Egypt  Geography Desert o“Redlands” oNatural barriers to invasion Nile River o“Blacklands” Kemet oUnlike Mesopotamia, river serene and predictable oRiver was everything to Egyptians: life and communication Mediterranean and Red Seas

 Political Egypt separated into two distinct regions: Upper and Lower Egypt These regions unified by King Menes during the Archaic Period 3000 BC to 2700 BC Pharaoh – “great house” or “palace ” People began to use hieroglyphics to write Use of irrigation ditches

History Archaic Period: Narmer(Menes) united Upper and Lower Egypt 1.Old Kingdom (2700 BC. To 2200 BC) 2.Middle Kingdom (2050 BC to 1800 BC) 3.New Kingdom (1500 BC BC Covers a huge block of time….over 3,000 years. Historians noticed something interesting. During this huge time period Egypt was ruled by Pharaohs. Power was passed in families called dynasties. Historians noticed that much of the history of Egypt could be divided into three large blocks of time. In each block, the Pharaohs of the 31 dynasties behaved in a certain way

 Age of Pyramid Builders  2700 BC– 2180 BC  step pyramid(series of mastabas) for King Zoser(Djoser) near Memphis  His vizier was Imhotep Power virtually unlimited  Pharaoh was considered child of the sun god (Re)  Pharaoh’s chief subordinates were the priests – pharaoh was the chief priest… believed to enjoy eternal life

 Egypt eventually divided into 42 provinces administered by a governor  Governors reported to the Pharaoh or his chief bureaucratic official, the Vizier  The Old Kingdom was a period of great peace  Pharaoh had no standing army – each local area had its own militia  There was little to no slavery  Most of the large pyramids were constructed during the Old Kingdom

The pyramids at Giza built for King Khufu(Cheops)

Contrary to popular belief, the pyramids were not built with slave labor but by the Egyptian people. How was it done?

 The Old Kingdom fell about 2200 BCE Financial problems due to construction of the pyramids Crop failures Provincial nobles usurped power from central government – warred against each other Pyramids, tombs statues and temples looted and destroyed Period of chaos called the First Intermediate Period – ended with rise of Middle Kingdom around 2050 BCE

 Ruled through an alliance composed of middle class – nobility kept in check  Period of expansion – Nubia conquered  Construction of public works versus pyramids  Religion democratized – hope of salvation of common people  Trade increases with Syria and Mesopotamia

 Middle Kingdom considered golden age of Egypt  Middle Kingdom possibly weakened by nobles revolting  Period of chaos followed  Weakened Egypt conquered by Hyksos  Hyksos introduce horse drawn chariot, use of bronze, new weapons

 Hyksos gained power through superior weapons: chariots and bronze weapons  Egyptians learned from Hyksos – united as one people to oust them  Ahmose became powerful as power of nobility severely curtailed  Thebes becomes capital of Egypt

 Egypt became imperialistic – appetite whetted for war and conquest  The large army gathered to destroy the Hyksos used by pharaoh to expand territory  Egypt conquered into Libya and Syria  Prisoners of war = large slave population

 Hatshepsut First of four female rulers of Egypt Became pharaoh as regent for son Succeeded by son Thutmose III Son destroyed most records of Hatshepsut

 Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton) Established monotheism Aton- the sun god Queen Nefertiti Short reign (~15 years)

 Polytheism restored by boy- pharaoh Tutankhamen  Ramses II (The Great)  The Treaty of Kadesh - Egypt & Hittites  Conquered by nomadic Sea People  Last real independent kingdom Libyans, Nubians (Kush), Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Europeans Forensic experts have re-created the real Tutankhamen