Transcript The Egyptian Civilization

The Egyptian Civilization
Two major regions of
Ancient Egypt
• Lower Egypt
– The Nile Delta
• Upper Egypt
– Upstream
The Nile River
• Flows from south to north.
• Boats could use
the current to
travel north…
• Or use the winds
to travel south.
• Why is the Egyptian civilization known as
the “gift of the Nile?”
The Nile River
• Flooded every summer
– Left silt and rich soil on
sides of the river.
• Egyptians were
relatively isolated from
other civilizations.
• These factors allowed
the Egyptians to feel
secure.
– Had confidence in
stability of their
civilization.
Egyptian Writing
• Earliest writing was called hieroglyphics
– Means “sacred writings”
– Very complex – used pictures
– Used on temple walls and in tombs.
• Hieratic script is a simplified version of
hieroglyphics.
Three Major Periods
• The Old Kingdom
• The Middle Kingdom
• The New Kingdom
• These periods had…
– Strong leadership
– Freedom from invasion
– Great building projects
– Rich cultural activity
The Old Kingdom
• Lasted from 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C.
• Pharaoh
– Title of Egyptian monarch
– A God-King far from his people.
• Also established a bureaucracy
– An administrative organization
• Built Pyramids
– Buildings dedicated to the dead.
– Build the Great Pyramid at Giza
The Great Pyramid at Giza
•Built for King Khufu in 2540 B.C.
•Traditional story is that it took 100,000 Egyptians 20 years
to build.
The Great Pyramid at Giza
The Great Pyramid at Giza
The Great Sphinx at Giza
•Body of a lion, head of a human.
•Believed to be a likeness of Khufu’s son Khafre.
•The sphinx is an important guardian of sacred sites.
The Great Sphinx at Giza
The Middle Kingdom
• Lasted from 2055 B.C. to 1650
B.C.
• Egypt begins to expand…
– Invaded Nubia and SyriaPalestine.
• Begins trading with…
– Greece
– Mesopotamia!
• Invaded by Hyksos people in 1650
B.C.
– They rule Egypt for 100 years.
The New Kingdom
• Lasts from 1550 B.C. to 1070 B.C.
– In 1550 B.C., new pharaohs use new
weapons to retake Egypt.
• These new pharaohs become very
powerful and wealthy.
– Built many temples to show off wealth.
• Examples: Hatshepsut and Tutankhamen
Hatsheptsut
• One of the first women to become pharaoh.
Hatsheptsut
• She builds a great temple near Thebes.
Hatsheptsut
Tutankhamen
• Was only 8 or 9 years old
when he became king.
• Died at age 25 – his death
remains a mystery.
• His tomb was discovered in
1922 by Howard Carter.
– Was the most intact and best
preserved tomb ever
discovered.
Tutankhamen’s Tomb
Tutankhamen’s Tomb
Tutankhamen’s Tomb
Tutankhamen’s Tomb
Ramses II’s Tomb
Ramses II’s Tomb
Ramses II’s Tomb
Ramses II’s Tomb
Ramses II’s Tomb
The New Kingdom
• Collapses in 1070 B.C.
• Egypt is then ruled by other civilizations for
the next 1000 years.
– Eventually becomes part of the Roman
empire.
• Which kingdom (Old, Middle, or New), do
you consider to be Egypt’s Golden Age?