The Middle and New Kingdoms of Egypt Ancient Egypt The Middle and New Kingdoms of Egypt

Constructive Response Question #4 Describe the reigns of the pharaohs Tutankhamen, Hatshepsut, and Ramses and how they impacted Egypt in a variety of similar or different ways. Compare and contrast the Middle & New Kingdom time periods to the Old Kingdom detailing the following criteria: a) the role of the pharaoh, b) differences in burial styles, and c) structures/technologies used. OR

I. The fall of the old kingdom Around 2180 BCE, several events happened around the same time, causing the Old Kingdom time period of Egypt to dissemble Extremely long reign of Pepi II leaves no heir from his royal household Struggles over succession followed, leaving into vast civil wars A large drought that devastated the region for nearly 50 years left many cities bare Little monumental and structural evidence remains from the dynasties that followed – 8th through 11th dynasties

II. – the middle kingdom Setting The Stage 2055 BCE to 1650 BCE Regions of Egypt united back together under the reign of Mentuhotep II Later in history, Egyptians portrayed the Middle Kingdom as a golden age of stability and expansion

II. – the middle kingdom Role of the Pharaoh One feature of the Middle Kingdom was a new concern of the pharaohs for their people In the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh had been seen as a god-king, who was far removed from his or her people Now – they were portrayed as the shepherd of their people, who were expected to build public works and provide for the general welfare

II. – the middle kingdom Helping Their People Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom undertook a number of helpful projects The draining of swampland in the Nile Delta provided thousands of acres of new farmland The digging of a canal to connect the Nile River to the Red Sea aided trade and transportation

Canal built during the Middle Kingdom

II. – the middle kingdom The Fall of the Middle Kingdom Around 1650 BCE, a group of Asiatic nomads known as the Hyksos invaded Egypt They used horse-drawn war chariots to overwhelm the Egyptian foot soldiers The Hyksos ruled over Egypt for 80 years (1650-1570 BCE) They established their capital Memphis – a great choice for its proximity to the Nile A small collection of Egyptian-ruled citizens stayed near Thebes

II. – the middle kingdom After years of (somewhat) peaceful trade and negotiations, King Kamose of the 17th Dynasty liberated all of Egypt from the control of the Hyksos Kamose’s brother, Ahmose I, took control & reestablished the Egyptian Empire to its former glory, thus heralding a new era

Describe how the pharaoh’s role changed during the Middle Kingdom time period. Do you think this change was for the better or for the worst? Why? CHECKPOINT

pyramids III. – The new kingdom A New Era 1550 BCE to 1077 BCE The Old Kingdom was known for its The New Kingdom will be known for the Valley of the Kings The reunification of Egypt following the Hyksos’ control launched a new militaristic path for the pharaohs Most New Kingdom pharaohs will flaunt their wealth. How? By building grand, new temples. pyramids

III. – The new kingdom The Valley of the Kings Burial place for the pharaohs of the New Kingdom 18th to 20th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt The area contains at least 63 tombs (found up through today) Today – 18 of the tombs can be opened to the public, but not all at the same time. Tourism doubles when the Nile Cruises operate.

III. – The new kingdom New Kingdom Pharaohs Hatshepsut Stepson who was heir to the throne was too young to rule Declared herself pharaoh around 1472 BCE Encouraged trade rather than waging war – how smart! Her reign was very prosperous Made herself look like a male to gain support Planned a very elaborate tomb in the Valley of the Kings – Deir-el-Bahri Almost did not survive history due to the actions of her stepson, Thutmose III The use of the obelisk is prevalent in the massive structures built during her reign Obelisk - tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top

Hatshepsut

III. – The new kingdom Thutmose III Much more warlike than Hatshepsut Eager to take power; He may have murdered Hatshepsut to take control Had any imagery of Hatshepsut destroyed – Egyptians believed this erased your soul from the afterlife Armies pushed south into Nubia, east into Palestine and Syria, and west into Libya during the peak of his reign

III. – The new kingdom Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten Introduced the worship of Aten, the god of the sun disk, as the sole god Changed his name to Akhenaten – meaning “well with Aten” Destroyed and closed temples of many other gods Many Egyptians felt defeated and culturally lost

III. – The new kingdom King Tut History remembers King Tutankhamen more for the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter rather than his reign as pharaoh Only ruled for about 10 years He was only about 18 he died Possibly died of infection in broken leg or malaria Son of Akhenaten Tomb very small – most likely due to his untimely death

III. – The new kingdom Ramses II Made a peace treaty with neighboring Hittites which lasted for almost 100 years Created magnificent temple at Abu Simbel Inflated ego = hundreds of statues carved of himself Worshipped himself as a god Estimates show he had well over 60 children Reigned for 67 years; died around age 90

The Assyrians III. – The new kingdom Downfall of the New Kingdom The New Kingdom would see many successors to Ramses II but none with as great of power Many of Ramses II’s heirs would have conflicts and war over power Ramses III is considered to be the last great New Kingdom pharaoh Eventually the Philistines, Libyans, Kush, and Hittites would reduce Egypt to a series of broken up regional units Another powerful foe (who we’ve already talked about) will move in and take over down the road – The Assyrians

IV. – Kushites take over Kush began to emerge as a regional power during the Hyksos control Kushite king Piankhi overthrew Libyan raiders and regained control of the Nubian area Once the warlike Assyrians were overthrown, the Kushite royal family moved south to Meroë – closer to Red Sea = more trade with Africa, Arabia, and India Meroë and the Kushites eventually fell to the kingdom of Aksum around 150 CE.

What about Cleopatra? What about Alexander the Great? That’s what I know about Egypt! They reigned over Egypt around 30 BCE…So we’re not quite there yet! We’ll talk a lot about them when we get to Greece!

Constructive Response Question #4 Describe the reigns of the pharaohs Tutankhamen, Hatshepsut, and Ramses and how they impacted Egypt in a variety of similar or different ways. Compare and contrast the Middle & New Kingdom time periods to the Old Kingdom detailing the following criteria: a) the role of the pharaoh, b) differences in burial styles, and c) structures/technologies used. OR