1. Ancient Egypt
7000BC-30BC

2. Big Idea=The 1st civilization in Africa
Essential Questions
How did the Nile influence the development of ancient Egypt?
What role did religion play in ancient Egypt?
How did writing influence ancient Egypt?

3. Nile River
The longest river in the world 4,160 miles, this was the source of life for Egypt.
River overflowed every July and left the soil rich and moist for new planting.
So Egyptians knew that planting could occur every year.
Silt which is left from these overflows enriched the soils that were planted on every year

4. Nile River
Deltas=marshy areas at the mouth of the river and its connection to the Mediterranean sea.
The river connected communities and provided a highway for the upper and lower Egypt
Papyrus a reed that grew along the Nile’s marshy shores was used as paper to write on
A system of natural barriers (waterfalls etc.…) called cataracts made it hard to travel and invade Egypt.
Extensive irrigation systems were developed so farming could flurish

5. Religion
Egyptians religious beliefs developed over time and were embedded within their society
Gods controlled the forces of nature…great crops or crops dying all controlled by the gods.
Egyptians were polytheistic (many gods) they believed that life and death were controlled by these gods.
Animals often identified as gods such as cats.

6. Egyptian Gods
Amon-Rey=sun god most important god…rose in the east representing birth and went down in the west representing death.
Egyptians built funeral temples on the west bank of the Nile.
Osiris=god of the Nile…believed to be murdered and brought back to life by Isis his wife. God of the underworld and judge of the dead.
Life after death=if Osiris judge your life one without sin you went to the Happy field or the after life
Wealthy Egyptians prepared for the after life by building elaborate tombs filled with riches needed in the after life.
The needed to also keep their bodies preserved because they were temples for their souls.
Scientist in recent centuries are were at awe by the mummification and how well preserved these bodies were.

7. Writing
Hieroglyphics=3100BC the Egyptians form of writing first on stone or wood then on papyrus
Pictograms=pictures or symbols
Ideograms=pictures that represented an idea or action
The French discovered ancient Egyptian writings…Rosetta stone was deciphered by the early 19th century allowing scientist to translate thousands of records left by this civilization.

8. Old-Middle-New kingdoms
Essential questions:
How did the Old Kingdom centralized government?
How the Old and Middle kingdoms differ?
What were the contributions of the New kingdom?

9. Old Kingdom Menes the first great ruler of upper and lower Egypt.
Menes probably established a line of rulers that were direct descendants known as dynasties about 3100BC.
Old kingdom 2700BC-2200 BC
Pharaohs (Great House) were the rulers of Egypt during this period
Believed to be the son of Amon-Re
Absolute ruler of all facets of Egyptian life

10. Centralized government
Pharaohs organized leaders of individual provinces
Supervised and led tax collectors
Organized and managed building and irrigation systems in each province of the kingdom
Elaborate construction of step pyramids by a young engineer Imhotep that the great pyramid Sakkara…old kingdom is sometimes referred as the pyramid age
These massive structures symbolized the wealth and power.

11. The end of the Old Kingdom
Because the building of these pyramids took time and money the common people began to resent the government and the Pharaohs.
The building took a toll on the people of Egypt and eventually the pharaohs began to lose power
For 150 years a series of revolts and civil wars weakened the government and the Old kingdom era ended around 2200 BC.