A View of Egypt by Satellite

Development of African Agriculture Sahara desert originally highly fertile region Western Sudan region nomadic herders, c BCE –Domestication of cattle c BCE –Later, cultivation of sorghum, yams, increasingly diverse Widespread desiccation of the Sahara c BCE

The Gift of the Nile Gradual, predictable flooding –Inundation (July-October) –Sprouting –Summer Communication: –Nubia-Egypt Current: north Winds: south –Sub-Saharan Africa- Mesopotamia Increased in importance w/ desiccation of Sahara

The Delta & The Cataracts The Nile Valley, BCE

Early Agriculture in Nile Valley 10,000 BCE migrants from Red Sea hills (northern Ethiopia) –Introduce collection of wild grains, language roots of Coptic 5000 BCE Sudanic cultivators, herders migrate to Nile river valley Adaptation to seasonal flooding of Nile through construction of dikes, waterways –Villages dot Nile by 4000 BCE

The Annual Flooding of the Nile

Impact on Political Organization As in Mesopotamia a need for formal organization of public affairs Need to maintain order and organize community projects Egypt: simple, local irrigation projects Rural rather than heavily urban development Trade networks develop

The Fertile Nile Valley

Nile Irrigation-the Shaduf

Ancient Egyptian History PeriodsTime Frame Nile Culture Begins4000 B. C. E. Archaic3100 – 2650 B. C. E. Old Kingdom2650 – 2134 B. C. E. Middle Kingdom2040 – 1640 B. C. E. New Kingdom1550 – 1070 B. C. E. Late Period750 – 332 B. C. E. Greek Ptolemaic Era 332 – 30 B. C. E. Roman Period30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.

Unification of Egypt Legendary conqueror Menes, c unifies Egyptian kingdom –Sometimes identified with/as Narmer –Tradition: founder of Memphis, cultural and political center of ancient Egypt –Instituted the rule of the Pharaoh Claimed descent from the gods Absolute rulers, had slaves buried with them from 2600 BCE Most powerful during Archaic Period ( BCE) and Old Kingdom ( BCE)

Menes: Unifier of Upper & Lower Egypt c B. C. E. ?

The Pyramids Symbols of the pharaoh ’ s authority and divine status A testimony of the pharaohs ’ ability to marshal Egypt ’ s resources Largest Khufu (Cheops) 2.3 million limestone blocks w/ average weight of 2.5 tons Role: burial chambers for Pharaohs

Plan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

The Valley of the Kings

Stepped Pyramid at Saqqara

“Bent” Pyramid of King Sneferu

The Great Sphinx

Valley of the Kings View of the central East Valley

The Valley of the Kings

Relations with Nubia Competition over Nile trade Military conflict between BCE Drives Nubians to the south –Established Kingdom of Kush, c BCE Trade, cultural influences continue despite military conflict

The New Kingdom Few pyramids, but major monumental architectural projects Engaged in empire- building to protect against foreign invasion Local resistance drives Egypt out of Nubia Kingdom of Kush revives c BCE Invasions of Kushites, Assyrians destroy Egypt mid 6 th century BCE Imperial Egypt, 1400 BCE

Egyptian Urban Culture Major cities along Nile river, especially at delta –Memphis c BCE, Heliopolis c BCE Nubian cities include Kerma, Napata, Mero ë –Located at cataracts of the Nile Well-defined social classes –Pharaohs to slaves –Archaeological discoveries in Nubia also support class-based society –Patriarchal societies, notable exceptions: female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (r BCE)

Egyptian Social Hierarchy

Egyptian Nobility

Egyptian Priestly Class

Ancient Egyptian Housing Middle Class Homes Peasant Homes

Scenes of Ancient Egyptian Daily Life

Making Ancient Egyptian Beer

Making Ancient Egyptian Wine

An Egyptian Woman’s “Must- Haves” Perfume Whigs Mirror

Economic Specialization Bronze metallurgy introduced late, with Hyksos invasion Development of iron early, c. 900 BCE Trade along Nile river –More difficult in Nubia due to cataracts –Sea trade in Mediterranean

