Cradles of Civilization Ancient Sumerians 3500B.C.-1792B.C. Ancient Egyptians 3000B.C.-1000B.C. Ancient Indus 2500B.C.-1500B.C. Ancient Chinese 2500B.C.-1000B.C. Cultural Diffusion Crossroads of the World Center of the World

Ancient Egypt B.C. The Pyramids of Giza

I.A river valley and its people a.Receives little rainfall b.Relies on predictable yearly floods c.Nile is longest river in the world d.Unique river: flows north

e.Nile valley divided into lower and upper Egypt

f.Around 3000 B.C. king Narmur of Upper Egypt invaded and conquered Lower Egypt g.Historians have organized dynasties to describe Ancient Egypt 1.Old/Middle/New Kingdoms

Timeline of Kingdoms DatesSignificant Events Archaic Unification of all Egypt Old Kingdom Construction of the pyramids begins First Intermediate Political chaos Middle Kingdom Recovery and political stability Second Intermediate Hyksos "invasion" New Kingdom Creation of the Egyptian Empire

II.The Old Kingdom ( ) a.Upper & Lower Egypt became a strong national government b.Egyptian Gov’t was a Theocracy c.Power flowed from the king to a bureaucracy to control: 1.Trade/taxes/infrastructure d.Pyramids were built to honor their god-kings and provide an eternal resting place.

III.Pyramid building: a.Located on West side of the Nile b.Level and layout site to prepare lower chamber c.Move quarried limestone to site

The Alignment Of The Great Pyramid's Base Many people find it remarkable that the Great Pyramid's base is aligned almost perfectly with true North. In point of fact, for a surveyor this is not a great feat at all. True North can be found with a stick and a circle and the knowledge of how to bisect an angle. The following procedure will very accurately locate true North. The longer the stick, the greater the accuracy: 1.Plant the stick vertically in the ground. 2.Draw a circle with the string roughly the same radius as the stick is long. 3.Watch the path of the sun during the day. Mark where the sun's shadow cast by the very tip of the stick crosses the circle. 4.Make an angle using the sun path intersections and the circle's center 5.Bisect the angle ~ the bisector points to true North.

d.Begin building process, sometimes taking up to years e.Complete with cap stone and polish f.During same time, building of temples and smaller pyramids for pharaoh's queens to place

Pyramid of King Kufu

The Sphinx Built by King Kaphre. The sphinx is roughly 4,636 years old.

IV.Mummification Process: a.70 day process b.Disposal of brain through nose c.Removal of important body organs: Stored in canopic jars Liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines

Materials used in mummification: linen sawdust lichen beeswax resin natron onion Nile mud linen pads frankincense Mummification tools: Brain hooks (replicas ) Oil jar (Royal Ontario Museum ) Funnel (replica) Embalmer's knife (Smithsonian Institution )

d.Heart left in place e.Natron salt to dry body f. Body anointed with oils & honey g.Wrapping with linens and painted h.Now prepared for ceremony of “opening the mouth” which is important in the next life

V.The Middle Kingdom ( ) a.This kingdom came into being due to a period of upheaval and violence in the city of Thebes b.During the 1700’s, Theban kings faced problems of their own c.These problems open the door for an overthrow

V.The Middle Kingdom (con’t) d.The Middle Kingdom came to an end by invasion of people from Western Asia named Hyksos e.The Hyksos were successful due to advances in weaponry f.They ruled for a period of about 110 years

VI.The New Kingdom ( ) a.Egyptian prince Ahmose overthrew the Hyksos in about 1600 B.C. b.Around 1480 B.C. Queen Hatshepsut carried out an extensive building program c.Thutomose III expanded empire

VI.The New Kingdom (con’t ) d.The empire now reached as far as Syria and the Northern Euphrates e.Empire grew rich from commerce, tribute, and cultural diffusion f.King Tutankhamen ruled a short time from 1333B.C.-1323B.C. g.Ramses II reigned by expressing power through statues of himself and building towers and tombs

Life In Ancient Egypt a.Social Classes

Life In Ancient Egypt b.Status of women Egyptian women enjoyed a dimension of freedom greater than any of their counterparts from other places in ancient times.

Life In Ancient Egypt c.Religious beliefs Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal.

Life In Ancient Egypt d.System of writing Hieroglyphics--pictograms Rosetta Stone (1799 A.D.)

Life In Ancient Egypt e.Achievements in Science Board Game Bronze Decimal System Copper tubing Papyrus Medical/Surgery Surveying Large scale building Beekeeping Calendar Beer Alphabet Glass making Petroleum tar for mummification