Ancient Egyptian Civilization Kemet- the Black Land
First image comes to mind… Tallest man-made structure for 3800 years 481 ft high, 13 acres 2.3 million blocks – 2.5 tons miles 20 years moving 12 blocks per hour No wheel; no iron Limestone with gold top
Egypt: “Gift of the Nile”… stretched 600 miles long by 14 miles wide No rain but agricultural prosperity was unmatched. July Inundation receded in October leaving rich, fertile soil.
Isolation impacted on psyche- harmony, everything was in balance: “ma’at”
Egyptian motto: “Eat, Drink and be Merry”
Women in ancient Egypt: Kept anything inherited from their parents Entitled to one-half the wealth both partners acquired within their marriage Work at jobs other than a housewife Own and sell property Be a witness in a court case or represent themselves in court Make a will giving their wealth to whomever they wished Go out in public and be in mixed company with men Keep their own name Be supported by their ex- husband after divorce
Like Mesopotamia, religion was the center of Egyptian life. Religious beliefs reflected the importance of nature as a benevolent force
The Hall of Justice: key to an immortal afterlife
The Palette of Narmer, (King Menes) 3100 BC: The Archaic Period
The Old Kingdom, or Age of the Pyramids, BC
The Rosetta Stone 196 BC Ptolemy V Discovered in ½ x 2 ½
Jean Francois Champollion took 13 years to decipher the Rosetta Stone, At 5-read French and Latin At 11-translated Virgil & Horace into french At 15-mastered Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Syrian, Ethiopian At 19-learned Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese At 32, began Rosetta Stone “Father of Egyptology”
Civil War between Noble families ended the Old Kingdom ( Flood pattern of Nile changed- floodwaters fell 12 feet reducing arable land by 40%)
Mentuhotep II >re-established the central government and built a new capital at Thebes >major rebuilding program >drained swamps >restored irrigation systems >built canal to the Red Sea >Repelled the Nubians >trade flourished with the Kush, Syria, Mesopotamia and Crete The Middle Kingdom, BCE
Thy Hyksos invasions, 1720 BC – led to the 2 nd intermediate period Hyksos invaders introduce the chariot
Ahmose I - founder of the New Kingdom ( BC
Queen Hatshepsut, “Restorer of Egypt” ( BC)
Deir el-Bahri
Thutmose III “The Napoleon of Egypt” ( BC) >17 military campaigns during 32 year reign- never lost a battle! >captured 350 cities in Palestine & Syria
Akhenaton BC Nefertiti
Tutankhamen King Tut’s burial mask. Howard Carter, 1922
Anubis, God of the Dead
Abu Simbel- temple of Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great)
The Battle of Kadesh, 1275 BCE
Temple of Horus, Ramses III Hekla volcano in Iceland??? Labor strikes Civil unrest Series of droughts Below-normal flooding Famine Official corruption Power grabs by High Priests at Thebes Invasions by Sea Peoples and Libyan tribesmen
Ptolemy I Cleopatra VII
Any questions?