prevented invasion: flowed through
cataracts (rocky stretches with swift
currents)
 Too dangerous to navigate boats
 Delta
 Area at mouth of river (triangle shaped)
 Most fertile soil in Egypt
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Early Egypt
 2 Kingdoms
Lower Egypt
 Downriver at lower end of Nile
(north)
 Worship cobra goddess
 Upper Egypt
 Upriver of Nile (south)
 Vulture goddess
 Unified 3100 BC, under ruler Menes
 Founded Memphis (capital)
 1st dynasty (of 31 to rule Egypt)
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Old Kingdom, 2650BC-2100BC
 Pharaoh (formerly known as king)
Absolute power, word is law
 Judges and leaders of army
 Theocracy
 Pharaoh was though to be a god
 State ruled by religious figure
 Bureaucracy surrounds Pharaoh
 Highly structured organization managed by
officials
 Vizier: adviser to Pharaoh, hereditary
 Most powerful official in Egypt
 Census: kept track of population for taxes
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Constructing Pyramids
 Pyramids near Giza
Tombs for rulers
 Hollow chamber for dead king
 Buried with jewels a riches
 Deadly traps protected king
 Took a long time to construct
 Built from inside out
 Limestone blocks, hauled up sides of
pyramid
 Dragged blocks up ramps with ropes
 Most workers were peasants (worked 1
mo/yr)
 Architects and artists hired too
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Middle Kingdom, 2055BC-1650BC
 After OK, 200 yrs economic
issues/famine/disease
 MK=Strong leadership, Economic prosperity
 Capital: Thebes
 Encourages sailors/merchants to import
goods
 Traded with Nubians, Phoenicians, Minoans
 Armies secured trade routes
 Fell to invaders in 1650BC
 Hyksos from Syria
 Horse-drawn chariot, armor, strong bow
 Easily defeated Egyptians
New Kingdom, 1550BC
 Overthrew Hyksos
NK Pharaohs built strong military
 Egypt’s 1st permanent army
 Created own empire to prevent invasion
 Conquered kingdom of Kush and force taxes
 Hatshepsut, 1500BC
 Pharaoh best known for trade expeditions
 Took power when husband died, ruled as regent
for son
 Dressed like man, proclaimed she was Pharaoh
 Killed by nephew, who tried to erase her from
history
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New Kingdom
 Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten), 1353BC
Banned polytheism
 Worship only Sun God, Aten
 After dead, King Tut restored polytheism
 Ramses the Great (II), 1250BC
 Led army to confront Hittites (they attacked
Syria)
 Egyptian Records: great victory for Ramses
 Truth: two armies made truce
 Ramses married Hittite princess
 Extravagant splendor/wealth, temples,
monuments
 Last great Pharaoh

Egypt’s Decline
 Invasion by “Sea Peoples” ???
Destroyed Hittite empire
 Weakened Egypt
Priests/nobles struggle for power
 Breaks up into small states, easy to invade
Foreign rulers control for 700 yrs
Conflict with Persian Empire
 Fight for power
332BC, Greek army of Alexander the Great
took over
 Ruled for 300 years until falls to Rome
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