Egypt Note Taker: Old Kingdom Student Notes
Historians have divided Egyptian history into three major periods: the Old Kingdom the Middle Kingdom the New Kingdom
Timeline of Ancient Egypt
EGYPT Old Kingdom ca. 2700-2200 BC
Old Kingdom ca. 2700-2200 BC Most people were farmers who lived in villages on large estates near the Nile.
Old Kingdom ca. 2700-2200 BC Pharaohs organized a strong central nation and were considered gods.
Old Kingdom ca. 2700-2200 BC Egyptians built pyramids at Giza.
Old Kingdom ca. 2700-2200 BC Power struggles, drought, and crop failures, ended the Old Kingdom.
Two Kingdoms of Egypt: c.a. 3,500 B.C. Upper and Lower Egypt same culture same language same gods
Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt - ca. 3100 B.C. King Menes (Narmer) formed the first Egyptian dynasty in 3310 B.C. A dynasty is a series of rulers who all come from the same family. This double crown represented the union of the two lands.
Pharaoh was considered child of the sun god Ra (Re) Powers of pharaoh were practically unlimited
The Crook & Flail The crook and the flail are two of the most important items as symbols of royalty in ancient Egypt.
Bet You Didn’t Know…
Social Structure in Egypt A Vizier was like a supervisor, appointed by the pharaoh Slaves were often captured prisoners of war
The Old Kingdom was peaceful There was little slavery
Mastaba – early Egyptian tombs rectangular in shape Belief in an afterlife led to building elaborate tombs like the pyramids