Hieroglyphs “ Holy Inscriptions ” –Writing appeared at least by 3200 BCE –Pictographic supplemented with symbols representing sounds and ideas –Survives on monuments, buildings and sheets of papyrus –Hieroglyphs for formal writing, hieratic script for everyday affairs used from 2600 BCE – 600 CE –Adopts Greek alphabet – demotic and Coptic scripts Meroitic writing - flexible system borrowed from hieroglyphs, represents sounds rather than ideas

Hieroglyphics “Alphabet” 24 “letters” phonetic symbols

Hieroglyphic “Cartouche”

Champollion & the Rosetta Stone

Egyptian Scribe

Papyrus  Paper Papyrus Plant Hieratic Scroll Piece Papyrus plant growing in a garden, Australia Egyptian Papyrus Drawing

Development of Organized Religious Traditions Principal gods Amon and Re Religious tumult under Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) (r BCE) –Introduces sole worship of sun god Aten –One of the world ’ s earliest expressions of Monotheism Death of Akhenaten, traditional priest restore the cult of Amon-Re to privileged status

Ankhenaton: First Monotheist?

Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) Akhenaten was the only pharaoh to try and introduce the idea of monotheism to the polytheistic Egyptians. Because he predated Zoroaster by approximately 700 years, he is considered the first monotheist. The one god he believed in was the sun, represented by Aton, god of the sun disc.

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses: “The Sacred ‘Trinity’” Osiris Isis Horus

Mummification and the Afterlife Inspiration of the cycles of the Nile Belief in the revival of the dead –First: ruling classes only, later expanded to include lower classes Cult of Osiris –Lord of the underworld –Power to determine who deserved immortality –Held out hope of eternal reward for those who lived moral lives Nubian worship of Apedemak and Sebiumeker

The Final Judgement Anubis Horus Osiris

Preparations for the Underworld Priests protected your KA, or soul- spirit ANUBIS weighs the dead person’s heart against a feather.

Preparation for the Afterlife

Egyptian Mummies Seti I B. C. E. Queen Tiye, wife of Amenhotep II B. C. E. Ramses II B. C. E.

Journey to the Underworld A boat for the journey is provided for a dead pharaoh in his tomb. The dead travel on the “Solar Bark.”

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Archaeologist, Howard Carter (1922)

King Tutankhamon’s Death Mask B. C. E.

King Tutankhamon

King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Treasures From Tut’s Tomb

The Valley of the Queens Temple of Queen Hatshepsut B. C. E.

The Ankh – The “Cross” of Life

Queen Nefertiti

Abu Simbel: Monument to Ramses II B. C. E.

Canopic Jars The four sons of Horus: the jackal-headed jar represented the east, contained the stomach, the falcon-headed jar representing the west, contained the intestines, the baboon-headed jar representing the north, contained the lungs, the human-headed jar representing the south, contained the liver.

Hapshepsut The first female pharaoh, Hapshepsut, came to power after the death of her husband. Hapshetsut was a strong ruler who expanded trade with new areas and continued to build Egypt’s defense. Because there had been no female rulers before, she felt the need to dress as a man, and even wear a false beard as pharaohs would often do.

Ramses II After King Tut, only Ramses II would rise to be a strong pharaoh. Under Ramses there was a new increase in the building of temples and monuments. It is believed that Ramses is the pharaoh that allowed Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. He had sons and daughters.

The New Kingdom (1600 BCE ) Egyptian pharaohs of this period expand into the Levant Greatest rulers,Ramses II, Thutmosis III, Queen Hatshepsut, Women had slightly more power than in Mesopotamia Assyrians and other hyksos (foreigners) will vie for power until Alexander conquers in 330 Descendents of general Ptolemy will rule for three centuries until Rome annexed Egypt under Caesar (48 BCE)

Bantu Migrations, BCE Bantu: “ people ” Migration throughout sub-Saharan regions –Population pressures Over 500 variations of original Bantu language –90 million speakers By 1000 BCE, occupied most of Africa south of the equator

Bantu Migrations, 2000 BCE-1000 CE

Bantu Migration

Aswan High Dam Aswan High Dam (NASA satellite photo) The hydroelectric power station of Aswan Dam

Bantu Religions Evidence of early monotheism Deistic views as well –Prayers to intercessors, e.g. ancestor spirits Great variations among populations