ANCIENT EGYPT AND NUBIA

Section 1: Egypt Under the Pharaohs Picture above is of Ramses II. Image taken from: egyptcairoholidays.com Image taken from: thehistorybluff.com

THE NILE RIVER The Nile at dawn. Image taken from: tripwow.tripadvisor.com.

Nile, Upper, and Lower Egypt The Nile is the longest river in the world. It consist of the Blue Nile and White Nile. The Nile flows through the Sahara desert. Upper Egypt- located upstream from the Mediterranean Sea. Lower Egypt- Located in the northern area of Egypt.

Black and Red Land Black Land- Egyptians called their land “the Black Land” or Kemet, because the yearly flooding produced a narrow strip of dark fertile soil that lined both banks of the Nile and covered the delta. This soil was very important to the Egyptian people for farming purposes. Red Land- The Red land consist of hot burning sands. The Red Land lacked water and thus was a very dangerous place.

CIVILIZATION DEVELOPS A civilization arose in Egypt, because of an increase in crop production. This allowed for a surplus of crops, which in turn allowed for the growth of populations. Due to a surplus in crops, everyone did not need to be a farmer. Instead, people became merchants and artisans. Egyptian cities brought together wealthy and skilled people.

THE KINGDOMS OF EGYPT This picture depicts the Old Kingdom. Image taken from: chilloutpoint.com

Uniting Egypt and Old and Middle Kingdom The pharaoh Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt together. As a symbol of the united kingdom, Narmer wore a double red and white crown. Old Kingdom- this was a period of prosperity, political strength, and cultural achievement. Middle Kingdom- during this period, the pharaohs dealt with the Nile floods. They built an irrigation system.

New Kingdom and the Egyptian Government New Kingdom- had a lot of civil wars and invasions. Pharaohs were able to conquer lands in Asia and Africa. The New Kingdom was a high point of ancient Egyptian power and prosperity. Eventually, the New Kingdom fell, because of constant invasions. Outsiders tried to gain control of Egypt. Egyptian Government- The Egyptian government consisted of a bureaucracy, which was a system of offices and officials that handled the business of government. The bureaucracy collected taxes from the farmers. The bureaucracy then kept some of the taxes (crops), and distributed the rest to the pharaoh, artisans and merchants who worked for the pharaoh, and priests.

HATSHEPSUT Was both a wife and a daughter to a pharaoh. Made herself pharaoh, after the death of her husband. Gained support of the people by following all Egyptian rituals. Made Egypt rich through trading. Did not participate in empire building. Picture of Hatshepsut. Image taken from: wysinger.homestead.com

REMSES II Made Egypt rich through war. Fought against the Hittites. Known as being a great builder. Picture if of Ramses II. Image taken from: touregypt.net

Egyptian Society Egyptian Society consisted of a five level social class system. Egypt’s Social Class Pyramid: 1. Pharaoh 2. Nobles, Priests, and Officials 3. Scribes 4. Merchants and Artisans 5. Farmers, Servants, and Slaves

Egyptian Religion Played a very important role in the lives of the Egyptian people. Egyptian people believed in many Gods. They believed that the Gods shared qualities of animals, such as their strength, temper, and speed. Amon-Re was considered to be the most important God. Osiris was the God of the underworld. Isis-represented love and caring. She was the wife of Osiris.

Preparing for the Afterlife Egyptian people that they like Osiris could overcome death and thus they believed in eternal life. The first way to prepare for the afterlife was by living a good life. They also prepared for the afterlife by preserving the dead’s body. Egyptians prepared their dead for the afterlife through a process called mummification.

Section 2: Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt Picture is a sample of Egyptian art. Image taken from: animhut.com.

Hieroglyphics and Papyrus and Literature Hieroglyphics allowed Egyptians to have a written record of their history. Scribes were responsible for writing and reading scripts. They were valuable to the Egyptian society. The Egyptians invented a material that was similar to paper called papyrus. Papyrus was beneficial for the Egyptian people, because it was easier to transport and the scribe did not have to bake it in the sun for it to dry, like they had to do with clay. Papyrus also allowed the Egyptian people to keep records, write down poems, religious teachings, and history. Sample of hieroglyphic writing. Image taken from: eyelid.co.uk

Architecture and Art Picture of the Sphinx located in Giza. Image taken from: regalwings.com

Pyramids, Paintings, and Sculptures Pyramids- were temple tombs for pharaohs. They consisted of the pharaoh’s mummified body, along with everything the pharaoh needed and wanted in the afterlife. A pyramid is a structure with triangular sides. The pyramids that the Egyptians created were the largest buildings of the time. They are known as Egypt’s greatest achievement. They required the labor of thousands of workers. Egyptians painted artwork on the walls of tombs that depicted work and play, but this was not for decorative purposes, but rather it was for the person buried in the tomb. This artwork provided them with all the pleasures and objects shown on the walls. Egyptians also created amazing sculptures. Egyptians made smaller statues that were placed in the tombs of the mummy. In the event that the actual mummy was destroyed…the spirit could still have a home in the statue.

SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS The Egyptian Calendar- was created to help farmers know when they should plant and harvest crops. It was also created to predict the flooding of the Nile. The Egyptian calendar is called a solar calendar consisting of 365 days. This is also the calendar that modern people use. Math-The Egyptians developed a concrete knowledge of math as shown in their building of pyramids. The Egyptians also mastered engineering, as no other civilization was able to create such a large building with such precision. The Egyptian’s knowledge was also highly advanced for their time. They were able to come up with medicines that treated diseases. They also were the first surgeons.

Section 3: Egypt and Nubia Map, depicting the location of Egypt and Nubia. Image taken from: digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk

Trade in Ancient Egypt Trading with other countries allowed Egypt to acquire goods that it would not otherwise have. Egypt was growing in wealth and the Egyptian people wanted more luxury products. These products came from neighboring countries that were able to provide precious stones and perfumes. Trade in the Nile Valley became interdependent, as each country depended on each other. The Nubians depended on the Egyptians for gran, cloth, papyrus, glass and jewelry. The Egyptians depended on the Nubians for ivory and gold.

THE LAND OF NUBIA Nubia was surrounded by deserts. Nubia depended on the Nile River. Their farming methods developed a surplus, but on a smaller scale than the Egyptians. The Nile’s cataracts were located within Nubia, thus traveling by boat was impossible. Nubians had to walk through the rugged desert. Do to their location, the Nubians were in close contact with the Egyptians.

Nubia and Egypt The Egyptians invaded and conquered Nubia during the Middle and New kingdoms. They wanted Nubia’s gold and ivory without paying for it. Eventually, Nubia became a strong power and took over Egypt. While they were in power of Egypt, they ruled for almost 100 years. They also promoted traditional Egyptian ways of life and culture.

Nubian Civilization The Nubian civilization became independent around 591 B.C. when the Egyptians destroyed Napata, the Nubian capital. The Nubians moved their capital to Meroe. Meroe became Africa’s first ironworking center. The Nubians even came up with their own alphabet, called the Meroitic script. Modern scholars have learned how to read this script, but still do not understand the meanings behind the language. Nubia was able to develop many links throughout the world through trading of ivory, iron, and gold.