Transcript Upper Egypt. - Bibb County Schools

3500 3000
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2625 B.C.
1539 B.C.
730 B.C.
Old Kingdom New Kingdom Nubian Dynasty
Begins
Begins
Rules Egypt
500
270 B.C.
Meroitic Period
In Kush
Vocabulary:
savanna
A grassy plain with many
trees and animals.
delta
At mouth of a river formed
by silt – triangle shaped
cataracts
A series of rapids and
waterfalls.
During the Old Stone Age, the
Paleolithic period, the area we know
today as the Sahara Desert was
a savanna. The people living
there were hunters and gatherers.
Around 5000 B.C., the climate began
to change and the Sahara began to
dry. Animals left and plants died.
People were not able to survive in the
harsh desert and began to move into
the Nile River Valley.
 The Nile River Valley has fertile land
along each side of the river.
 It is the world’s longest river.
 The river flows northward for more
than 4,000 miles from its main source
at Lake Victoria in central Africa.
The river flows to the Mediterranean
Sea where the Nile Delta is formed.
The land around the river is higher
at the beginning of the river and lower
near the mouth of the river.
The ancient people called the higher
land in the south “Upper Egypt.”
The land in the north, the delta area,
was called “Lower Egypt.”
Lower Egypt was made up
mainly of the Nile Delta.
The delta forms a huge triangle at
the mouth of the river. Long ago the
river broke up into many branches, but
today there are only two.
High cliffs surrounded the Nile in
Upper Egypt. In some places there
was a narrow strip of flat fertile land
between the cliffs and the river.
The cliffs are made of
limestone and sandstone.
Farther south, in the area once known
as Nubia, the cliffs are made of granite.
The river hasn’t been able to cut a clear
path through the hard granite and runs
through cataracts, a series of rapids
and waterfalls.
Upper and Lower Egypt
Both had rich soil.
The land was perfect for growing crops.
People were able to settle around the
river and farm instead of hunting and
gathering.
Sound Familiar ?
Each year heavy rains in central
Africa caused the river to overflow
its banks. When the floodwaters
drained away, a rich silt remained.
The silt was a natural fertilizer.
The dark soil was called “Kemet”
meaning “black land.”
The Ancient Egyptians believed
their god Hapi caused the yearly
flooding.
The yearly flooding continued until the
Aswan Dam was built in 1972.
Now the people use pumps,
canals, and chemical fertilizer
to keep the land suitable for farming.
The dry, barren lands of the Sahara
were known as “Deshuret,” or the
Red Land.
The Nile River cuts the eastern part
of the Sahara in two.
The land on the west side of the river
is called the Western Desert.
The land on the east side of the river is
called the Arabian Desert.
Wealthy landowners controlled almost
all of the farmland.
Farmers rented and the owners
took part of the crop as payment.
Typical crops included wheat, barley,
onions, lettuce, and beans.
Farmers also raised cattle, goats, sheep,
and pigs for food.
Meat
Milk products – including cheese
Beef – mainly for the wealthy
Most could only afford beef for
special days, so they caught fish or
used nets to catch geese or ducks.
 Plants and animals were important for
more than just food.
Fibers of flax plant – used to spin
linen thread
Sheep’s wool – woven into cloth
Leather – containers, sacks, shoes
Other plants – sandals, boxes,
tabletops
Describe the Nile River.
Why was the flooding of the Nile River
so important to the Egyptians?
What is the difference between the
Black Land and the Red Land?
How might Egypt have developed if the
Sahara had not dried and become a
desert?
The Nile was know as the giver of life.
It united the populous (the people) of
Egypt into one Nation-State.
Nation-state
A region with a single
government and a united
group of people.
inundation Yearly flood in Ancient
Egypt.
afterlife
Life after death
nome Towns that were capitals
of city-states.
The Nile River affected all Egyptian
activities.
 Farming
 Religious Beliefs
 Ways of Governing
The Nile was called the “Giver of
Life” and helped bring the people
together.
The Nile became a river highway.
Ancient Egyptians became expert
shipbuilders.
The first ships were made of reeds.
 Later ships were made of wooden
planks,and some were 60 feet long.
Boats going downriver (north) could
use the strong current to travel.
Boats going upriver (south) used sails
to catch the steady north wind.
 Light rains upriver - no overflow
 Land baked in the sun – crops died
 Too much rain at river’s source –
Wild flooding
 Crops washed away
 People and animals drowned
Common problems helped unite the
Ancient Egyptians.
 They were able to predict when
the yearly floods (inundation) would
come.
 To keep track of this event they
created a 365 day calendar based
on the sun.
The Egyptians divided the year into
three seasons based on the river’s
actions.
Inundation – the start of the new
year
Emergence – land emerged from
beneath the water
Harvest – the time when crops were
ready
Inundation – The land was made new
by the rich silt left by
floodwaters.
Emergence – Farmers planted using
plows or hoes to create
furrows. They dropped
seeds and led cattle or
other animals through the
fields to push the seed
into the ground.
Harvest – The final season. In most
years farmers would have
a large crop.
Very little rain fell in Egypt.
The hot, dry climate was very harsh.
The Ancient Egyptians developed
irrigation so they could water their crops.
During Emergence they trapped water
in ponds to use in case of drought.
They also built dams and dikes to hold
back the river when there was too much
flooding. Canals were built to carry
excess water back to the river from the
fields.
The Ancient Egyptians believed in many
gods and used stories about them
to explain events in nature.
They believed the sun was a god
that was born each day and died
each night.
