Chapter 4 Section 2 The Old Kingdom Around 2700 BC, after Dynasty One and Two ended (about 400 years), the Third Dynasty began. This was the beginning of what was known as the Old Kingdom.

Life in the Old Kingdom What was the Old Kingdom? The Old Kingdom was a period in Egyptian history that lasted for about 500 years, from about 2700 - 2200 BC.

God and King The Egyptians developed a political system that was based on the belief that the pharaoh was both king and god. They believed that the pharaoh came to Earth to manage Egypt for the rest of the gods.

Many Responsibilities Being pharaoh came with many responsibilities and expectations. If something good or bad happened, the people blamed it on the pharaoh.

Who was Khufu? He was a pharaoh who ruled around 2500 BC. He was best known for building monuments known as the first pyramids. He ruled for about 25 years.

Egyptian Social Pyramid 80% of Egypt’s population of 2 million were farmers.

Trade in Egypt Merchants traveled south along the Nile to Nubia, where they acquired gold, copper, ivory, slaves, and stone for building. They also traded with Syria for wood needed for fire. Perfume jar Trading for Slaves

Religion and Egyptian Life Horus, the sky god or god of the pharaohs The Egyptians practiced polytheism. The Egyptians built shrines to their gods. The temples collected payments from worshipers and the government. This payment allowed the temples to become very influential. Temple At Karnack

Other Egyptian Gods Amon-Re Sun god Osiris god of the underworld Isis goddess of magic Anubis god of death

Emphasis on the Afterlife King Tut’s tomb What is the afterlife? It is life after death. Egyptians believed that the afterlife was happy and that after death, life was very similar to life on earth. At death, the Ka, or a person’s life-force, left the body and became a spirit. The Ka remained linked to the body and remained in the burial site forever. This is why Egyptians filled their tombs with personal needs, such as food, drink, and personal belongings.

Burial Practices The Egyptians believed that the body had to be prepared and preserved for the afterlife so the Ka could recognize and return to the body when it left during the day. They did this by a method called embalming. The Egyptians preserved the body in the form of a mummy, a specially treated body wrapped in cloth. This process prepared the body for the afterlife.

Mummification Brains were removed through the nose. Internal organs were removed and preserved and placed in canopic jars. The heart was left inside the body. Body was dried with natron (salt), for approximately 40 days. Body was then rubbed with oils and perfumes Finally the body was wrapped with fine linens and draped with amulets

Who was Mummified? Only royalty or the elite were mummified. The elite were people of wealth or power. Peasant families could not afford to be mummified. They buried their dead in shallow graves at the edge of the desert. The hot dry sand dried and preserved the bodies naturally.

Where’s my mummy????? Queen Hatshepsut Ramese II

The Pyramids What is a pyramid? It is a huge, stone tomb with four triangular-shaped sides that meet at a point on top. Egyptians began building pyramids around 2700 BC.

The Evolution of the Pyramid The first tombs were called Mastabas

The Evolution of the Pyramid The Bent Pyramid The Step Pyramid

The Giza Pyramid Largest of all the pyramids Covers 13 acres 481 ft high Built by Khufu Inside passage way of tomb Used more than 2 million limestone blocks

Building of the Pyramids Built by Snofru The Red pyramid What is engineering? Engineering is the application of scientific knowledge to practical purposes. As many as 100,000 workers may have been needed to build a single pyramid. Other Egyptian architecture

How Were The Pyramids Built? Temporary stone ramps

Pyramids 2-ton limestone blocks Wooden sleds

Pyramids Workers removed the temporary ramps Polished white limestone

Significance of the Pyramid Amenemhet II in Darfur Burial in a pyramid demonstrated a pharaoh’s importance. Pointing to the sky, the pyramid symbolized the pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife. They believed that the pharaoh’s link to the gods, controlled everyone’s afterlife. In ruins

Pyramids of Egypt

Summary During the Old Kingdom, new political and social orders were created in Egypt. Religion was important, and many pyramids were built for the pharaohs.