1. The Last Word: No Homework It's incredible, really. It features a central spire and an encircling picket-fence that's been reinforced by horizontal rails, and is strung together by a series of radially oriented guy wires. The structure measures less than 2 cm across. And here's the real kicker: nobody knows what made it.

2. Egyptians, Kush and Axum

3.  The earliest civilization in Africa History  People settle next to the Nile between 10 - 7000BC  Upper (south, upriver) and Lower (north, downriver) Egypt develop  Egyptian civilization begins around 3000BC when Menes unites Upper and Lower Egypt  End of ancient Egypt occurs with Roman conquest after death of Cleopatra in 27BC.

4.  The Nile – life centered on the yearly flooding of this river  Cycle of Inundation, Emergence, and Drought  While flood occurred, farmers helped to construct pharaoh’s building projects  After waters recede, farmers plant and harvest crops  **Good flood and harvest = stability

5.  Ruled by the Pharaoh – owned all the land, issued and collected taxes  Was considered a god, then a representative of god  Society structured according to classes  Viziers, governors, scribes, artisans, farmers/laborers, slaves

6.  Polytheistic – worshipped and believed in many gods  Amon Re, the Sun God, was most important  Many other gods ▪ Osiris, god of the underworld.  Belief in afterlife - Elaborate burial rituals included pyramids

7. Egyptian belief in how the dead would be judged.

8.  “Sacred writing”; Picture form of writing developed by the Egyptians  May have been the first form of writing (ca. 3200BC)  Over 2000 characters; ignored or omitted vowels  Pronunciation was key  Often written on the walls of temples or on papyrus  Cartouche – a “name tag”, believed to protect the name of the pharaoh

15.  South of Egypt

18.  South of Kush