1. ANCIENT EGYPT & NUBIA

2. EGYPT IS THE GIFT OF THE NILE
The course of the Nile
Nile world’s longest river
Flows more than 4,000 miles
Two main sources – Blue Nile & White Nile
They meet in present day Kartoum

3. TWO MAIN SOURCES OF NILE
Blue Nile
Rises high in highlands
Thundering torrents
White Nile
Begins in Central Africa
Flows into swamps
Is calmer

4. THE NILE THROUGH ANCIENT NUBIA
Nile makes two huge bends, forming an S
Northern tip – city of Aswan – 1,000 mile stretch – land of Nubia
Six rock-filled rapids called cataracts
1st & 2nd cataracts – lower Nubia
Very little farmable land
People had to live close to Nile for water supply
5th & 6th cataracts – Upper Nubia
Rain falls – farm in summer and fall
Farmland narrow strip – 2 miles wide

5. Cataracts of the Nile River
Cataracts are natural barriers to keep people from invading.
Cataracts prevented travel on river, so had to travel on land

6. THE NILE THROUGH ANCIENT EGYPT
Upper Egypt – Nile ran 700 miles – fertile strip – 6 miles wide
Lower Egypt – fertile marshy area
In north flows into Mediterranean Sea
Triangle shape called a delta – fertile farmland

7. Rich, fertile soil called silt – ideal for farming
THE GIFTS OF THE NILE
Rich, fertile soil called silt – ideal for farming
In gratitude – Egyptians praised Hapi – god of Nile

8. BLACK LAND & RED LAND Kemet – “the Black land” – because of dark soil
Did not have to worry about flash flooding
“Red Land” – the vast desert – Sahara – useless for farming
Hot sands shielded Egypt & Nubia from foreign attack
Nile Valley a path for trade with Central Africa
Mediterranean Sea & Red Sea provided access to SW Asia

9. BLACK LAND & RED LAND
BLACK LAND
RED LAND

10. CIVILIZATIONS ALONG THE NILE
Communities appeared around 4,000 B.C. – Lower Egypt
Homes build of straw or brick made from straw and mud
Nubian communities around 3,800 B.C.
Farming was difficult – fished – hunted duck and other birds along the water

11. Straw & Mud House
Houses made of mud and straw.

12. GROWTH OF TRADE Nile highway for trade
Ship float downriver because Nile flowed north
Sail upriver – winds blew toward south
Caravans – loaded with gold, silver, copper, pottery
Valuable goods – cedar, gold – sold in bazaars
Cataracts prevented travel on river – developed trade routes over land
“throw-stick” – African version of a boomerang

13. “Throw-stick”
African Boomerang