1. Unit 2 The First Civilizations
Egypt, India Middle East China

2. The Nile River Valley (Egypt)
6000 B.C.E. – 300 B.C.E

3. Geography The Nile River – Longest River in the World. (4,160 Miles)
River flows South to North into a Fan
Wind blows North to South
Trade, Travel, Linking Kingdom (Uniting)
Transportation, Supply of Water
Cataracts (or rapids)

4. HERODOTUS
“When the Nile overflows, it floods both its banks to an average distance of forty miles. But why it does so I find it impossible to discover….I would particularly like to know why it starts flooding in mid-summer, of all times, and goes on doing so for over three months before sinking back to its original level…”

5. Egyptian Civilization along 750 miles of the Nile ?
Egyptian Civilization along 750 miles of the Nile
Heavy Rains = Summer Floods
Farmers (Two to Three crops a year) Food?
Canals (Irrigation systems) Planning promoted cooperation among people.
Granite, Sandstone & Limestone in River (Building materials)

6. Natural Barriers Nubian & Libyan Deserts Mediterranean & Red Seas
Well protected from invaders
Isthmus of Suez – Land bridge between Africa & Asia (Trade, Idea exchanges)
How did the Nile River contribute to the development of Egyptian civilization?

7. Hieroglyphics Characteristics of a Civilization (5) What are they?
3000 B.C. Nile Valley People developed Hieroglyphics (form of writing)
600 signs, pictures, symbols that represents words and sounds
Carved in stone hard materials
Scribes – read and wrote, worked for church & government

9. Papyrus Egyptian discovered a way to make paper Papyrus = Paper
Ink - soot, water, and plant juice (brush – rush)
Documents: medical books, calendars, stories, poems, & prayers
Easy to carry around (clay)

10. Rosetta Stone 1798 French Army invaded Egypt
French officer discovered unusual stone
Why the name Rosetta?
Carved in Stone (Greek, hieroglyphics, demotic)
French language expert solved the mystery of hieroglyphics, used G Greek to decode it

11. Old Kingdom
2680 B.C. to 2180 B.C.

12. 3200 B.C. Menes (King Upper) united Upper & Lower Egypt
Founded Dynasty – Rule passed through Family
Pharaoh (great house) held all power (government, judges, high priests, army & trade)
Pyramid Age & Great Sphinx – stood as symbols glory of Egyptian Civilization
Three Pyramids built in Giza (King Khufu) (Khafre) (Menkaure)
Sphinx stands to guard Khafre’s pyramid

13. Upper (Pharaoh, royal family, scribes, government, priests, nobles)
Two classes
Lower (peasants, farmers, army, labor) Could improve status but not class
Upper (Pharaoh, royal family, scribes, government, priests, nobles)
Women equal status to men (could own property)
Nobility became stronger, Pharaoh’s power weakened (Ended Kingdom)
Civil wars (100 years)

14. Middle Kingdom
2050 B.C. to 1780 B.C.

15. “Golden Age” (Stability, Prosperity, & Increased Trade)
New line of Pharaoh’s reunited Egypt
Period of Time: “Hyksos” (Foreigners) Asia – introduced new war tools chariot, compound bow
Nobility regroups grows strong again
Hyksos was driven out of Egypt

16. 1570 B.C. to 1080 B.C.
New Kingdom

17. Great Pharaohs regain power (city of Thebes)
Powerful & Strong Army
Gained territory (Eastern end of Mediterranean)
Built Empire ruling over Ethnic Groups
Hatshepsut ( B.C.) – First known female Pharaoh (death of husband)
Strong ruler, maintain boarders, built trade with other lands

18. Before belief in many Gods (Polytheism)
1380 B.C. to 1362 B.C. Pharaoh Amenhotep IV ( Social and Religious change)
Before belief in many Gods (Polytheism)
Amenhotep believed in one God (Monotheism) “The Sun”
God symbolized by solar disk (Aton)
Pharaoh changed name (Akhenaton) “he who is pleasing to Aton”

19. People didn’t want change in one God
Akhenaton dies priests gain control
Ramses II – (1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C.) Ramses the Great
Held Empire together, Built many Temples & Monuments
Last Great Pharaoh
Series of Sea People weakened Egypt
Assyrians, Nubians, & Persians attacked
By 300 B.C. rule by Egyptians Ended

20. e

21. Achievements Mined Copper, made Bronze
Engineering skills – Pyramids, Tombs, Canals (Irrigation systems)
365 Day Calendar
Medical advances – Surgery, Setting the Bone
Chariot, Compound Bow
Making paper out of papyrus plant
Sculpture, pottery

22. Bookmark Project
Front Side- Translate first name into new Egyptian name
Draw symbols vertically on Bookmark
Color and decorate front side
Back side- Pick 5 symbols that represent you egyptartsite.com/symlst.html
Separate Paper (Paragraph) 1.What the symbol means? 2.Why it represents you?

23. Examples