Transcript Chapter 2 Section 2

Chapter 2 Section 2
Ancient Egypt
I. The Impact of the Nile
• A. The Nile is the longest river in the world
• 1. Runs over 4000 miles
• 2. The North part is in Lower Egypt
• 3. The South part is in Upper Egypt
• B. The Nile floods every year making the soil
around it fertile
• 1. Extra food from the rich soil made Egypt
wealthy
• 2. The Nile helped transportation and
communications which unified Egypt
• C. Natural barriers protected Egypt from
invaders
• 1. Deserts to the west and east, the Red Sea and
Mediterranean to the North, Southern Nile Rapid
II. The Importance of
Religion
• A. The Egyptians were Polytheistic
• 1. Land Gods and Sun Gods made daily life
possible
• B. the Sun God was worshipped as the source
of Life
• 1. Re was the Sun God
• 2. Pharoh’s were seen as Son of Re
• C. The story of the Gods Osiris and Isis
explains the yearly flooding and rebirth the
Nile brings
III. The Course of
Egyptian History
• A. Egyptian history is divided into 3 periods:
Old, Middle, and New Kingdom
• B. Egyptian history begins in 3100 BC when
Menes started the first dynasty
• 1. Dynasty- a familiy of rulers
Old Kingdom
• Egyptian rulers became known as Pharaohs
• Pharaohs had absolute power, but were helped by
a bureaucracy- an administrative organization of
officials and regulations
• The vizier was the most powerful person after
the pharaoh
• Egypt was divided into 42 provinces, each
had their own governor
• Pyramids were built as tombs for Pharaohs
• 1. Pyramids contained food, clothing and things
for the afterlife
• 2. Mummification- the proper way to prepare the
body for the afterlife
• Organs were removed and put in jars, the brain was
removed through the nose
• The body was covered in salt to absorb moisture then
wrapped in linen
• The largest pyramid was built in Giza in 2540
BC for King Khufu
• The Great Sphinx was also built as Giza, it is
the body of a lion and head of a man
Middle Kingdom 20501652 BC
• Portrayed as the Golden Age because Egypt
expanded its borders
• Pharaohs were expected to provide for their
people’s welfare
• Built canals and drained swamps
• The Hyksos invaded from Asia to end the
Middle Kingdom
• Egyptians learned about chariots and bronze from
the Hyksos
New Kingdom
• Pharaohs were fabulously wealthy and built
beautiful temples
• The first female pharaoh ruled: Hatshepsut
• Akhenaton tried to make Eyptians
monotheistic and worship only the sun God:
which disrupted the empire
• Tutankhamen brought back the old Gods
when Akhenaton died
• Ramses II brought back some of the empire
but the new kingdom collapsed in 1085 BC
• Cleopatra VII tried to regain Egyptian
independence but instead brought Roman
rule over Egypt
IV Society in Ancient
Egypt
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1. Pharaohs
2. Nobles and Priests
3. Merchants and Artisans
4. Peasants who worked the land and served
in the military
• A. Marriage
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1. Married young
2. Wife ran the household and educated children
3. Marriages could end in divorce
4. Parents arranged marriages
Women could be merchants, priestesses and even
pharaoh
V Other Achievements
• Hieroglyphics- pictures and abstract forms
used as writing
• Hieratic Script- a simplified version of
hieroglyphics
• Pyramids, temples and monuments show
achievements in art and architecture
• Because of mummification, Egyptians were
experts in human anatomy