Transcript Presentation

Today’s Agenda
• Ch. 2/3 Guided Reading
• http//guardians.net/egypt/kids/index.htm#features
• http://www.leicestermuseums.ac.uk/discoveryzone/egypt
_explorer/mask.htm
• http://www.akrondesign.com/foundation/images/items/Ph
araohmask.jpg
• http://www.touregypt.net
• http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/05/12/mummy
-mask.html
• www.papiermache.co.uk/i/gallery/items/13_egyptian_m.j
pg
Main Idea
Two Empires along the Nile, Egypt and
Nubia, forged commercial, cultural, and
political connections.
Why It Matters Now
Neighboring civilizations today participate
in cultural exchange as well as conflict.
Terms & Names
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Thebes
Ahmose
Hatshepsut
Thutmose III
Akhenaton
Tutankhamen
Ramses II
8. Tribute
9. Incense
The Middle Kingdom
• About 2300 BC, the pharaohs lost control
of Egypt as nobles battled one another for
power.
• Almost 200 years of confusion followed.
• Finally, a new dynasty of pharaohs came
to power and moved their capital to the
city of Thebes.
• They restored order and stability during
this period known as the Middle Kingdom.
Golden Age
• The Middle Kingdom lasted from about
2050 to 1670 BC.
• During this time, Egyptians enjoyed a
golden age of stability, prosperity, and
achievement.
The Drive for More Land
• During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt took
control of new lands.
• Soldiers captured Nubia to the south and
attacked what is now Syria.
• The conquered peoples sent tribute, or
forced payments, to the Egyptian pharaoh,
enriching the kingdom.
Infrastructure
• Egyptian pharaohs added more waterways
and dams.
• They increased the amount of land being
farmed and built a canal between the Nile
River and the Red Sea.
The Arts Blossom
• During the Middle Kingdom, arts,
literature, and architecture thrived.
• Painters covered the walls of tombs and
temples with colorful scenes of the deities
and daily life.
• Sculptors created large wall carvings and
statues of the pharaohs, showing them as
ordinary people rather than godlike
figures.
• Poets wrote love songs and tributes to the
pharaohs.
Valley of the Kings
• A new form of architecture was also
created.
• Instead of building pyramids, pharaohs
had their tombs cut into cliffs west of the
Nile River.
• This area became known as the Valley of
the Kings.
The Valley of the Kings
• Like the rulers of the Old Kingdom, who
built the towering pyramids, rulers of the
New Kingdom erected grand buildings.
• In search of security in the afterlife—and
protection form grave robbers—they hid
their splendid tombs beneath desert cliffs.
• They chose a remote site near the city of
Thebes called the Valley of the Kings.
The Valley of the Kings
The Hyksos
• The Middle Kingdom came to an end in
1670 BC.
• Nobles were again plotting to take power
from the pharaohs.
• Egypt also faced a serious threat from
outside.
• A people known as the Hyksos, from
western Asia, attacked Asia.
Weapons Advantage
• The Hyksos were mighty warriors.
• They crossed the desert in horse-drawn
chariots and used weapons made of
bronze and iron.
• Egyptians had always fought on foot with
copper and stone weapons which were no
match for the invaders.
Hyksos
Ahmose
• The Hyksos ruled Egypt for about 150
years until around 1550 BC.
• An Egyptian prince named Ahmose led an
uprising that drove the Hyksos out of
Egypt.
The Hyksos
• The Hyksos ruled
Egypt from about
1640-1550 BC.
• The Hyksos
invasion shook the
Egyptians’
confidence in the
desert barriers that
had protected their
kingdom.
Hebrews Migrate to Egypt
• During the Hyksos rule, some historians
believe that another Asiatic group, the
Hebrews, settled in Egypt.
• According to the Bible, Abraham and his
family first crossed the Euphrates River
and came to Canaan around 1800 BC.
• Then around 1650 BC, the descendants of
Abraham moved again—this time to
Egypt.
Hebrews in Egypt
• Some historians believe
that the Hyksos
encouraged the Hebrews
to settle there because
the two groups were
racially similar.
• The Egyptians resented
the presence of the
Hyksos in their land but
were power-less to
remove them.
The Fall of the Hyksos
• The next Pharaoh, Kamose, won a great
victory over the hated Hyksos. His
successor drove the Hyksos completely
out of Egypt and pursued them across the
Sinai Peninsula into Palestine.
• According to some biblical scholars, the
Hebrews remained in Egypt and were
enslaved and forced into hard labor. They
would not leave Egypt until sometime
between 1500-1200 BC.
Hatshepsut’s Prosperous Rule
• Among the rulers of the New Kingdom,
Hatshepsut, who declared herself pharaoh
around 1480 BC, was unique.
• She took over because her nephew, the
male heir to the throne, was a child at the
time.
• Unlike other New Kingdom rulers,
Hatshepsut spent most of her time
encouraging trade rather than just waging
war.
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
• The trading expedition Hatshepsut ordered
to the Land of Punt, near present-day
Somalia, was particularly successful.
