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Ancient Egyptian Ancient Egyptian Civilization of the Nile Civilization of the Nile

River ValleyRiver Valley

Textbook Pages 44-57Textbook Pages 44-57

Nile RiverNile River: : Longest river in World. (4132 miles) Longest river in World. (4132 miles) Located in Africa. Located in Africa. Dumps into the Mediterranean Sea and Dumps into the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River Delta. the Nile River Delta. Floods in the summer leaving behind Floods in the summer leaving behind fertile soil.fertile soil.IrrigationIrrigation enabled farmers to grow a enabled farmers to grow a variety of crops and feed a large number variety of crops and feed a large number of people. (Wheat, barley, flax, cotton).of people. (Wheat, barley, flax, cotton).TransportationTransportationNile River flows North. Wind currents Nile River flows North. Wind currents blow South. blow South. Paddle down River with water currents.Paddle down River with water currents.Sail up River with wind currents.Sail up River with wind currents.

Sahara DesertSahara DesertDesert and surrounding seas provide protection from Desert and surrounding seas provide protection from invaders.invaders.3000BC 3000BC HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics emerge as a form of writing. emerge as a form of writing.(600 signs/ pictures that represents words and objects) (600 signs/ pictures that represents words and objects) carved in stone carved in stone difficult to producedifficult to produce

learned to make paper learned to make paper papyruspapyrusinkink soot, water, plant juice soot, water, plant juice

Rosetta StoneRosetta Stone – Stone found with 3 languages written – Stone found with 3 languages written on it.(Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic.) on it.(Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic.)

*This stone was used to unlock the secret of the *This stone was used to unlock the secret of the hieroglyphics.hieroglyphics.

Egyptian KingdomsBefore 3400 BC – 2 kingdoms Upper Egypt (South) and Lower Egypt (North)After 3200BC Menes (Namer), King of Upper Egypt unites Upper and Lower Egypt and establishes a ruling dynasty. A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family or line. Dynasties ruled Egypt from 3200BC – 300BC.Pharaoh King of Egypt. He is both a religious and a political leader. -The pharaoh has absolute or unlimited power. He could do anything he wanted to and make any law he chose. This was called the “divine right of kings”. -They were regarded as godlike and temples where built in their honor. -Posthumously they were mummified and placed in tombs (sometimes in pyramids to protect them and help escort them into the afterlife.)

The Old KingdomOnce Menes united Egypt he made Memphis the capital of Egypt.During the Old Kingdom many of the pyramids were built. -The Great Pyramid of Giza was build as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu. -There were also other great advancement in science and the arts. (sphinx, pyramids, mummification, etc.)

Social ClassPeasants, farmers, army, labor (most production goes to king) Little/NO social mobility

Pharaoh, royal family, priests, scribes govt officials eventually grow into a noble class

Pharaoh has helpers to rule over the large empire.

Nobles gain more power and have a power struggle with the pharaoh internal strife

The Middle KingdomMentuhotep - 2040BC Re-united Egypt. He created a central monarchy and made Thebes the new capital. -The pharaoh once again had all the power in the land.

-Egypt experienced a period of expansion. Traders went to neighboring lands. Projects:A) draining of swampland in the Nile Delta new farmland B) digging of a canal to connect the Nile to the Red Sea trade and transportation.

The Middle Kingdom comes to an end when foreigners from western Asia known as Hyksos came into the country with their horse-drawn chariots and superior weapons (scimitars) and ruled Egypt for almost 100 years.

The New Kingdom-Eventually leaders in Egypt drove out the Hyksos and re-united by a line of strong pharaohs.-Ruled strong and strict.-Gained land, build and empire when an individual or single people rule over many other people and their territories.The NEW Kingdom is know as the “Golden Age” and a period of stability and prosperity. Hatshepsut 1503BC- 1482BC – 1st female pharaoh. Kept boarders secure and increased trade with other lands. Built a huge temple at Deir el Bahri.Thutmose III 1482BC – 1450BC– (Stepson/nephew) Great conquest and trade at the height of Egypt’s power. Called “the conqueror”.

Amenhotop IV 1380BC – 1362BC – believed in one god, the sun god Ra (Re, Aten, etc.). Monotheism – The belief in one god. Most Egyptians were polytheistic – the belief in many gods. -He tries to bring about religious and social changes. Tries to get Egyptians to only believe in Ra. -Changes his own name to Akhenaton (“he who is pleasing to Aton”) -Not successful. Many believed that destroying the Egyptian gods was the same as destroying Egypt.

Tutankhamen (King Tut), the boy pharaoh undoes Akhenaton’s changes and restores polytheism back to Egypt. He dies young.-His tomb was found untouched in the “Valley of the Kings” in the 1920s.

Egypt’s DeclineRamses II 1279BC – 1213 BC – Ordered temples and monuments to be built. -Also called “Ramses the Great”. -Unable to re-establish strong boarders. -Pharaohs that followed him were not strong leaders and for the next thousand years (~300BC) Egypt was dominated by outsiders.

Cleopatra VII tried to re-establish Egypt’s independence in the 1st century BC but was unsuccessful and Egypt became a providence in Rome’s empire.