Lesson 3 - The Pyramid Builders

The Old Kingdom The First Dynasty Began around 2925 B.C. Dynasty – a line of rulers from the same family The order in which members of a royal family inherit a throne is called the succession More than 30 dynasties ruled ancient Egypt How historians divide Egyptian dynasties: The Old Kingdom – 2575 B.C. The Middle Kingdom – 2130 B.C. The New Kingdom Pharaohs Rule The king of Egypt Ruled from the capital city of Memphis Ancient Egyptians thought the pharaoh was a child of the gods and a god himself. Because the pharaoh was thought to be a god, government and religion were not separate in ancient Egypt.

Khufu’s Great Pyramid Pyramids began when kings wanted more permanent burial monuments B.C. King Djoser built a step pyramid The oldest-known large stone structure in the world. The Great Pyramid Khufu wanted a monument that would show the world how great he was. Each side was about 760ft. long and the core was built from 2.3 million blocks of stone. Took nearly 20 years to build An estimated 20,000 Egyptians worked on it A city called Giza was built for the pyramid workers and the people who fed, clothed, and housed them

King Djoser Step Pyramid

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Inside of a Tomb Today Show - Inside of a Pyramid

Middle Kingdom Began losing their power to local rulers of the provinces Invasions Hyksos invaded Egypt from the northeast Able to conquer by using better weapons and horse-drawn chariots, which were new to Egyptians After about 100 years, the Egyptians drove out the Hyksos and began the New Kingdom

Exit Slip What is another name for the king of Egypt? Who built the first step pyramid? A. DjoserB. Khufu C. HyksosD. Hatshepsut List ONE fact about the Great Pyramid. True or False: The Hyksos were able to conquer the Egyptians using better weapons and horse- drawn carriages.