Egypt: Gift of the Nile

Geography North East Africa (crossroads of three continents) Nile River 3000 BC TO 2012 Very earliest settlement begin in 5000 BC

Geography- “The Gift of the Nile” The Nile made it possible to farm in the desert region. Center of Egyptian economics and culture Annual, predictable flooding irrigates and replenishes the soil. Gives Egypt consistent annual harvest. Sometimes called the “Black Lands” for its rich soil. Red Lands are the desert that runs on either side of the Nile. When invasions occurred they would come over land.

****During the winter months, snow fell in Ethiopia, where the Nile begins in the mountains. In the spring, when the snow melted, the flood-waters rose to cover the surrounding “floodplains” at the bottom of the Nile Valley, in Egypt. When the Nile finally retreated a month later, it left a thick layer of silt—fertile farmland. This made Egypt the breadbasket of the ancient world.

An Outline of Egyptian Civilization (ca. 5,000-30 BC) http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/lecture_ancient_civ.htm http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/national-geographic-channel/specials-1/history-events/ngc-pyramids.html

History Old Kingdom 3100 BC King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt Monarchs were very powerful and considered divine. Nine distinctive periods and numerous dynasties

When things went bad, it was believed to have been due to the subjects not obeying the god's representative on earth. Pharaoh “Great House”—Theocracy/Dynasties Pharaohs would appoint a “vizier” or steward of the land, and would be responsible for the government bureaucracy. Egypt had 42 provinces, each with a governor.

Government: Pharaohs- God Kings Ruled by Pharaohs who were considered God- Kings Theocracy is established as form of government (a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god)

Economy Agriculture - farming Industry - businesses that produce a particular kind of goods or services, ex: cloth Trade – exchanging goods

Religion Religion- Beliefs about death: “Cult of the Dead” – Polytheistic Burial practices: Mummification Belief in two bodies: physical and spiritual (Ka) and they needed each other, even after death.

Pyramids (Old Kingdom) Tombs to honor the pharaoh Cities of the Dead: The pyramids are just part of the complex overall burial site. Buried with many (sometimes, thousands of items); the discovery of King Tut’s tomb is important because it was intact! The pyramids are an engineering marvel

Size: tallest structure on earth for 43 centuries/ covers 13 football fields Complexity: 2 million precisely cut 2-ton blocks  

Society Stratified Society : Royal family followed by upper class, followed by middle Class (Merchants and artisans) and then the lower classes ( Peasant farmers and unskilled laborers) Slavery later became a major source of labor

Inventions and Achievements

Inventions and Achievements Writing system of hieroglyphics, used papyrus Use of Chariots Written numbers geometry first to use stone columns calendar for flooding cycle advanced medicines First to create solar calendar