1. Ancient Egypt

2. Ancient Egypt

4. Egypt began along the Nile River in North Africa
Egypt was bordered on both sides by desert which isolated & protected Egyptians from outsiders
The Geography of Egypt
From the highlands of East Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River flows northward across Africa for over 4,100 miles, making it the longest river in the world. A thin ribbon of water in a parched desert land, the great river brings its water to Egypt from distant mountains, plateaus, and lakes in present-day Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Egypt’s settlements arose along the Nile on a narrow strip of land made fertile by the river. The change from fertile soil to desert—from the Black Land to the Red Land—was so abrupt that a person could stand with one foot in each.
The Gift of the Nile As in Mesopotamia, yearly flooding brought the water and rich soil that allowed settlements to grow. Every year in July, rains and melting snow from the mountains of east Africa caused the Nile River to rise and spill over its banks. When the river receded in October, it left behind a rich deposit of fertile black mud called silt. Before the scorching sun could dry out the soil, the peasants would prepare their wheat and barley fields. All fall and winter they watered their crops from a network of irrigation ditches. In an otherwise parched land, the abundance brought by the Nile was so great that the Egyptians worshiped it as a god who gave life and seldom turned against them. As the ancient Greek historian Herodotus remarked in the fifth century B.C., Egypt was the “gift of the Nile.”

5. The Nile River’s annual floods were predictable & provided fertile soil for farming
The Nile flooded so predictably that the Egyptians designed their calendar around it

6. Lasting Contributions
Advanced Cities:
Cities developed along the Nile River in “Upper Egypt” & “Lower Egypt”

7. Lasting Contributions
Specialized Workers: ?
Pharaoh was believed to be the god Horus.

8. Society
During the flood times of the Nile, farmers would work on government construction projects.
Slaves were those who usually hailed from conquered lands
Women held more rights than most ancient women
Own property, make contracts, divorce, two even became pharaohs

9. Lasting Contributions
Religion:
Egyptians were polytheistic & believed the gods controlled all aspects of life
Horus – son of Osiris and pharaoh
Isis – Wife of Osiris, Mother of Horus
Thot – Scribe of the gods, magician that knew all, god of the moon
Osiris – God of the underworld
Amon – Re/Ra – Sun god, King of all of the gods

10. Religion
Like those in Mesopotamia, the Egyptians would also make offerings to the gods to gain favor and protection.
Egyptians also believed in an after-life. However, in order to move on one’s body must be preserved.
Thus the process of mummification

11. Lasting Contributions
Government :
Pharaohs ruled Egypt as “king-gods” & were thought to control nature
The Great Pyramid was built at exactly 30’ Latitude and 30’ Longitude. The center of all the worlds land mass. Each side divides the earth into 4 equal quarters. - Was once covered in white limestone causing it to shine in the sunlight. Muslims took off the casings to make their own buildings.

12. Egyptians constructed pyramids and elaborate tombs for the pharaohs.
Later the wealthy could also afford to be placed in tombs to move on in the afterlife.

13. Took 70 days to complete. Believed the Ka (conscience) would leave the body and go to the underworld. Ka would periodically return and needed a body to inhabit with food and possessions surrounding it.

16. Lasting Contributions
Writing:
Egyptian hieroglyphics was both pictograms & a phonetic alphabet 
Discovered by Napoleon and his men – 3 styles of writing. Hieroglyphs at the top, demonic in the middle, and Greek at the bottom. Using the Greek they were able to translate the rest and unlocked the mystery of Hieroglyphs.

17. Hieroglyphics were translated  using the Rosetta Stone
 - Found by Napoleon and his men, the stone was eventually translated using the Demonic and Greek languages on the stone.

18. Lasting Contributions
Technology:
Egyptian ideas included a 365-day calendar, geometry, astronomy, paper (from papyrus) & pyramids

19. Lasting Contributions
Due to mummification, Ancient Egyptians knew a lot about the human body
Physicians could set broken bones, stitch up wounds,
soak bandages with
honey to prevent
infection, etc.
Adult life expectancy – 35 years

20. The Fall of Ancient Egypt
While the desert provided some protection from outside invaders, Egypt was by no means untouched by them.
During the New Kingdom Era, Egypt was attacked by the Hittites ( a group from Anatolia)
They started making their weapons using iron which gave them a big advantage during the time.
These attacks led to the long decline and weakened them for others to attack.