9/22 Focus: Geographic factors played a major role in Egypt being one of the most stable and long lasting civilization in the ancient world. This part of the world used its geography to its advantage. Aim- What is Egypt’s geography like?

Geographic Location Egypt is located in North Africa The Egyptian civilization developed along the Nile River Approx. 5,000 BCE The majority of Egyptians lived along the Nile River

The Nile River Facts about the Nile River The longest river in the world Flows northward Annual flooding predictable Silt from the annual floods provided fertile soil for farming The most fertile soil is in the Nile Delta

9-29 Do Now “The Nile River is called the breadbasket of Egypt. The reason for this is that it provides Egypt with plenty of food and fertile soil for farming even though it is surrounded by desert land.” Aim - Why is the Nile River Valley important to Egypt

“The Gift of the Nile” Why? provided water for farming and drinking Flooding kept land fertile Led to the development of settlements Food surpluses allowed for the development of civilization Easy transportation united people along the river

The Nile The Southern Nile had a series of waterfalls & rocky stretches with rapids and fast currents Cataracts This made it difficult for enemies to invade down the Nile

The Sahara Desert Most of Egypt is desert The desert was a natural barrier that protected and isolated Egypt Led to the development of a unique Egyptian culture

The Sahara The desert caused the Egyptians to be isolated from the rest of the world Limited cultural diffusion(exchanging of ideas. Trade migration and war) Good for protection Bad for trade

9/30 Focus: Pharaohs established governments in Egypt where they had absolute power. The Nile River helped unite the upper and lower kingdoms of Egypt Do Now: What are some geographic characteristics of the Nile River Valley

Unification Early Egypt was divided into two kingdoms Upper Egypt Lower Egypt Egypt was united in 3100 BCE by Menes Made Memphis the capital Established the first dynasty

Ancient Egyptian History Periods Time Frame Nile Culture Begins 3900 B. C. E. Archaic 3100 – 2650 B. C. E. Old Kingdom 2650 – 2134 B. C. E. Middle Kingdom 2040 – 1640 B. C. E. New Kingdom 1550 – 1070 B. C. E. Late Period 750 – 332 B. C. E. Greek Ptolemaic Era 332 – 30 B. C. E. Roman Period 30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.

Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom Begins 2650 BCE Time of Growth and Prosperity Pyramids constructed Pharaohs with absolute power establish strong governments

Middle Kingdom Difficult and turbulent time Pharaohs began to lose power to local nobles Invasions, famines, civil wars Spent money on and in pyramids Conquered by the Hyksos in 1650 BCE

The New Kingdom Hyksos defeated Egyptians realized they needed a strong army Took lands around them to serve as a buffer from invasion

9-26 Do Now “The Egyptians used Hieroglyphics as their writing system. This was basically symbols that told a story of what was going on at the time. This served as writing for the Egyptians that helped for record keeping for farming” Aim- What were some Egyptian Advances ### Study for Writing activity### Page 26 due today Page 31 q1-5 due next week

10/1 Focus: The Egyptians viewed their pharaohs as a living god Historians divide the history of ancient Egypt into three periods. These periods were known as the old, middle and new kingdom. The middle kingdom was a turbulent time. Do Now: What effect did the desert have on Egypt

10-5 Focus: Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods which they believed were responsible for the annual flooding and other natural events which made life possible in Egypt.The ancient Egyptians had a much more positive view of the afterlife then the civilizations in Mesopotamia Do Now: Explain how the Sumerians viewed their gods and their view of the afterlife

The Pharaoh The King Had absolute power Pharaohs established dynasties Was believed to be a god in human form Had to perform religious rituals along with priests to ensure positive outcomes in daily life Gov’t in Egypt was a theocracy: a state ruled by religious figures Flashback: Were Sumerian rulers seen As Gods? No, their power came from the gods

Some Famous Egyptian Pharaohs Tutankhamon 1336-1327 B. C. E. Thutmose III 1504-1450 B. C. E. Ramses II 1279-1212 B. C. E.

Some Famous Egyptian Pharaohs Hatshepsut 1503-1482 BCE Pretended to be a man just to maintain power

Egyptian Social Classes

Egyptian Social Classes Class system was hierarchal People with most power at the top Least power on the bottom Flashback: Was the social structure in Mesopotamian civilizations such as Sumer organized in a similar manner ? Yes

Hieroglyphics Used picture symbols to represent objects, sounds, and ideas Wrote on papyrus that was made from reeds that grew along the Nile The Rosetta Stone Discovered in 1799 Used to translate hieroglyphics Flashback: What was the Sumerian form of writing and what did they write on? Cuneiform was written on clay tablets

Hieroglyphics “Alphabet” 24 “letters” + 700 phonetic symbols

10-6 Do Now “Pyramids were tombs used by Egyptians. These temples were built to show power and used as resting places for Egyptian pharaohs. These pyramids were often filled with money, gold, animals and sometimes humans.” Aim- Why did they use Pyramids

10-7 “Religious beliefs shape the way people live and how they feel about death. Many traditions might be seen as odd amongst some societies, but in other places these traditions would be seen as routine. There are thousands of different beliefs that people follow in society” Aim- what are some beliefs you have heard of?

Egyptian Religion Egyptians were polytheistic Believed gods controlled natural events

Egyptian Religion Built temples and obelisks to honor the gods Tall, thin pillar with a pyramid shaped top

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses: Osiris Isis Horus

The Afterlife Egyptians view of the afterlife was positive Believed that when someone died the Ka (spirit) escaped and journeyed to the land of the dead

The Afterlife Egyptian Book of the Dead Contained magic spells and rituals to assist the dead enter the afterlife

Mummification Designed to protect the dead body from decay and keep the Ka alive

Materials Used in Mummification 1. Linen 6. Natron 2. Sawdust 7. Onion 3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud 4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads 5. Resin 10. Frankinsense

Pyramids Tombs built for Egyptian rulers

Plan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

10-9 Do Now “The Nile River had predictable flooding that helped give the Egyptians fertile soil. Egyptians thanked the gods for the floods and had a good view of the afterlife because they were happy with the predictable flooding.” #Writing activity today# Hmwk due today pg 31 1-4 Hmwk due next week pg 53 1-4

Do Now “The Egyptians and Sumerians had many differences, but one thing that they did have in common was settling down by a river. The next civilization that will be covered will be India” Aim- Why would people need fertile soil

The Paleolithic Age was the first period of human existence The Paleolithic Age was the first period of human existence. Eventually, the Paleolithic Age gave way to the Neolithic Revolution. Life was drastically changed as a result. After the Neolithic Revolution, civilizations began to develop. Two early civilizations were the Egyptian Empire and the city-states of Sumer.