Transcript ANCIENT EGYPT and the NILE VALLEY

ANCIENT EGYPT and the NILE VALLEY
ANCIENT EGYPT QUICK FACTS:
• SECOND CIVILIZATION in
history
• Located in NORTHERN
AFRICA.
• Bordered by the
MEDITERRANEAN and
the RED SEA.
• First consisted of TWO
SOCIETIES: UPPER and
LOWER EGYPT.
UNIFICATION OF EGYPT
• Pharaoh MENES unified
UPPER and LOWER
EGYPT in approximately
3200 BCE.
• ~30 DYNASTIES
(succession of Pharaohs
from the same family)
ruled over EGYPT over
3000 years.
HOW EGYPTIAN SOCIETY DEVELOPED
• Developed around 3000
BCE along the BANKS
OF THE NILE.
• The RIVER flooded
every year, making the
SOIL along it’s BANKS
very fertile.
• AGRICULTURE and
PLANNED HARVESTS
allowed the civilization
to grow.
Check it out!
• Dr. David Neiman Teaches Us About The Nile!
IMPORTANCE OF THE NILE
• People living along the
NILE decided to
COOPERATE and POOL
THEIR RESOURCES to
better take advantage
of the FERTILE SOIL.
• A SOLE AUTHORITY, the
PHARAOH, emerged to
manage the NILE RIVER
VALLEY.
Check it out!
• Dr. David Neiman Teaches Us About
IRRIGATION
A SACRED RIVER
• Without the Nile, all of Egypt would have been a desert
with infertile soil. The Egyptians were devoted to the river:
"With you to behold, generation after generation of your children
sprout and thrive but men salute you like a king: strong by your own
law, when you swell during flood season and reach across Upper
and Lower Egypt. All eyes gaze upon each drop of your water, O you
who bring so many good things.
When your waters rise, offerings are made and bulls sacrificed to you;
many victims are immolated in your name, birds are fattened, lions
hunted in the desert and bonfires are lit for you. Offerings are made
to each of the other gods, as is done for you, O great Nile, along
with the best incense, oxen, herds, birds and fires.
And so may you make things green, may you make things green, may
you make things green, O great Nile, you giver of life to man and to
beast!”
REFLECTION!
• What did the Egyptians
do to draw favours from
the Nile?
• Did the Nile appear to
have divine powers?
Explain your answer.
POWER AND SOCIAL HIERARCHY
Pharaoh
Dignitaries/Nobles
Soldiers/Scribes/Merchants
Craftspeople/Priests
Peasants
Slaves
THE PHARAOH
• PHARAOH is the top of the
EGYPTIAN SOCIAL
HIERARCHY.
• Assisted by his FAMILY and
ENTOURAGE.
• Guess what? There were a
few FEMALE PHAROAHS!
• KING
– Pharaoh REPRESENTED THE
GODS ON EARTH.
– Held ABSOLUTE POWER
– Reigned over the UNIFIED
EGYPT
– INHERITED his POWER.
• HIGH PRIEST
– Egyptians believed he was the
SON of the SUN GOD.
– Highest RELIGIOUS
AUTHORITY.
• GOVERNMENTAL
AUTHORITY
– Managed the IRRIGATION OF
THE NILE.
– In charge of TRADE,
CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLES,
PUBLIC WORKS, JUSTICE and
the ARMY.
– Delegated his MOST
IMPORTANT TASKS to his
VIZIER.
NOBLES and DIGNITARIES
• NOBLES
– Helped the PHARAOH
make DECISIONS.
– MEMBERS of the
Pharaoh’s FAMILY.
• DIGNITARIES
– HIGH OFFICIALS and
HIGH PRIESTS.
– Included HIGH-RANKING
MILITARY OFFICIALS
during times of WAR.
– Very RICH and
INFLUENTIAL.
SCRIBES/MERCHANTS/CRAFTSPEOPLE/
PRIESTS and SOLDIERS
• SCRIBES
– PRIVILEGED POSITION
– Often lived in TEMPLES or the
ROYAL PALACE
– ESSENTIAL MEMBERS of
society.
– Kept RECORDS
– Collected and calculated
TAXES.
– Transcribed LAWS and RULES
– Wrote PRAYERS and HYMNS.
• PRIESTS
– Worked in TEMPLES
– Performed RELIGIOUS DUTIES
• CRAFTSPEOPLE
– Made goods for TRADE.
– Made items DESIRED BY THE
RICH.
– Ex: CLOTHING, FURNITURE,
JEWELRY.
• MERCHANTS
– SOLD the items made by the
CRAFTSPEOPLE and
ARTISANS.
• SOLDIERS
– Acted as ARMY and POLICE
PEASANTS
• Represented the
MAJORITY of EGYPTIANS.
• Very important to the
EGYPTIAN ECONOMY.
• Lived in DIFFICULT
CONDITIONS.
• Had to pay HIGH TAXES
• Worked in IRRIGATION
CHANNELS and in the
FIELDS.
SLAVES
• BOTTOM of Ancient
Egyptian SOCIAL
HIERARCHY.
• Usually PRISONERS OF
WAR.
