Egyptians

Egypt: Role of the Nile Nile flows north, floods yearly Originates at Lake Victoria

Hieroglyphics 3000 B.C. – Hieroglyphics developed (Pictorial language) Translated the Hieroglyphics with Rosetta Stone

Menes members.tripodnet.nl/ ancientegypt/history.html 3000B.C., King Menes united the Nile River kingdoms into one ruled by God-kings  pharaohs history divided into Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms

The Old Kingdom Old Kingdom (2700–2200B.C.) – Egypt ruled by god-like pharaohs with absolute power! Great Pyramids of Giza buried Pharaohs, showed absolute power of royal families (started by Pharaoh Khufu) mummification – preserving the body through drying methods and removing internal organs

Middle Kingdom Middle Kingdom (2050–1650B.C.) – after over-coming drought, Pharaohs lose their god-king status Expanded empire to Mesopotamia ended with invading Hyksos invasion who had technology  horse-drawn chariots, compound bow, and bronze weapons

New Kingdom Kingdom centered around their capital, Thebes Drove the Hyksos out of Egypt with use of a strong army Begin to build an empire

Pharaohs Major Pharaohs Hatshepsut: First female Pharaoh Akhenaton- Monotheistic Pharaoh – son was King Tut, returned to Polytheism Ramses II- ruled 64 years, Pharaoh during Jewish exodus

Other Early Civilizations in Mesopotamia Hittites – first recorded use of iron Phoenicians – ancestor of nearly all Western alphabets Israelites – founded Judaism and influenced Christianity and Islam

Persians Persians – empire that stretched from Asia Minor to India and Egypt one of the largest empires in the ancient world formed under Cyrus the Great his grandson Darius goes to war with the Greek city-states in an attempt to expand the empire