Transcript Pyramids on the Nile

Pyramids on the Nile
Chapter 2 Section 2
Land
of
Egypt
Importance of Geography
 Nile
floods created
plentiful harvests
(predictable)
 Nile acted as unifying factor
(N/S)
 Desert was a natural barrier
The River Nile
Egypt’s Historical Background
I. Archaic Period
 Unification
of Upper & Lower
Egypt in 3100 BCE by
King Menes
 First
dynasty was founded
Crown of upper Egypt
Crown of upper and
lower Egypt
Crown of Lower Egypt
Hieroglyphics were introduced about 3000 BC
Rosetta Stone
Hieroglyphics
Demotic
Ancient
Greek
 Interpreted
by Jean Francois
th
Champollion in mid-19
century (20+ years)
Egyptian Hieroglyphics
Papyrus
Old Kingdom 2770-2200 BCE
 Time
of prosperity & splendor
Founded by Zoser - 3rd dynasty
 “Age
 Time
of the Pyramids”
when pharaoh’s power
became absolute & divine
Step Pyramid of Zoser at Sakkara
Role of Pyramids
 Represented
royal
authority
 Monumental
 Tomb
architecture
for mummified
body of the rulers
The Afterlife and Ka
 Ka
(soul of the body?) could
live on after death but must
be provided for with all the
things necessary for life…
Khufu’s pyramid aka “Great Pyramid”
Giza
Pyramid comparison
Pyramids
 Rooms stocked with supplies
for the next life….
 Chairs
 Boats
 Games
 Weapons
Dishes
Food
Clothing
Chariots
Howard
Carter
Tut’s Tomb
Vulture collar from Tut’s tomb
Vulture Collar
from the tomb
of Tutankhamen
Collapse of the Old Kingdom
 Too
much investment in
pyramid building
 Series
 Nobles
of poor harvests
usurped power
First Intermediate Period
 Time
of anarchy & chaos
 No central authority/feudal
 Desert tribes invaded
 11th Dynasty restored order
in 2050 BCE
Pharaoh ruled as a god
(Theocratic government)
 Head
of religion, government
& army…
 Full
responsibility for prosperity
 Caused rain to fall, sun to rise
 Nile to flood , crops to grow
Main Gods
 Re
- the sun god
 Amen - the god of Thebes
 Osiris - judge of the dead
 Egyptians
death
hoped for life after
Osiris
Judge of the Dead

Personified the
growth of vegetation
& life-giving
force of the Nile

Weighed hearts of
the dead
Triumph of Good over Evil
The Cult of Osiris
* Hyperlink
 Paternal
qualities of Osiris
 appealed
 Promised
 to
to emotions
immortality
those who led moral lives
Isis

Wife of Osiris

A popular motif
was her sitting
and nursing her
son Horus
Isis
 Love,
magic,
motherhood,
children,
medicine and
peace were her
human realms
Anubis
 Jackal
 God
head
of
embalming
Dehydrated burial site
(prior to mummification of corpses)

British Museum
Step 1:Washing the body &
anointing with oils
Step 2:Removal of organs
Step 3: drying body with salts
Step 4: Body cavity stuffed with
linens and other fibers
Step 5: rewashing after 70 days
Body preserved for
eternity
 People
of all
classes planned
for their burials
 Tombs filled with
all that would be
needed in afterlife
Canopic jars
 Represented
the
four sons of Horus
 Vital
organs were
put inside
Brain Probe

The brain was
thought to be
useless, a
producer of
mucus. It was
liquefied and
removed
through the
nostrils.