They believed religion was important to
their survival in the Nile River Valley.
god of wisdom
goddess of love
ruled over the dead
god of the river
the sun god (most important)
The Egyptians prayed to their gods
and believed in life after death.
A book of prayers called
The Bookof the Dead
was placed in their tombs
to be used as a guide in the afterlife.
•About 5000 B.C. small farming villages
grew up along the Nile.
•As populations grew, villages became
towns.
•Some towns became capitals of citystates called nomes. Leaders of nomes
competed for wealth and power.
•By around 3,500 B.C. the city-states
joined together forming two large
kingdoms.
•The kingdoms were known as the “Two
Lands.” (Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt)
•Around 3000 B.C. the Upper Egyptian
Kings had gained control of Lower
Egypt.
•Uniting Egypt marked the beginning
of the world’s first nation-state, which lasted
for 3,000 years.
•No one really knows.
•Legend says King Menes did.
•Some experts think King Narmer did
because in artwork he is shown wearing a
double crown that combines the white
crown of Upper Egypt and the red
crown of Lower Egypt.
 How did the Nile bring
people together?
 What did the Egyptians do to control
the river?
How did the Egyptians explain events
in nature?
Why was uniting Egypt important?
dynasty
A series of rulers
from the same family.
pharaoh
Means “great house” was
the king
Important government
official, advisor to pharoah
vizier
decrees
commands
hieroglyphics
papyrus
Ancient system
Of writing using over
700 symbols
Paper made from reeds that
grew along the Nile.
pyramid
A burial place for the dead
mummy
A preserved body
 Egyptians called their kings “pharaoh.”
 The word pharaoh means “great house”
and referred to the ruler’s palace.
 Pharaoh had total authority and was
believed to be the son of Re, the sun
god.
 Pharaoh was believed to be a link
between man and the gods.
 The pharaoh was obeyed without
question.
 The structure of the government
didn’t change.
 Viziers carried out the pharaoh’s
decrees and took care of running
the government.
 There were many officials to help
govern Egypt.
 Officials collected taxes, planned
building projects, and enforced
laws.
 Egyptians left written records.
 They developed hieroglyphics, a
system of writing.
more than 700 symbols
most stood for sounds
some stood for whole
words or ideas
 Scribes studied for years to learn
hieroglyphics.
 They also learned math.
 A scribe’s job often involved tax
collecting and record keeping.
 They wrote on stone and on papyrus.
 Books were scrolls – rolls of papyrus
joined end-to-end. Some were over
100 feet long.
 Scribes recorded Egyptian history.
The Old Kingdom
2625 to 2130 B.C.
Great achievements in building
Intermediate period
The Middle Kingdom 1980 to 1630 B.C.
Changes in government, trade expanded,
changes in society
Intermediate period
1539 to 1075 B.C.
The New Kingdom
First full time army, empire expanded
Dynasties 4- 8 ruled
Pharaohs began to look outside of
Egypt for resources
Colony started in Nubia
Traders sent south in Africa to find
incense oils, ebony, ivory, & other
items
 Trade in Asia – cedar wood & silver
Largest stone buildings in the world
Built as a burial place for the dead
Pyramids built for rulers and other
important people
Egyptians believed they would need
their bodies in the afterlife.
Preserving a body took about 70 days
All internal organs removed except the
heart
Organs placed in canopic jars
Heart – believed to be the home of the
soul
Body covered with natron –a kind of
salt
Natron absorbed the water in the body
Body was rubbed with special oils &
wrapped in linen cloth
Everything that a person might need
was placed in the tomb with the
body.
The Egyptians believed the soul
appeared before the god Osiris and
a group of judges.
The dead person’s heart was
placed on one side of a
scale and a feather (the
feather of truth) was placed
on the other side.
A balanced scale meant the soul would
live forever.
An unbalanced scale meant the soul
was heavy with sin.
Egyptians believed the sinful soul
would be eaten by an animal that
was part crocodile, lion, and
hippopotamus.
Imhotep, architect for King Zoser, built
the first stone tomb – a step pyramid.
Egyptians believed that pharaoh went to
Live with Amon-Re, their most powerful
God.
The step pyramid may have been
Imhotep’s way to help the king “climb the
stairway to heaven.”
The best known pyramids were built at
Giza beginning in about 2600 B.C.
The largest pyramid was built for
Pharaoh Khufu.
The citizens of Egypt had to pay a
labor tax by working for the government.
As many as 10,000 farmers worked on
the pyramids during inundation.
Workers cut and moved more than 2
million stone blocks.
Each block weighed about 5,000 pounds.
The blocks were probably moved on
sleds.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu is about
480 feet high and covers 13 acres.
Clothing :
Women – long sleeveless dresses
made of linen
Men – knee-length linen skirts with
or without short-sleeved shirts
Men & Women wore jewelry and
makeup
Wealthy often wore fancy wigs
Houses – made of mud brick & had a
shrine for worship of household gods
Farmers worked for the government
during inundation.
Men – artists, carpenters, builders,
stonecutters – worked 10 days,
off 1 day
They listened to music, sang, & danced
at religious festivals & parties.
Women - in charge of household
matters, didn’t hold government
jobs
Some women were craft workers.
Most weavers were women.
Women could own property and had
full legal rights.
Children were seen as gifts from the
gods.
They played games such as leap frog,
tug-of-war, and wrestling.
Education –
Girls learned weaving & household
skills from their mothers.
Boys learned their father’s trade.
Upper class children learned math,
literature, and writing.
Who controlled the land and people of
ancient Egypt?
Why did the Egyptians preserve their
dead?
How did the Egyptian government get
workers to build the pyramids?
What were the periods between the
three main kingdoms called?