Transcript Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt
The pyramid builders
The Nile Valley:
a) Had rich, dark soil
from the Nile valley to
the Delta
 b) Was a natural
settling place for the
nomads. Why would
this be?
 c) Protected people
from enemies by
means of the desert
and cataracts
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Nile River Valley and Nile Delta
Uniting Egypt:
Monarchies: unrestricted
rule by the king
 Dynasties: a line of
rulers from one family
 Narmer: King of Upper
Egypt, he conquered
lower
 Egypt and set up a
government that ruled
from 3,000 B.C. to 332
B.C

Three Great Periods of
Ancient Egypt:
The Old Kingdom:
2,700 B.C. to 2,200
B.C.
2) Middle Kingdom:
2,200 B.C to 1,600
B.C.
3) The New
Kingdom: 1,600 to
945 B.C.
1)
The Old Kingdom: 2,700 B.C. to
2,200 B.C.
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The king was regarded as
a god. It was a religious
Theocracy (he was both
political and religious
leader).
There was also a
bureaucracy: a group of
officials was delegated by
the king to help carry out
all responsibilities.
The Pyramids: eternal
resting place from which
to guide the kingdom
after death.
The Middle Kingdom: 2,200 B.C to
1,600 B.C.
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Time of upheaval
and violence
Eventually, Egyptians
were conquered by
Hyskos from Asia,
due to their bronze
weapons and horse
drawn chariots.
Hyskos ruled for
about 100 years.
The New Kingdom: 1,600 B.C. to
945 B.C.
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Ahmose, an Egyptian
prince, raised an
army and drove the
Hyskos out of Egypt
in 1,600 B.C.
He named himself
Pharaoh- “Great
house of the king”
Life in Ancient Egypt
Family Life
• In ancient Egypt family life
began early.
• Men and women tended to
marry quite young in ancient
Egypt and everyday life
reflected their commitment to
the sanctity of the family unit.
• Divorce was known to have
existed but does not appear to
have been that prevalent or
common.
• Marriages were generally
polygamous; at least in the
royal and noble circles, with
the husband having several
wives.
Role of Women
• The role of women in ancient Egyptian society is often a
surprise. It is usually assumed that women were relegated
to the role of a second class citizen, when actually the
opposite was true.
• Women were allowed to own property, testify in court and
conduct business dealings. More than one woman even
ruled the Egyptian land as pharaoh.
• While women were highly regarded and given rights that
most of their contemporaries in other lands could only
dream of, daily life in ancient Egypt for women also
involved responsibilities for most of the duties of the home.
• It was the woman's responsibility to raise the children, see
to the home and prepare the meals.
Social Stratification
• Upper Classes: royalty,
nobles, and priests
• They controlled religious
and political affairs
• They lived in cities or on
estates; they had elegant
gardens, pools, and
orchards
• Nobles often underwent the
time-consuming process of
mummification after death.
Social Stratification
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Middle Classes: artisans, scribes, merchants, tax collectors
They carried out the business activities of Egypt
They lived in cities, in comfortable, but not elegant homes
The daily life of people of ancient Egypt was very involved
with the various gods and goddesses who ruled Egyptian
mythology.
• It was quite acceptable to worship more than one deity and
most towns and villages throughout Egypt did so, although a
city would normally claim a patron god. Temples were built
and scattered throughout Egypt, reflecting a religion that
involved frequent rites, rituals and practices.
Social Stratification
Peasant life in ancient Egypt was not
always pleasant.
Most peasants made their living off the
land through agricultural means.
Grain, particularly wheat, was a
staple crop of life in ancient Egypt.
As a result of few grazing lands and the
expense of meat, most peasants
subsisted off a diet of ground wheat
foods, subsidized with meager
vegetables.
The Egyptians were one of the first
people to introduce the use of the oxdrawn plow; however the work of
plowing, planting and harvesting
would have still been very difficult.
Taxes were also imposed on the crops,
which would have also made it
difficult for most peasant families to
move beyond their poor means.
Ramses II (Ramses the
Great)
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Ramses the Great ruled for 67 years
He erected many monuments to himself
He lived to be nearly 90 years old (back in 1,237 B.C.)
The process of his mummification lasted over 100 days
After his death, Egypt went into decline
Temples of Ancient Egypt
Writing: Hieroglyphics
• -Picture symbols
etched onto slate or
on the inner walls of
pyramids
• Your name in
Hieroglyphics
Art and Architecture
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Detailed painting
Pyramids
Hieroglyphics
Mummification
Tombs
Clay painting
Pottery
Contributions of ancient
Egyptians:
• Mathematics- Pyramids and monuments
could not have been built without
knowledge of math.
• 365-day calendar- based on the moon and
Sirius
• Ox-drawn plow
• Medical Expertise: Human Anatomy,
embalming,
• Doctors, splints, bandaging, etc
• Painting, pyramids, pottery, etchings
References
Photos:
Egypt People:
www.ancientnewkingdom.com
Maps:
www.worldhistoryatlas.com
Art Photos:
www.louvre.com/ancientegypt.html