The Gift of Nile

Vocabulary Words predict inundation deity afterlife mummy cataract nation-state dynasty

Predict

Predict: To tell ahead of time what will happen.

Inundation

Inundation; Annual flooding of the Nile River.

Deity

Deity: god

Afterlife

Afterlife: A life after death

Mummy

Mummy: A preserved body

Cataract

Cataract; Waterfall Cataract: Waterfall

Nation- State

Nation-state: A region with a united group of people and a single government.

Dynasty

Dynasty; A series of rulers who belong to the same family.

Egypt Egypt is located in North Eastern Africa. Most of Egypt is covered with dry, windswept desert. Egypt has the world’s longest river; The Nile

The Importance of the Nile People built farming settlements on the delta. This place was called Kemet which means Black Land, because of the rich dark soil found among the banks of the Nile.

The Importance of the Nile The Nile River flooded at the same time every year. It deposits rich black soil (Kemet) on the banks. Farmers were able to raise a huge supply of food on the fertile soil.

The Importance of the Nile The Nile River also provided water. Egyptians built canals to carry water to their fields. They build dams to store water for later use.

The Importance of the Nile The Nile was also used for transportation. Ancient Egyptians built boats to use the Nile as a ‘highway’. The Nile connected many groups living along the Nile River.

The Importance of the Nile Transportation Farming/Food Trade Security Water

When the river did not flood at all, crops dried out and people went hungry or starved.

A Source of New Ideas Without the Nile River, people in Egypt would not have been able to survive. When the Nile River flooded wildly it washed away crops, killed livestock and drowned people.

A Source of New Ideas Ancient Egyptians found a way to predict the flooding of the Nile River. By studying the skies, they developed a calendar with 365 days.

Ancient Egyptian Calendar The calendar divided the year into three seasons. The season was based on the flooding and their importance to agriculture Inundation Emergence Harvest

The flooding of the Nile Inundation Land receives Kemet Start of the year The flooding of the Nile

Farmers plowed and seeded the soil Emergence Growing Season Farmers plowed and seeded the soil

Harvest Crops were ready

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsFPumtttTY

What ways was the Nile River important to ancient Egyptians What ways was the Nile River important to ancient Egyptians? What happened when the Nile flooded wildly? How many seasons did the ancient Egyptian calendar have? Explain the seasons and what happened?

A Source of Religion Ancient Egyptians believed in several deities(polytheism) Each deity had a different responsibility.

A Source of Religion Ancient Egyptians used stories about the deities to explain why acts of nature (flooding, drought) took place.

Re (Ray)/Ra (Rah) Most important ancient Egyptian deity. Egyptians believed he was born each day and died each night. They used Ra to explain why the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night.

Worshipped by the people in Memphis Ptah god of the arts Worshipped by the people in Memphis

Thoth god of wisdom and writing Worshipped by the people of Hermopolis

Worshipped by the people of Thebes Amon Worshipped by the people of Thebes Sun god

Chief deity of all ancient Egyptians Amon- Re Chief deity of all ancient Egyptians

Afterlife The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They took great care to preserve their bodies believing they would need it for the second life.

Rubbed the dried body with special oils Heart was left in the body. Removed internal organs except the heart Covered the body with salt, to dry it and prevent decay. Wrapped the body in a linen cloth

What other ancient civilization believed in several gods and what is the practice called? How did ancient Egyptians explain the rising and setting of the sun? How did ancient Egyptians explain events in nature?

It is not really known who united Upper and Lower Egypt, some historians believe it is King Menes, and others believe it is King Narmer.

A Source of Unity Stories say King Menes of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt. He united the two kingdoms and formed the world’s first nation state.

A Source of Unity Some experts believe that King Narmer brought the two regions together. They believe that because of the pictures showing him wear the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.

A Source of Unity Experts believe that King Narmer began the first Egyptian dynasty.

What is the significance of King Narmer wearing the double crown? How do stories explain that King Menes unified the two regions? Who is believed to have started the first Egyptian dynasty?