1. Ancient Egypt

2. General Information
Unification of two kingdoms developed along the Nile
Lower Egypt
Located along the northern Nile
Good farmland
Access to copper mines in Sinai Peninsula
Upper Egypt
Located along the southern Nile
Established first dynasty
Conquered lower Egypt, unifying the kingdom
Built capital at Memphis

3. General Information
Approximately 30 dynasties (ruling families) from 2700 BC to 1090 BC
Dynasties ruled Egypt for a total of ~ 2700 years
Ancient Egyptian history divided into three periods
Old Kingdom
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom
Years between kingdoms without ruling dynasty usually marked by civil wars and/or invasion

4. Geography of the Nile Region
River
Flows north
Originates in the highlands of Central Africa
Ends in the Mediterranean Sea
Longest river in the world at 4,160 miles (probably)
Floods
Until recently, flooded annually in July
Floods predictable
Added moisture to the soil
Deposited silt, replenishing the soil with nutrients
Caused delta to form at the mouth of the river

7. Influence of Geography on Civilization
Natural barriers on four sides provide obstacles to potential invaders
Susceptible to invasion from:
Across Sinai Peninsula
Across Northern Sinai Desert
Also enabled Egypt to invade others

8. Benefits The river served as a highway Papyrus grew along the river
United villages along the river
Travel was relatively easy on the river
Currents carried barges downstream to the delta
Sails used to catch winds to return upstream
Papyrus grew along the river
Used to make paper

9. Religion in Ancient Egypt
Beliefs
Nature important
Polytheistic
Gods control forces of nature
Gods controlled all life and death
Gods frequently identified with certain animals
Egyptian Gods
Aman Ra
Most important god
Sun god
East represented birth (sunrise)
West represented death (sunset)
Burial temples built on the West bank of the Nile

10. Religion Osiris God of the underworld Judges the dead
Rise & fall of the Nile believed to be
the death & rebirth of Osiris

11. Religion Set God of evil who killed Osiris
Believed to cause failed harvest

12. Religion Isis Wife of Osiris Brought him back to life
Nile floods and brings renewed life
Mother of Horus
Horus
Anubis
Thoth

14. The Afterlife Egyptians believed in a life after death
Believed the dead needed to take with them things they would need in death
Believed the earthly body would be
needed as a home for the soul
Preserved the bodies of the dead through mummification
Originally reserved for rulers
and nobles

15. System of Writing Record keeping of religious rituals prompted writing
~3,100 BC
pictograms- picture of object
Ideograms added to convey ideas
Added symbols for sounds
No symbols for vowel sounds
Symbols evolved into hieroglyphics
Writings carved in wood or stone
Later, symbols painted in ink on papyrus

17. The Rosetta Stone Slab of black rock carved in three languages
Hieroglyphics
Demotic (shorthand hieroglyphics)
Greek
Found in 1799
1822- French scholar Jean Chapollion cracked the code of hieroglyphics because he could read Greek
Enabled scholars to decipher papyrus scrolls of hieroglyphics

18. The Old Kingdom 2700-2200 BC Strong monarchs
Pyramids (including Great Pyramid of Khufu)
Capital: Memphis

21. The Middle Kingdom ~2050-1800 BC
New capital Thebes in upper (southern) Egypt
~1600 BC ruler becomes known as the pharoah
Early female ruler Hatshepsut, who expands through trade
Other pharaohs expand by conquest
Through trade and conquest, Egyptians learn other ideas and blend cultures

23. New Kingdom ~1570- 1090 BC 1370 BC Amenhotep rises to power
Makes Egyptians monotheistic
Aton the sun god
Weak ruler
Priests & soliders unhappy w/ changes
Egypt returned to old ways after his death
1200’s BC rule of Ramses II
Long rule
Many children (52 sons, plus daughters…)
Had temples and tombs built
Mummy of Ramses II

25. Women in Egyptian Society
Status of Women
Relatively high status for that time in history
Could buy and sell property
Could seek divorce (although rare)
Property inherited through female line
Role of wife & mother important
A woman’s status increased
when she had children
Sometimes women considered property,
but were treated kindly
Queen might rule with pharaoh
If pharaoh had more than one wife, the first wife was most important
Her son would be the next pharaoh