Middle Kingdom 2050 – 1750 BC New Kingdom 1550 – 1050 BC Chapter 4 Section 3

Are you taking notes?

By the end of the Old Kingdom the pharoahs wealth and power was in decline. The nobles had begun to assume power There was no central government, only smaller local rulers

The Hyksos – The Who? Guess what? The Hyksos from southwest Asia invaded Lower Egypt and they were now the rulers! How rude! They had cool horse-drawn chariots and advanced weaponry.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! Finally the Egyptians fought back. Ahmose from Thebes declared himself king and kicked out the Hyksos – Smackdown! As you can see, Ahmose was very handsome:

How about after his morning coffee?

Now to the New Kingdom – Egypt’s time of its greatest power and glory

New Kingdom After that problem with the Hyksos, Egypt’s rulers decided to get serious They began to take control of all invasion routes and formed an empire The areas conquered sent expensive goods annually (yearly) to stay on good terms with them—wouldn’t you?

Trade Egyptian traders now went farther to more distant lands by profitable trade routes Many of the conquered lands had wonderful resources, e.g. the Sinai peninsula had turquoise and copper.

Queen Hatshepsut Hatshepsut was a terrific business woman. She encouraged trade and brought in much wealth. She also encouraged art and architecture and had many impressive monuments built. She also sometimes wore a fake beard to symbolize a pharoah’s power – kind of like a pantsuit today.

Invasions of Egypt Eventually, Egypt started to decline under attacks from the: Tehenu from Asia Minor (Turkey) Hittites (Hit-like hit a ball and ites like in termites) And the Sea Peoples (Southwest Asia) It never regained its former glory.

Ramses the Great He was a great warrior and builder

Scribes Scribes were respected and kept accounts and records. They copied religious stories, literary stories and poems They were not taxed and many became wealthy

Artisans Worked mainly for the government or temples They were highly skilled leather and metalworkers, jewelers, sculptors, builders and carpenters. They were paid fairly well.

Architects and Artists Architects designed the temples and royal tombs Artists mainly worked inside these monuments painting highly detailed scenes

Merchants and Traders They traveled long distances to buy and sell items They were usually accompanied by soldiers, scribes and laborers

Soldiers Men could improve their place in society by becoming professional soldiers They were given land and could keep what they took from the enemy

Farmers and Other Peasants Most people belonged to this group The farmers grew crops and depended on the Nile for water and its regular floods They supported their families and helped each other during harvest (gathering crops).

They had to give part of their crops to the pharoah because he owned all the land Farmers and peasants could be called at any time to help build pyramids or monuments or fight wars They were paid in grain

Slaves They were convicted criminals or prisoners of war They worked on building projects, workshops, and private homes They had some legal rights They could sometimes earn their freedom

Israelite Slaves

Family Life Most families lived together taking in any unmarried female relatives Boys were encouraged to marry early and have children Some women worked outside the home as priestesses, officials, administrators and artisans

Women’s Rights Women could own land, make contracts, and divorce their husbands – this was very unusual in ancient times. They could keep their property after a divorce

Children They played and hunted They received some education in morals (right and wrong), math and sports At 14, boys were expected to go to work with their fathers

Work and Daily Life Boys learned their future jobs from their fathers