Transcript Ancient Egypt - Ms. Byrne's Social Studies Class Website

Ancient Egypt
Early Egyptian Life
• 8000 BCE
– 1st human life in area
• Quest for food brought early man to the Nile River valley
• Hunters roamed until the river was found
– Climate change caused northern Africa to become
drier (desertification)
• 7000 BCE
– Start of agriculture in Nile River valley
• Barley, wheat, and vegetables grown
• 3000 BCE
– Many small villages established
– Area called Kemet
• Fertile, black soil
Geography of the Nile Region
• River
– Flows north
– Originates in highlands of Central
Africa
– Ends in the Mediterranean Sea
– Longest river in the world at 4,160
miles
• Floods
– Floods predictable
– Added moisture to soil
– Deposited silt, replenishing the soil
with nutrients
Influence of Geography on
Civilization
• Natural barriers provide obstacles to potential
invaders
–
–
–
–
–
Mediterranean Sea in North
Libyan Desert to West
Nubian Desert to Southeast
Red Sea to East
6 Cataracts in southern part of the Nile
• Susceptible to invasion
– Across Sinai Peninsula
– Across North Sinai Desert
Effects of Barriers
• Limited invasions from many angles
• Limited farming to a narrow region on
either side of the river
• Caused river villages to be crowded
– As population grew, villages needed to
expand
– Forced Egyptians to develop irrigation
systems to create more fertile land
Benefits
• The river served as a highway
– United villages along the river
– Travel was relatively easy
– Currents carried boats downstream and
sails were used to catch winds to return
upstream
• Additional benefits
– River attracted wildlife and provided fish
& animals for hunting and sport
– Papyrus grew along river
• Used to make paper
Life in Ancient Egypt
• Life centered around
the Nile river
• Yearly floods brought
nutrients to the soil
• The river was a main
route of travel
Social Pyramid of Egypt
• Pharaoh
• Upper Class
–
Royal Family, Government Officials,
Army Officers, Priests, Landowners,
and Doctors
• Middle Class
–
Merchants, Manufacturers, and
Artisans
• Lower Class
–
Unskilled Laborers and Farmers
• Slaves and Servants
Egyptian Religion
• Polytheism
– About 2000
gods & goddesses
– Amon-Ra
– Osiris
– Horis
• Death and Funerals
– Three souls “ka, ba, and
akh”
– Embalming
– Burial Tombs
Religion
• Egyptians believed in life after death
• Believed the good lived in happiness
• Believed the dead needed to take the
things they would need with them
• Believed the earthly body is needed
as a home for the soul
• Preserved the bodies of the dead
through mummification
– Originally reserved for rulers and nobles
The Old Kingdom
• 2700-2200 BCE
• Strong monarchs
• Tasks delegated to many government
officials
The Middle Kingdom
• 2050-1800 BCE
• New capital Thebes in upper (southern Egypt)
• Human/Environment interaction
– 1600 BCE ruler becomes known as the Pharaoh
• Early female ruler: Hatshepsut
– Has a tomb built as part of a major building project
– Suceeded by stepson, Thutmose III
• Thutmose established Egypt as an empire, gains wealth
• Through trade and conquest, Egyptians learn
ideas and blend cultures (movement)
New Kingdom
• 1370 BCE Amenhotep rises to power
– makes many unsettling changes
– Makes Egyptians monotheistic
• Aton the sun god
–
–
–
–
Claims to be equal to Aton
Weak ruler, lost part of empire
Priests & soliders unhappy w/ changes
Egypt returned to old ways after his death
• 1200’s BCE rule of Ramses II
– Long rule
– Many children (52 sons, plus daughters…)
– Had temples and tombs built
Mummy of Ramses II
Union of Two Crowns
• Red Crown
– Upper Egypt
• White Crown
– Lower Egypt
• Menes
– Overthrew the king of
Lower Egypt
– Wore a Double Crown
• Unification
– Joining of separate parts
into one whole
A System of Writing
• Hieroglyphics
– Used to keep record
• Scribes
– Record keepers
– Original Accountants
• Papyrus
– Paper made from plants
• Rosetta Stone
– Transcribed
Hieroglyphics, Greek,
and Demotic
Building the Pyramids
• Built as tombs for the Pharaohs
• Afterlife
– Housed everything needed for the
Paraoh
• Khufu’s pyramid
– Total number of blocks
• 2,300,000
– One block’s average weight
• 2.5 tons
– Number of blocks added each day
• 285
Scientific Accomplishments
• Medical discoveries
– Magic heavily used
– Developed surgery
– Greeks & Romans based much of their
medical knowledge on that of the Egyptians
Egypt’s Economy
• Pharaoh was at the
center of the economy
• Based upon Agriculture
• Pharaoh took taxes on
the crops that were
grown, and goods that
were made
• Goods were “bartered” or
traded for other needed
goods