• Worked in COAL MINES
• Were HOUSEHOLD
SERVANTS
• Work VARIED depending
on OWNERSHIP.
EGYPTIAN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
• Many GODS were
honored in Egypt; the
EGYPTIANS were
POLYTHEISTIC, meaning
they believed in MANY
GODS.
AMUN-RA: King of the Gods
• The GOD OF THE RISING
SUN.
• The SUN was
worshipped in ANCIENT
EGYPT as much as the
NILE.
• WORSHIPPED at the
TEMPLE AT KARNAK.
ANUBIS: God of Mummification
• Looked after all the
MUMMIES and the
EMBALMING PROCESS.
• INVENTED
MUMMIFICATION.
• Had a HUMAN BODY with
the head of a JACKAL.
EARS were POINTY.
• Sometimes EMBALMERS
wore ANUBIS MASKS
while they WORKED.
OSIRIS: God of the Dead and
Resurrection
• EGYPTIANS believed that
OSIRIS was the FIRST
PHARAOH.
• Taught the EGYPTIANS to
FARM.
• Turned DESERTS into
FERTILE LANDS.
• CHIEF GOD of the
UNDERWORLD.
• IMAGE seen on
MUMMIES’ BANDAGES.
ISIS: Goddess of Nature and Magic
• Mother of HORUS by
OSIRIS.
• Patron of SLAVES,
ARTISANS, SINNERS and
the DOWNTRODDEN.
• DAUGHTER of the GODS
of the EARTH and SKY.
SETH: God of Chaos
• Most EVIL of all the
EGYPTIAN GODS.
• Associated with CHAOS,
CONFUSION and BAD
WEATHER.
• MURDERED his BROTHER,
OSIRIS.
• Appeared with a FORKED
TAIL and HOOVES, a SNOUT
and a SCARY HEAD.
• Sometimes took the SHAPE
of other MONSTROUS
ANIMALS.
HORUS: God of Pharaohs
• The SON of ISIS and OSIRIS.
• DIVINE PROTECTOR of
PHARAOHS.
• Linked to WAR.
• EYE TORN OUT by his uncle
SETH and healed by THOTH.
HORUS gave his HEALED EYE
to his DEAD FATHER and
tried to REVIVE HIM.
• Symbol of HEALING and
POWER.
BES: God of Family and Health
• Protected the HOME and
FAMILIES.
• WORSHIPPED by
PREGNANT WOMEN and
WOMEN WHO WANTED
TO BECOME PREGNANT.
• IMAGE painted in
BEDROOMS to ensure a
GOOD NIGHT’S REST and
SAFETY FROM
NIGHTMARES.
KHNUM: God of the Nile
• God of the RIVER and of
INUNDATION.
• Associated with the
NILE RIVER and
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
SURVIVAL due to the
importance of the
river’s LIFE-GIVING
FLOODS.
MA’AT: Goddess of Truth
• Made sure that the
SEASONS CHANGED and
the STARS MOVED.
• Ensured HARMONIOUS
RELATIONSHIPS
between the GODS and
HUMANKIND.
• Associated with
FEATHERS and the
WEIGHING OF THE
SOULS.
THOTH: God of Wisdom
• In charge of WRITING and
SCRIBES.
• Usually PORTRAYED as a
MAN with the HEAD OF AN
IBIS BIRD, but occasionally
DEPICTED as a FULL BIRD or
BABOON.
• In his TEMPLES, IBIS BIRDS
were BRED and
MUMMIFIED in his HONOR.
• Worshipped at
HERMOPOLIS (where there
is a CEMETARY for
MUMMIFIED BABOONS.)
PTAH: The CREATOR GOD
• Created the WORLD and
the OTHER GODS out of
PRECIOUS METALS.
• PATRON of
CRAFTSMANSHIP.
• WORSHIPPED in
MEMPHIS.
• Married to SEKHMET.
HATHOR: Goddess of Love and Music
• VERY-LOVED goddess.
• Associated with LOVE,
MUSIC, FESTIVALS,
FEASTING and
HAPPINESS.
• Associated with COWS.
EGYPTIAN KNOWLEDGE
• Egypt does not appear to
have SPREAD ITS
KNOWLEDGE very broadly.
• ADOPTED a great deal from
OTHER CULTURES.
• MERCHANTS travelling
brought NEW KNOWLEDGE
TO EGYPT.
– From MESOPOTAMIANS:
WRITING, MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS, USE OF WHEEL
and BRONZE CASTING.
• MEDICINE
– TREATMENT of some
ILLNESSES
– REPAIRING of BROKEN BONES
– BASIC KNOWLEDGE of
SURGERY (used on live bodies
and during MUMMIFICATION
processes)
• MATHEMATICS
– Development of the DECIMAL
SYSTEM
– Calculation of the VOLUME of
a CYLINDER and PYRAMID.
• ASTRONOMY
– Knowledge of STARS and
their MOVEMENT
– Knowledge of the SOLAR
CYCLE.
– Division of the YEAR into
12 MONTHS of 30 DAYS
(with the addition of 5
DAYS to make 365 days.)
• ARCHITECTURE
– Construction of HUGE
PYRAMIDS
– Building of many
PALACES and TEMPLES