6-3 Notes: Egypt and Kush

The Middle Kingdom Following the collapse of the Old Kingdom, historians call the next period the Middle Kingdom (2100 – 1700 B.C.E.) During this time, Egypt’s trade and empire expanded Egypt conquered kingdoms in Nubia, gained control of gold mines People from the Fertile Crescent began to move to Egypt’s delta region

The Hyksos 1650 B.C.E. – Hyksos (Greek for “rulers of hill lands”) began to challenge the pharaohs of Lower Egypt 1650 – 1550 – Hyksos use horses, chariots, bronze weapons, and bows and arrows to defeat Egyptian armies in battle (Hyksos control Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt still ruled by Egyptians at Thebes) 1550 B.C.E. – Ahmose, pharaoh of Upper Egypt, rallied the Egyptians to use Hyksos technology to defeat the Hyksos

New Kingdom Expansion The New Kingdom (1550 – 1069 B.C.E.) began with Ahmose’s reunification of Egypt Egypt reclaimed Nubia (gold mines) Egypt also won territories in Israel, Syria, and Lebanon Kush, Egypt’s primary trading partner to the south, came under Egyptian rule Egyptians primarily traded grain, papyrus, linen, jewelry, and bronze goods for ebony, ivory, and animal hides (Kush); gold (Nubia); perfume, ivory, incense, apes (Punt); and silver, copper, timber, wine, and olive oil (from Lebanon and Greece)

Hatshepsut 1500 B.C.E. – Hatshepsut becomes pharaoh Her husband was pharaoh and when she died, their son was only 10 years old, so Hatshepsut claimed to rule on his behalf In 8 th year of her reign, she organized a great trading expedition to Punt, Egypt’s southern trading partner Hatshepsut traded jewelry, papyrus, and bronze weapons in exchange for gold, perfume, ivory, leopard skins, and live apes

Egyptian Innovations Most Egyptian doctors were priests trained in temple schools Temple storehouses accumulated vast stores of knowledge about diseases and injuries, making them good places to study medicine Egyptian doctors learned how to stitch cuts, set broken bones, measure a pulse Raw meat used to reduce swelling on wounds, chamomile used to treat upset stomachs Egyptians also developed mathematics, charted 5 of the planets, many constellations, figured out what eclipses were