ANCIENT EGYPT

Geography Early Egypt

• The Nile – most important physical feature

in Egypt– 4,000 miles long– flows through the Sahara

Desert – Predictable floodwaters with

spring rains– Left rich, black silt– Narrow band of fertile soil

• Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there.

Two Kingdoms

• First farming villages as early as 5000 BC

• Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt (hedjet)

• Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt (deshret)

-> spoke different dialects, has different customs

Unification• around 3100 BC• Upper Egypt ruler Menes

conquered north • Founded capital city of Memphis• First of 31 dynasties

Many of the institutions for which the Egyptian civilization is known were created during the period which began around

2650 BC.

• Most famous symbols of Egypt• Largest located near Giza• Built as tombs for rulers

– Hollow chamber for burial – Treasures buried with them– Deadly traps within

• Design changed to smooth-sided over time

• Took great planning and skill• Ordered when kings took the

throne • Built from the inside out• Not built by slaves

– Peasants required to work

one month per year– Professional craftspeople

like architects, artists

Building PyramidsThe Pyramids

Pharaohs

• pharaoh = great house (after 1554 BC name for ruler)

• high priest of all temples => was believed to be a god

• head of law and administration

• commander of the army

• theocracy = a state ruled by clergy

Egyptian Bureaucracy• Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone• Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s relatives • Most powerful official was the vizier = high-ranking political advisor

or minister• Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly

Fall Old Kingdom – Rise Middle Kingdom

Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC

- Bureaucracy diminishes power pharaoh

- Severe droughts between 2200 2150

- Warfare and economic strife for almost 200 years

New dynasty began Middle Kingdom 2055 BC – 11th / 12th dynasty

Strong leadership brought stability

Trade with surrounding lands encouraged

Fall of Middle Kingdom

Trade routes not always safe

Fortresses built along the Nile

The Hyksos start to settle in delta area => conquered around 1650 BC

Hyksos ruled almost 100 years

• Not harsh, but resented

• Defeated by nobles from Thebes who became new rulers of Egypt

Securing Egypt

• Egypt could not rely on geography for protection

• Desert and sea not enough

• Had to build powerful military

First permanent army

• Traditional foot soldiers

• Archers and charioteers

• Adopted weapons from Hyksos

Created an empire

• Egypt to rule beyond Nile Valley

• Headed south into Nubia

• Also campaigns east into Asia

HYKSOS

New Kingdom

1550 BC 18th dynasty started most famous pharaohs: Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Amenhotep, Tutankhamen Ramses II (the Great) - throne 1279 BC- built more temples, erected more statues and obelisks, and sired more

children than any other pharaoh in history- bold military leader, led his army against the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh

Egypt's wealth => a tempting target for invasion, particularly by Libyans and Sea Peoples. Initially, the military was able to repel these invasions, but Egypt eventually lost control of Syria and Palestine. Impact of external threats was worsened by internal problems:- corruption- tomb robbery - civil unrest

The end...

1183 assassination of Ramesses III marked the beginning of decline

New Kingdom ended with - a series of weak kings- a corrupt administrative system- tomb robberies- incursions of Libyans into the Theban region

The high priests at the temple of Amun in Thebes accumulated vast tracts of land and wealth, => their growing power splintered the country during the Third Intermediate Period.