1. Ch. 2: The First Civilizations
Sec. 1: Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile

2. The Land: Its Geography & Importance
The Nile is the longest R. in the world; it flows from south to north branching into a fan-shaped delta emptying into the Med. Sea
Natural route for transportation & supply of H2O
The current let early people go north & the winds let people go south

3. In the summer the Nile would flood & farmers would plan around the floods
They dug short canals to carry H20 to the fields—irrigation system promoted cooperation among the people
Travel up & down river allowed trade linking all parts of the Nile valley & helped the Egyptians unite into one kingdom

4. Used deposits of granite, sandstone, & limestone as building materials
The deserts & seas that surrounded the Nile valley acted as a natural protection against invaders

5. Early Steps Toward Civilization
Neolithic culture developed in valley around 6000 B.C.
3800B.C. mined copper for tools & jewelry; discovered how to make bronze & glaze pottery

6. 3000 B.C. developed hieroglyphics, a form of writing that used more than 600 signs, pictures, or symbols to represent words or sounds

7. At first they carved on stone, then they used a papyrus plant to make paper

8. 1799 the Rosetta Stone was found; passages in Greek, hieroglyphics, & the Egyptian writing called demotic were found- this led to the translation of the hieroglyphics

9. The Egyptian Kingdoms
Two cultures developed along the Nile: Lower Egypt in the north & Upper Egypt in the south
3200 B.C. Menes (king of Upper Egypt) united all of Egypt
Menes founded a dynasty, or family of rulers
Menes & his successors gained new territory, improved irrigation & trade = Egypt grew wealthy

10. They were religious & political leaders; regarded as kings; took the title of pharaoh – held absolute power; led gov’t, served as judges, high priests, & generals
From Menes to 300B.C. is split into three kingdoms
Old Kingdom – built Great Sphinx
Society split into two classes: lower class (peasants & farmers) & upper class (pharaoh, royal family, priests, scribes, & gov’t officials

11. End of Old Kingdom – pharaohs grew weaker & the nobles grew stronger = civil wars; First Intermediate Period
Middle Kingdom - new line of pharaohs reunited Egypt “golden age”
People called the Hyksos (foreigners) came to Egypt from Asia
Hyksos introduces the chariot & compound bow; believed to have brought on Second Intermediate Period

12. Leaders eventually drove the Hyksos out & the New Kingdom began
New Kingdom pharaohs built an empire, a form of gov’t in which an individual or a single people rules over many other peoples & their territories
Hatshepsut - one of 1st female rulers = strong ruler; kept Egypt’s borders secure; built trade w/ other lands

13. Her stepson, Thutmose III brought Egypt to the height of its power through conquest & trade
Amenhotep IV tried to bring religious & social change by believing in only one god – monotheism
Egyptians believed that many gods existed - polytheism

14. Amenhotep worshipped the Sun God, Aton, he changed his name to Akhenaton
He couldn’t change his people’s religious beliefs & after Akhenaton died, Egyptians returned to polytheism
The last strong pharaohs was Ramses II; kept empire together, ordered the construction of many temples & monuments

15. The pharaohs were not successful & by 300 B. C
The pharaohs were not successful & by 300 B.C. rule in Egypt by Egyptians came to an end

16. Quiz Ch. 2 Sec. 1
1. How did the Nile River contribute to the development of Egyptian civilization?
A. provided a route for travel north & south
B. provided a route for trade
C. aided or contributed to farming
D. all of the above

17. 2. What evidence indicates that Egyptians were creating a civilization?
A. mining metals
B. writing
C. both A and B
D. neither A or B

18. 3. How were the Egyptian Kingdoms split up?
A. First, Second, Third
B. Old, Middle, New
C. Earliest, Recent, Most Recent
D. Past, Present, Future

19. 4. What was the name of the people that introduced the chariot and the compound bow?
A. Egyptians
B. Chaldeans
C. Hyksos
D. Sumerians

20. 5. Who was the first female ruler of Egypt?
A. Hatshepsut
B. Thutmose III
C. Amenhotep IV
D. Ramses II

21. 6. Egyptians believed in many Gods, this is called _________________.
A. Monotheism
B. Catholicism
C. Christian
D. Polytheism

22. 7. What kind of rule characterized the height of each Egyptian kingdom?
A. strong rule by pharaohs
B. strong rule by high priests
C. strong rule by kings
D. strong rule by presidents