• Hatshepsut sent a fleet of five ships down
the Red Sea to Punt in search of Myrrh,
frankincense, and fragrant ointments used
for religious ceremonies and in cosmetics.
• The fleet also brought back gold, ivory,
and unusual plants and animal skins.
Expedition to Punt
Hatshepsut’s Reign
• Hatshepsut was an excellent ruler of outstanding achievement who made Egypt
more prosperous.
• Some of this wealth was used to build
monuments.
• She planned a tomb for herself in the
Valley of the Kings.
• Carved reliefs on the walls of the temple
reveal the glories of her reign.
Hatshepsut’s Temple
Thutmose the Empire Builder
• Hatshepsut’s nephew, Thutmose III,
proved to be a much more warlike ruler.
• In his eagerness to ascend to the throne,
Thutmose III may have murdered
Hatshepsut.
• He led a number of victorious invasions
into Palestine and Syria.
• His armies also pushed farther south into
Nubia. Egypt had traded with Nubia and
influenced the region since the time of the
Middle Kingdom.
Egyptian Empire
• Thutmose’s empire grew rich from trade
and tribute.
• Conquered peoples were forced to send
gold, copper, ivory, and other valuables
along with enslaved people.
• These captives were put to work rebuilding
Thebes.
• They filled the city with beautiful palaces,
temples, and monuments.
Slavery
• Slavery had not been widespread in Egypt
before.
• During the New Kingdom it became more
common.
• Enslaved people did have the right to own
property, marry, and eventually be granted
their freedom.
Amenhotep IV
• About 1370 BC, Amenhotep IV came to
the throne.
• With the help of his wife, Nefertiti,
Amenhotep tried to lead Egypt in a new
direction.
• He realized that Egypt’s priests were
gaining power at the expense of the
pharaohs.
Religious Reform
• In an attempt to maintain his own power,
Amenhotep introduced a new religion that
swept away the old gods and goddesses.
• Instead, only one god, called Aton, was to
be worshipped.
• When Egypt’s priests resisted these
changes, Amenhotep removed many from
their positions, seized their lands, and
closed temples.
Akhenaton
• He changed his name to Akhenaton,
which means “Spirit of Aton.”
• Akhenaton also moved the capital.
• To most Egyptians, Akhenaton’s attacks
on the gods seemed to be an attack on
Egypt.
• They refused to accept Aton as the only
god.
Rebel King
• Akhenaton became so devoted to his new
religion that he neglected his duties as
pharaoh.
• The administrators he appointed were not
as experienced as the priests they
replaced, and Akhenaton took no action
when enemies from what is now Turkey,
the Hittites, attacked Egypt.
The Boy King
• When Akhenaton died, his son-in-law
inherited the throne.
• The new pharaoh, Tutankhamen, was a
boy about 10 years old.
• He relied on palace officials and priests,
who convinced him to restore the old
religion.
• After ruling for only 9 years, Tutankhamen
died unexpectedly.
King Tut’s Legacy
• Whether he was murdered or suffered
from a fall is not clear.
• King Tut played only a small role in
Egypt’s history.
• He is one of the best known pharaohs in
Egypt’s history because his tomb was
discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.
• The tomb contained the king’s mummy
and incredible treasures.
The End of the New Kingdom
• During the 1200’s BC, pharaohs worked to
make Egypt great again.
• The most effective of these pharaohs was
Ramses II.
• He reigned for 66 years, from 1279 to
1213 BC.
• During this time, Egyptian armies regained
lands in western Asia and rebuilt the
empire.
The Age of Builders
• The pharaohs of this period built royal
tombs, great palaces, and magnificent
temples.
• The Royal title pharaoh means “great
house” and comes from this time period.
• Ramses II stood out among the great
builders of the New Kingdom.
• Many new temples were built by enslaved
prisoners of war.
Temples
• Egyptian temples did not hold regular
services.
• Most Egyptians prayed at home and
considered temples to be houses for the
gods and goddesses.
• Priests and priestesses performed daily
temple rituals, washing statues of the
deities and bringing them food.
Luxor
Karnak
• The temples also served as banks.
• Egyptians used them to store valuable
items, such as gold jewelry, sweetsmelling oils, and finely woven cloth.
Karnak and Luxor
• At Karnak, he added to a monumental
temple to Amon-Re, Egypt’s chief god.
• Ramses also ordered a temple to be
carved into the red sandstone cliffs above
the Nile River at Abu Simbel.
• He had these temples decorated with
enormous statues of himself. The ears of
these statues alone measured more that
three feet.
Abu Simbel
The New Kingdom
The Egyptians and the Hittites
• The Egyptians’ conquest of parts of Syria and
Palestine around 1400 BC, brought them into
conflict with the Hittites.
• The Hittites had moved into Asia Minor around
1900 BC, and later expanded south into
Palestine.
• After several smaller battles, the Egyptians and
Hittites clashed at Kadesh around 1285 BC.
The Battle of Kadesh
• The pharaoh, Ramses II, and a Hittite
king later made a treaty that promised
“peace and brotherhood between us
forever.”
