Ancient Egyptians and the Environment 2850 BC-525 BC Egypt/North Eastern Africa

Social Structure Pharaoh Nobles Peasant Farmers Slaves The son of the sun A God among people Nobles Appointed by the pharaoh Most important were the scribes Peasant Farmers Majority of society Slaves Still lived better than slaves anywhere else Could own property

The Nile People depended on the Nile for everything- literally Regular flooding deposited silt/fertilized farmland Houses built of river mud

Pharaoh and his Job Perform rituals to keep society safe and well-fed Sympathetic magic Literally thought to keep the sun rising each morning “Responsible” for the regular flooding of the Nile

When the Nile floods regularly… People can’t farm so they build monuments (ex pyramids) for the pharaoh. (June to October) Crop yields increase so the pharaoh can tax the people more People are happy so they trust the Pharaoh- results in unity build his irrigation systems- increases productivity

Farming People depended on irrigation to water their fields Important since the Nile cuts through Sahara desert Farmed using plows, hand tools Barley, wheat, fig trees Used animals to help cultivate soil and irrigation

Writing System Egyptians wrote in hieroglyphics on papyrus Paper from reed like plants that grow on the Nile River Bank Kept track of everything in the kingdom Taxes Food People News Book of the Dead Only the scribes could write- coveted position

Religion Most Gods are connected to nature/natural phenomenon Ra- Sun God most important Osiris- God of farming/agriculture, God of the underworld Nut swallows and gives birth to the sun Ma’at- idea of cycle life and death (just like Nile River cycles)

Trade Nile is the superhighway to transfer Troops Goods Ideas

How is Egypt Vulnerable? If the Nile’s cycle of flooding and receding isn’t regular… People lose faith in the Pharaoh (taxes and power decrease) More likely to trust local priests and Gods- disunity People starve because irrigation won’t work well Society becomes weak and ripe for invasion Trade slows (less water to sail on) and people are not healthy to travel