Egypt “The Gift of the Nile”

“Gift of the Nile” Video

Nile River

Nile River From Space

Nile River Most Egyptians lived near the Nile as it provided water, food, transportation and excellent soil for growing food. Ancient Egypt could not have existed without the river Nile. Since rainfall is almost non-existent in Egypt, the floods provided the only source of moisture to sustain crops. The floods also left behind Valuable “silt” that helped replenish the fields.

Facts About the Nile River Length 4,184 miles 2 Sources Lake Victoria, Uganda (White Nile); Lake Tana, Ethiopia (Blue Nile) Mouth Mediterranean Sea, off Egypt Countries Flows Through Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi Name Origin Greek word Nelios, which means "River Valley"

Nile Delta Located in northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and empties into the Mediterranean Sea 240 km of coastline, 106 km in length Rich agricultural region Most fertile soil in Africa

Floodplain The low strip of fertile land located on either side of the Nile River The river flooded during the annual inundation When the inundation subsided, it left the earth soaked and overlaid with a fresh layer of black silt. Most of the farming occurred here

Ancient Egyptians Video

Pyramids Pyramids were tombs for the kings. The Egyptians believed that if the pharaoh's body could be mummified after death the pharaoh would live forever. The tombs were designed to protect the buried Pharaoh's body and his belongings.

Social Classes PHARAOH Earthly leader; considered a god 2 Social Classes PHARAOH Earthly leader; considered a god HIGH PRIESTS AND PRIESTESSES Served gods and goddesses NOBLES Fought pharaoh’s wars MERCHANTS, SCRIBES, AND ARTISANS Made furniture, jewelry, and fabrics for pharaohs and nobles, and provided for other needs PEASANT FARMERS AND SLAVES Worked in the fields and served the pharaoh

Egyptian Gifts’: Hieroglyphics Hieroglyphics is the picture writing used in ancient Egypt. The word hieroglyphics is made up of two Greek words - hieros, which means sacred, and glyph, which means carving. The Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system consists of several hundred picture signs. The signs can be divided into two classes, phonograms and ideograms

Phonograms represent sounds, much as alphabet letters do Phonograms represent sounds, much as alphabet letters do. Ideograms are signs that represent whole words or concepts.

Egyptian Gifts’: Paper Making paper from papyrus

Religion: Polytheistic Belief that many gods and goddesses ruled the world and the afterlife Amon-Re: sun god Osiris: god of the underworld and of the Nile The pharaoh was believed to be a god as well as a ruler Falcon Headed Sun God

VENN Diagram Comparing Modern Americans and Ancient Egyptians   Comparing Modern Americans and Ancient Egyptians VENN Diagram   Modern Americans Ancient Egyptians