Ancient Egypt

Setting  12,000 BCE settlements form along the Nile  Different than today- much more “swampy”  The two Nile Rivers White Nile-headwaters at Lake Victoria Blue Nile-headwaters in Ethiopian Plateau Egyptian civilization existed on the last 750 miles of the Nile before it entered the Mediterranean

Egypt and the Nile

Ancient Egypt

The Gift of the Nile  Annual flood until the modern day (1960’s) What does the flood create/allow? 1 crop before flood Eventually 2-3 crops per year through irrigation

Aswan High Dam

Shaduf

Travel on the Nile  The prevailing winds blow from the sea upstream allowing for travel both against and with flow of water (up to the first cataract)

1st Cataract by Aswan

Civilization of Ancient Egypt  Civilization emerges around 6000 BCE (Neolithic)  Writing originates by 3000 BCE ○ Hieroglyphics ○ Papyrus ○ Rosetta Stone (1798) Why is this important? (See handout article)

The cartouche of Cleopatra

Ancient Egypt  Upper Kingdom (south of the Delta)  Lower Kingdom (on the Nile Delta)  Ruled by Pharaohs (“great house”)  30 Dynasties (a line of rulers from the same family) 3,200 BCE through 300 BCE (2500 years)

Ancient Egypt  3 Kingdoms Early Dynastic BCE Old Kingdom 2650 BCE-2180 BCE : Dynasty began by Menes (unites Upper/Lower) Middle Kingdom BCE: conquered by invaders called the Hyksos New Kingdom BCE

The Old Kingdom 4th-8th Dynasties  Great Pyramid is constructed during the reign of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) at Giza. (All built between B.C.)

Early Dynastic Period 1st-3rd Dynasties  First Step Pyramids Constructed at Saqqara (Sakkara) Called the pyramids of Zoser(Djoser)  Architecht - Imhotep

Pyramids: The Shape of the Gods

Building an Empire in the New Kingdom 18th-20th Dynasties  What is an empire? (A system in which an individual or single group of people rule over many other peoples and territories)

Pharaohs of the New Kingdom  Hatshepsut and ( BCE) Thutmose II (brother and sister)  Hatshepsut is the first “real” female pharaoh

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut’s Temple-Valley of the Kings

Some Egyptian deities: What are the main themes in Egyptian religion?

Egyptian deities: Re(Ra), Amon, Amon-Re  Amon-god of ThebesRa-god of the sun

Amenhotep/Akhenaton  Amenhotep IV BCE Change from polytheism to monotheism Changed his name to Akhenaton What was the new religion?

Worship of Aton  Angers the priests of Amon-Re  Moves capital from Thebes to Akhetaton  Amon-Re priests regain power during Tutankhamen’s reign.

Akhenaten’s destruction of social “structure”

The First Monotheist

Nefertiti: wife of Akhenaton

Tutankhamen  Son of Akhenaton  Tomb discovered by Howard Carter

Ramses II (the Great)  BCE  Waged war against the Hittites then made peace with them,preserved the empire, great period of construction

Great Temple of Ramses and the Temple of Hathor–Nefertari at Abu Simbal

Abu Simbel

Mummification  /home.html

Egypt In Summary  What enabled them to be successful? (isolation, food production)  What are they noted for? (literate, urban, large government)  Did they contribute as much to science and mathematics as was once thought? (practical not theoretical)  Did other “contemporary” great ancient civilizations surpass them in any ways?  ( Think of these questions for your unit test- On your test you will write about what you believe was the greatest civilization of this region.)