Unit 2The First

CivilizationsEgypt, India Middle East

China

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

GeographyThe Nile River – Longest

River in the World. (4,160 Miles)

River flows South to North into a Fan

Wind blows North to SouthTrade, Travel, Linking

Kingdom (Uniting) Transportation, Supply of

WaterCataracts (or rapids)

?

Egyptian Civilization along 750 miles of the Nile

Heavy Rains = Summer FloodsFarmers (Two to Three crops a year)

Food? Canals (Irrigation systems) Planning promoted cooperation

among people.Granite, Sandstone & Limestone in

River (Building materials)

Natural BarriersNubian & Libyan DesertsMediterranean & Red SeasWell 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?

HieroglyphicsCharacteristics 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 soundsCarved in stone hard materialsScribes – read and wrote, worked for church & government

PapyrusEgyptian discovered a

way to make paperPapyrus = Paper

Ink - soot, water, and plant juice (brush – rush)Documents: medical

books, calendars, stories, poems, & prayers

Easy to carry around (clay)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCR8n7qS43w

Rosetta Stone1798 French Army invaded

EgyptFrench officer discovered

unusual stoneWhy the name Rosetta?Carved in Stone (Greek, hieroglyphics, demotic)

French language expert solved the mystery of

hieroglyphics, used G Greek to decode it

Old Kingdom

2680 B.C. to 2180

B.C.

3200 B.C. Menes (King Upper) united Upper & Lower EgyptFounded Dynasty – Rule passed through FamilyPharaoh (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

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)

Middle Kingdom

2050 B.C. to 1780 B.C.

“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

New Kingdom

1570 B.C. to 1080 B.C.

Great Pharaohs regain power (city of Thebes)

Powerful & Strong ArmyGained territory (Eastern end of

Mediterranean)

Built Empire ruling over Ethnic Groups

Hatshepsut (1503-1482 B.C.) – First known female Pharaoh

(death of husband)Strong ruler, maintain boarders,

built trade with other lands

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”

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

e

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

Bookmark Project

Front Side- Translate first name into new Egyptian nameDraw symbols vertically on BookmarkColor and decorate front side

Back side- Pick 5 symbols that represent you egyptartsite.com/symlst.htmlSeparate Paper (Paragraph) 1.What the symbol means? 2.Why it represents you?

Examples