1. Chapter 4
Ancient Egypt

2. Geography and Ancient Egypt
The Gift of the Nile
The Nile River
Is the longest river in the world
It flows north from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea
It flows through Upper and Lower Egypt
Along the river are several areas of rapids, called cataracts
At the end of the river, it divides into several branches creating a fertile delta

3. Geography and Ancient Egypt
The Gift of the Nile
Floods
Because it received so little rain, most of the land was desert
Floods deposited fertile silt that made the land well suited for farming

4. Geography and Ancient Egypt
Civilization Develops Along the Nile
Civilization was able to develop in the region because of farming and geography
Farmers developed irrigation systems to help crops grow
Farmers developed, and used, a shadouf to water their crops in their fields
They grew an abundance of wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables
Because of natural barriers, Egypt was hard to invade

5. What is a shadouf?

6. Geography and Ancient Egypt
Kings Unify Egypt
Initially, Upper and Lower Egypt were separate kingdoms
Menes, unified both parts into one kingdom
To show this, he wore the double crown
He became the first pharaoh of Egypt
He started the first dynasty
A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family
He made the city of Memphis the capital

7. Geography and Ancient Egypt
The Crowns of Egypt
Double
Lower
Upper

8. The Old Kingdom Rule by Pharaohs
During the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians developed their political system
They believed pharaohs were kings and gods
Pharaohs had supreme power
They were blamed if crops did not grow well or disease struck
The Old Kingdom was known as the Pyramid Age

9. The Old Kingdom The Social Structure
Society was broken into different classes based on what jobs people had
80% of Egyptians were farmers

11. The Old Kingdom Religion and Egyptian Life
The Egyptians were polytheistic
Their religion was focused on the afterlife
People were mummified before being buried
Mummies were placed in tombs that were filled with art, jewelry, and other treasures
Egyptians believed they needed these items in the afterlife

12. The Old Kingdom The Pyramids
Are huge stone structures that served as pharaoh’s tombs (royals)
Were paid for by collecting taxes
The Great Pyramid was built for Khufu
Is symbolically protected by a sphinx
Is a human-headed lion statue

13. The Middle and New Kingdoms
The Middle Kingdom
Because so many pharaohs built pyramids, the Old Kingdom ended
The power of the pharaoh was taken away
Chaos disrupted life in Egypt
Invaders, called the Hyksos, conquered lower Egypt
Eventually, Ahmose, defeated the Hyksos and re-established the rule of the pharaohs

14. The Middle and New Kingdoms
The New Kingdom
Ahmose started the new kingdom
During this time period, Egypt grew into an Empire by conquering neighboring lands
These conquests made Egypt rich
They also opened new trade routes
Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s only female pharaoh led huge trade expeditions
Ramses the Great was the best pharaoh of the New Kingdom

15. The Middle and New Kingdoms
Work and Daily Life
Most Egyptians lived in their own homes
Men were usually farmers and women cared for the home
Most children went to school and received an education
Children would follow in their parents footsteps

16. Egyptian Achievements
Egyptian Writing
Hieroglyphics developed in Egypt to keep track of taxes
Scribes were the main writers
They wrote on papyrus
Paper made from reeds
We were able to discover what the hieroglyphics meant when Champollion cracked the code of the Rosetta Stone

17. Egyptian Achievements
Temples, Tombs, and Art
The Egyptians were known for their elaborate temples
They were built to honor the gods
They often had sphinxes, obelisks, and pillars decorating them
The walls were covered with paintings and hieroglyphics

19. Egyptian Achievements
Temples, Tombs, and Art
One of most amazing tombs in Egypt is King Tutankhamen’s tomb
It was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter
The tomb was filled with treasures including King Tut’s mummy
The golden mask found on his mummy is one of the most valuable discoveries ever made

21. Ancient Kush The Geography of Early Nubia
The land to the south of Egypt was called Nubia
The word “nub” in Egyptian meant gold
There were huge deposits of gold here
In ancient times, the land was very fertile
Over time, the land became more desert like making it harder to grow food

22. Ancient Kush Kush and Egypt
Kush and Egypt were neighbors and at peace with each other
They were trade partners for many years
As Kush grew larger, Egypt was threatened by their power and so they conquered them
As a result, Kushite culture became more like Egyptian culture
Shabaka, a later ruler in Kush, was buried in a pyramid when he died

23. Ancient Kush Later Kush Kush became a nation based on trade
They established a large trade network, a system of people in different lands who trade goods
They exported gold, pottery, and iron
They imported jewelry and other luxury items
Kushite merchants brought back items and ideas from other cultures

24. Ancient Kush The Decline of Kush
There were many problems that brought the end of Kush
Cattle overgrazed the fertile farmland
Forests were cut down and wood became scarce
New trade route bypassed Kush
In the end, Kush was taken over by the kingdom of Aksum

25. Study Guide What to study? The role of the pharaohs
The importance of hieroglyphics
What happened in each kingdom
Understand the geography of Ancient Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt
The Nile River
Where the best farming was located
What Kush was like
Study notes!