Ancient Egypt

River in Egypt? The Nile flows northward for 4258 miles (UP), making it the world’s longest river

What is the Nile Delta? A broad marshy triangular area of land formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of the river.

Geography of Egypt

Cataracts: Churning rapids along the NileWhat impact did cataracts have for Egypt?

Slowed down transportation, people, & trade

Environmental Challenges 1) Nile floods predictably, every year at the same time2) Vast desert on either side of the Nile, kept people close to the river King Menes’ Dam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juxs0JZ_zYY

Examples of advanced cities 1) Memphis – capitol of Egypt in the Old Kingdom under King Menes2) Thebes – capital of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and most of the New Kingdom

Complex Institutions:Pharaoh? Egyptian god-kings Ex) King Menes-pharaohs were considered representatives of the gods

What is a theocracy? The pharaoh stood at the center of Egypt’s religions as well as its government and army. A system of government in which priests would rule in the name of God or a god.

Egyptians were polytheistic-Worship of many gods

Major Gods Ra – Sun godHorus – god of light, Osiris – god of the dead, weighed each dead person’s heart

Mr. Mummy video

How do we know that Egyptians believed in an afterlife? They preserved the dead, by mummification – embalming and drying the corpse, to prevent decay. Mr. Mummy Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gD0K7oH92U (animated version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJ7391G-1s (more detailed)

What is social mobility? People could move up and down in social classesHow were women treated in Egypt? Held the same rights as men, some pharaohs were women

Egyptian Society

Pharoah

Vizier

Nobes/Priests

Scribes/SoldiersCraftsmen

Farmer/Slaves

Writing- Hieroglyphics, pictograms

What is a pictogram? A picture stands for a word

What did they write hieroglyphics on? Stone and clay, then papyrus-a paper made out a reed from the Nile

Why is the Rosetta Stone important?

-Egyptian hieroglyphics, Simple Egyptian hieroglyphics, Ancient Greek

-Able to translate hieroglyphics, Discovered 1799

Technological and Scientific Advancements 1) Developed a system of written numbers for counting, adding and subtracting2) Used geometry to survey and reset property boundaries after the annual floods3) Builders needed to make accurate calculations and measurements to construct their remarkable

pyramids and palaces.

More Technological and Scientific Advancements

4) Developed a calendar-to keep track of time between floods and the planting seasons.5) Made medical advances:

-Measure heartrate by checking pulse-Set splints for broken bones, treatment for wounds and fevers-Used surgery to treat some conditions

economy