Probe from The
British Museum
Mummified
Remains of King
Tut’s Granny…

Queen Tiy,
wife of
Amenhotep III
Cat Mummy
The Middle Kingdom
2050-1652 BC
 More
socially responsible
 Swamps
drained
 Canals dug
 Pharaoh
allied with middle
classes
 Classical
or Golden Age
Middle Kingdom…continued
 Expansion
into Palestine &
Syria…followed by weak rulers
 Religion
democratized
 Cult of Osiris gains
momentum
 Idea of personal salvation
Second Intermediate Period ends
the Middle Kingdom, 1640 BC
 Takeover
by Hyksos, nomads
from Western Asia
 Secret
weapons:
the chariot & bronze
 Adopted
by Egyptians
Hyksos driven out after 70 years!
 Warlike
rulers restored Egypt’s
power & built an empire
 Queen
Ahhotep
 Pharaoh Kamose
The New Kingdom 1560-1075 BC
“Third Period of Glory”
 Mighty
military machine was
source of pharaoh’s power
 Professional
 Power
army
of nobles reduced
Map of Egypt
New Kingdom
Ruled
th
18 ,
th
19
by the
th
and 20 Dynasties
Thebes (in the south)
was capital
New Kingdom pursued aggressive imperial
policies in the Fertile Crescent
New Kingdom VIPs
Hatshepsut – first woman ruler
 Thutmose III - expansionist
 Amenhotep IV - monotheist
 Tutankhamun – boy king


Ramses II “The Great” – builder,
peace-maker, Moses, 19th dynasty
Hatshepsut
1472-1458 BC




From Deir el-Bahri,
western Thebes
Indurated limestone;
H. 76 3/4 in. (195 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1929
(29.3.2)
Metropolitan Museum NY
Hatshepsut
 Declared
herself
pharaoh
~1472 BC
 Encouraged
trade not war
Hatshepsut’s tomb*
Amenotep IV
aka
Akhenaten
sandstone bust
1375 BC
Musee du Louvre,
Paris
Akhenaten:
religious revolution & monotheism
 Elevated
the cult of the sun disc,
Aten
 Monotheism
opposed by
priest/people
 Moved
capital to Akhenaten in
middle Egypt
Nefertiti
wife of Akhenaten
Daughter of the vizier
State Museum,
Berlin
Akhenaten
& Family
Akhenaten & Family
Akhenaten
New Kingdom:
King Tut’s solid gold inner coffin
King Tutankhamen
 Probably
the son of Akhenaten
 Died
at age 18
 Succeeded by Nefertiti’s father,
Ay
 Restored
the old gods / capital
Temple reconstruction from the
New Kingdom
Temple at Luxor near Thebes:
Testament to great builders
Ramses II
ruler of
Egypt
r.(1290-1224 BC)
First Ruler of 19th
Dynasty
Ramses II
with war
captives
Last great
pharaoh
Egyptian QUEEN:
One of Ramses II’s
200 wives &
concubines
Temple of
Ramses II
at
Abu
Simbel
Died aged 99
 150 children

Moving
Ramses’ face
during
construction of
the Aswan Dam
on the Nile
Egyptian Economy
 Agriculture
mainly…
 Wheat, barley, flax
 Raised sheep & cattle
 Glassware & metalworking
 Weaving & Pottery
 Luxury goods for the wealthy
Plowing (ceramic from tombs)
Egyptian flat bread found in tomb
Egyptian
Pottery
Painted Pottery flask from 1500 BCE (ibex)
Egyptian
Glass:
cosmetics
container
 For
kohl
(eyeliner)
Example of a
luxury item
 The Egyptians were the first to
produce glass

Henna

Used for Mehandi
and as hair dye
Razor

Shaved
heads were
common for
males &
females
Empire Fades After 1200 BCE
 People
of the Sea caused
destruction
 Palestine rebelled
 Libyans invaded
 Ruled
950 -750 BCE
Piankhi of Kush
took control in 751 BCE
 Unified
Nile from Napata to the
delta
 Established 25th dynasty
 Reigns
for 80 years
 Overthrown
 Royalty
by Assyrians
flees to Meroe
Meroe, 670 BC – AD 350
 Center
of culture
 Golden
 Trade
age for Kushites
links w/ India & Arabia
 Overthrown by Kingdom of
Aksum
Greek Rule begins
330 BC
 323
BC to 30BC ruled by
Ptolemy family
 Egypt’s
authority, wealth &
independence remained intact
 Cleopatra VII was the last
ruler before takeover by Rome
Elizabeth Taylor as
Cleopatra VII
Contributions to Civilization
 Architecture
& Engineering
 Art
 Hieroglyphics
 Solar
calendar based on 365
days per year introduced in
4200 BCE
The End