Transcript 20131203171052x

Ancient
Nubia
Which Nile culture
developed first?
Egypt
Nubia
Nubia
However, Egypt
developed more
quickly!
Nubia
Located in present day
Sudan; south of Egypt
Called Kingdom of Kush
Nubia
Nubia was more fertile in
ancient times
Silt from flooding (Nile)
Rich in minerals – gold,
copper, stone
Nubian Civilization
Similar to Egypt
Farming developed about
3500 B.C.
Some farmers grew wealthy;
became leaders
Nubian Civilization
2000 B.C. – leader united
the region & became king
Kingdom – Kush
st
1 capital – Kerma (south of
rd
3 cataract) – natural barrier
Kushite society
Began evolving
Influenced by people in the
south and Egypt in the
North
Nubia’s Wealth
Nubian kings gained wealth
from trade
Nubians raised cattle and
hunted for food because they
lived in a rocky region
Conflict Arises
Peaceful at times
Egypt / Nubia border shifted many times
Was influenced by Egypt because of close
contact, but did develop its own culture
Kush grew wealthy and strong
Egyptians feared the growth of Kush
During Egypt’s Old
Kingdom, pharaohs
often controlled Lower
Nubia
Egypt VS Nubia
Egypt sought to control the mines
and trade in Nubia
In times of strong governments
(pharaohs) in Egypt, Egypt pushed
into Nubia; weak governments were
driven out of Nubia
Egypt VS Nubia
Egypt’s New Kingdom
1500 B.C. - Thutmose I sent army to conquer
Kush
Conquered Nubia north of 5th cataract
Destroyed Kerma
Nubians enslaved
Forced to make payments of gold
Built Egyptian temples
Egyptian Control
Controlled Kush 450 years
Egyptians settled in Kush
Egyptian language
Egyptian names, clothing,
religious practices
King’s Sons of Kush
Pharaoh’s officials
Kept watch over local rulers
Sent sons of rulers to Egypt
as hostages
Egypt eventually
retreated because of
problems at home!
Egypt’s New Kingdom Ends
Mid 1000s
Egypt’s pharaoh lost power
Kushite leaders regained control of
Kush
Kush became independent once again
No history of Kush for next 200 years
Kush Regains Power
850 B.C.
Kushites build new capital in
Napata (south of Kerma)
Kush Invades Egypt
700s B.C.
King Kashta attacked Egypt
751 B.C. – conquered Lower
Egypt
Kushite Rule
Piankhi (son of Kashta) – 751-716 B.C.
Continued to attack Egypt
Believed gods wanted him to rule Egypt
– fueled passion for war
Controlled from Delta to Kushite
capital
Egypt under Nubian rule
Nubians allowed Egyptians to
keep their own culture
Nubians helped to restore
forgotten or lost parts of their
culture
Shabaka
Brother of Piankhi
Declared himself Pharaoh
th
Began 25 Dynasty
Believed they were heirs of great
Egyptian pharaoh’s of the past
Shabaka
Restored Egyptian culture and
infrastructure
Tried to restore old traditions and
cultural practices
Worked to restore Egyptian writing
Restored temples
End of Nubian Rule
Nubians only ruled Egypt 40-60
years
670s B.C. – Assyrians invaded Egypt
in 10 years Kushites had been back
into Nubia
Kushite Success
Became farmers and traders
Prosperous and powerful
Kushite Iron Industry
Meroe – new capital and industrial center
Location on Nile aided growth
Large deposits of ….
-gold
-forests – ebony & other wood
-iron ore
Kushite Trade
Trade network – system of people in
different lands who trade goods
Kush to Egyptians; Egyptians to Greeks;
then to entire Mediterranean region
and Red Sea ports
Kush Exports and Imports
Exports – items sent to other places –
gold, pottery, iron tools and weapons,
slaves, ivory
Imports – goods brought in from other
countries – fine jewelry and luxury
items
Cultural Diffusion
Trade led to combined cultures of
Kushites and others
Most obvious – Egypt – borrowed
many aspects of Egyptian culture
Unique Kushite Culture
Houses
Daily life
Worshipped some of own gods
Own written language – Meroitic (we
still can’t decode)
Different view on women
Kushite Women
Expected to be active
Some rose to positions of power
Co-rulers
Queens
Queen Shankhdakheto – 1st woman to
rule Kush (170 B.C. – 150 B.C.)
Decline of Kush
Problems within the kingdom weakened
the economy
Overgrazed the land (cattle); led to soil
blown away by wind; less farming
Cut down too many trees to fuel furnaces;
furnaces shut down; fewer weapons and
tools to trade
Decline of Kush
Weakened by loss of trade
Foreigners set up new trade routes
that bypassed Kush
Aksum
Aksum
Located on Red Sea
Present day Ethiopia and Eritrea
Grew wealthy quickly (200 years)
A.D. 350 Emperor Ezana took advantage
of Kush’s loss of wealth and military
power – destroyed Kushite capital
(Meroe)
Aksum
Late A. D. 300s Aksum became
Christian
200 years later converted Nubians
Influence of Kush disappeared
Egypt and Nubia had
lost their power and
NEVER regained full
strength!