• Their alliance lasted for the rest of the
century.
The Empire Declines
• The empire that Thutmose III had built and
Ramses II had ruled slowly came apart
after 1200 BC as other strong civilizations
rose to challenge Egypt’s power.
• Shortly after Ramses died, the entire
eastern Mediterranean suffered a wave of
invasions.
Invasion By Sea
• Both the Egyptian empire and the
Hittite kingdom were attacked by
invaders called the “Sea Peoples” in
Egyptian texts.
• These invaders may have included
the Philistines, who are often
mentioned in the Bible. Whom ever
they were, they caused great
destruction.
Invasion By Land
• The Egyptians faced other attacks. In
the east, the tribes of Palestine often
rebelled against their Egyptian
overlords.
• In the west, the vast desert no longer
served as a barrier against Libyan
raids on Egyptian villages.
Egypt’s Empire Fades
• After these invasions, Egypt never
recovered its previous power.
• The Egyptian empire broke apart into
regional units, and numerous small
kingdoms arose. Each was eager to
protect its independence.
• Almost powerless, Egypt soon fell to its
neighbors’ invasions.
Libyan Invasion
• Libyans crossed the desert to the Nile
Delta. There they established
independent dynasties.
• From around 950 to 730 BC, Libyan
pharaohs ruled Egypt and erected cities.
But instead of imposing their own culture,
the Libyans adopted the Egyptian way of
life.
• When the Nubians came north to seize
power, they too adopted Egyptian culture.
The Kushites Conquer Egypt
• For centuries Egypt dominated Nubia and
the Nubian kingdom of Kush, which lasted
for about a thousand years, between 2000
and 1000 BC.
• During this time, Egyptian armies raided
and even occupied Kush for a brief period.
But as Egypt fell into decline during the
Hyksos period, Kush began to emerge as
a regional power.
• Nubia now established its own Kushite
dynasty on the throne of Egypt.
Kingdom of Kush
The People of Nubia
• Nubia lay south of Egypt between the first
cataract of the Nile, an area of churning
rapids, and the division of the river into the
Blue Nile and the White Nile.
• Despite several cataracts around which
boats had to carried, the Nile provided the
best north-south trade route.
• Several Nubian kingdoms, including Kush,
served as a trade corridor.
The People of Nubia
• The Nubian kingdoms linked Egypt and
the Mediterranean world to the interior of
Africa and to the Red Sea.
• Goods and ideas flowed back and forth
along the river for centuries.
• The first Nubian kingdom, Kerma, arose
shortly after 2000 BC.
The Interaction of Egypt and Nubia
• With Egypt’s revival during the New
Kingdom, pharaohs forced Egyptian rule
on Kush.
• Egyptian governors, priests, soldiers, and
artists strongly influenced the Nubians.
• Kush’s capital, Napata, became the center
for the spread of Egyptian culture to
Kush’s other African trading partners.
Kushite Education
• Kushite princes went to Egypt. They
learned the Egyptian language and
worshipped Egyptian gods. They adopted
the customs and clothing styles of the
Egyptian upper class.
• When they returned home, the Kushite
nobles brought back royal rituals and
hierogylphic writing.
Egypt’s Decline
• With Egypt’s decline, beginning about
1200 BC, Kush regained its
independence.
• The Kushites viewed themselves as more
suitable guardians of Egyptian values than
the Libyans. They sought to guard these
values by conquering Egypt and ousting
its Libyan rulers.
Piankhi Captures the Egypt
• In 751 BC, A Kushite king named Piankhi
overthrew the Libyan dynasty that had ruled
Egypt for over 200 years.
• He united the entire Nile River Valley from the
delta in the north to Napata in the south.
• Piankhi and his descendants became Egypt’s
25th Dynasty. After his victory, Piankhi erected
a monument in his homeland of Kush with an
inscription that celebrated his victory.
The Assyrians
• Piankhi’s dynasty was short-lived. In 671
BC, the Assyrians, a war-like people from
southwest Asia, conquered Egypt.
• The Kushites fought bravely, but they were
forced to retreat south along the Nile.
• There the Kushites would experience a
golden age, despite their loss of Egypt.
The Golden Age of Meroë
• After their defeat by the Assyrians, the
Kushite royal family eventually moved
south to Meroë.
• Meroë lay closer lay closer to the Red Sea
than Napta did, and so became active in
the flourishing trade among Africa, Arabia,
and India.
Ruins of Meroë
The Wealth of Kush
• Kush used the natural resources around
Meroë and thrived for several hundred
years.
• Unlike the Egyptian cities along the Nile,
Meroë enjoyed significant rainfall. And,
unlike Egypt, Meroë boasted a major
center for the manufacturing of iron
weapons and tools.
The Decline of Meroë
• After four centuries of prosperity, from
about 250 BC, to 150 AD, Meroë began to
decline.
• Aksum contributed to Meroë’s fall. With a
seaport on the Red Sea, Aksum came to
dominate North African trade.
• Aksum defeated Meroë around 350 AD.
Aksum