Chapter 4Ancient Egypt & Kush

Section 1Gift of the Nile

Geography of Ancient Egypt

•Nile River has fed Egyptian civilization for over 5,000 years

The Longest River

•Nile River▫Longest river▫Has cataracts (waterfalls)▫Branches into a delta (area near a river’s

mouth where the water deposits silt)▫Flows north to Mediterranean Sea▫Use to flood every summer causing silt to

be deposited along Nile’s shores Silt was fertile & good for growing crops

Black Land, Red Land• Egyptians

▫Lived in narrow bands of land on each side of the Nile Called black land because of fertile soil Red land was the desert region beyond the fertile region

• Weather▫Always the same; 8 months sunny & hot, 4 months of

winter were sunny but cooler• Deserts

▫Acted out barrier to keep out enemies• Mediterranean Coast

▫Swampy & lacked good harbors

Land of Plenty

•Ibises birds▫Flew up from the south▫Egyptians knew when these birds arrived

annual flood waters would soon follow When waters drained away crops were

planted in fertile soil

Agricultural Techniques• Developed ways to control yearly flood• Irrigation canals

▫Dug to divert water to dry areas• Catch basins

▫Areas where water would pool to be used at a later date

• Removed earth was used to make embankments to protect areas from the flood

• Shadoof▫ Introduced in 1600 B.C.▫Used to move water between the Nile and a canal, a

canal and a catch basin or a catch basin and a field

Egyptian Crops

•Variety of crops grown▫Wheat & barley were important

1st to grind wheat into flour & add yeast to make bread

▫Vegetables were also grown▫Also grew materials for their clothes

1st to weave fibers from flax plants into linen

Egyptian Houses

•Used bricks made of mud & straw•Had narrow windows•Painted walls white to reflect the sun•Used sticks & palm branches for roofs•Woven reed mated covered the dirt floor•Wealthier people had fancier homes

▫Tree-lined courtyards, pools with lotus blossoms & fish

Geography Shapes Egyptian Life•Economy depended on farming•Also used natural resources for everyday

need & developed economic activities

Minin

•Mined & quarried different metals & minerals▫Copper: used to make tools & weapons▫Iron: stronger metal choice▫Gold: prized by Egyptians▫White limestone: used to build important

religious centers & artistic centers▫Turquoise & emeralds: precious stones

used to make jewelry

Fishing & Hunting

•Rafts were made to go onto the Nile•Used nets & harpoons to catch fish•Hippopotamuses & crocodiles•Captured quail & nets

▫Used boomerangs to knock down flying ducks and deese

Transportation & Trade

•Sails & oars were later added to reed boats▫Nile became a highway

•Nile provided a surplus of food▫Began to trade with each other▫There was not money so people bartered

Section 2Life in Ancient Egypt

Work and Family Life

•Surplus leads to economic expansion•Cities become centers of culture & power

▫People learn different jobs i.e. scribes

Specialized Jobs

•Complex civilizations led to new jobs▫Artisans: created stone or brick houses &

temples; other made pottery, mats, furniture, clothing, sandals, or jewelry

▫Traders: traded with other Africans; traded Egyptian products (scrolls, linen, gold & jewelry) for exotic woods, animal skins, & live beasts

Rulers & Priests

•Growth led to need for organization•Empire divided into 42 provinces•Army created for defense•Jobs:

▫Priests: highest jobs; followed rituals & cared for temples; pleased the gods

▫Slaves: bottom of society; most captured in war; worked on public building projects; some were domestic servants

Women & Children• Best place to be a woman

▫ Had equal rights• Women

▫ Care for children and home▫ Wove clothes▫ Worked in fields or workshops

• Children:▫ Played w/ toys (dolls, animal figures, board games, etc.)▫ Rough games: balls mad of leather or reeds▫ Some went to school▫ Most learned parents jobs▫ Most married in their early teens

Pets

•Dogs▫Used on hunting trips▫Lapdogs

•Cats▫Favored pet▫Even cat goddess, Bastet

Expanding Knowledge

•Came from priests studying the world to find ways to please the gods

•Because of practical discoveries

Writing

•Hieroglyphs developed▫Over time included more than 6,000

symbols•Papyrus developed

▫Easy to carry

Math & Science

•Developed 1st geometry▫Surveyors used it to restore property lines▫Used to design royal temples & monuments

•Study of the sky allowed them to develop the 1st calendar

Medicine

•Prepared bodies for burial•Knowledge of the body helped w/

surgeries•Penicillin

▫Antibiotic that changed modern medicine•Willow bark

▫Similar to aspirin

Life After Death

•Positive view of life•Not just pharaoh or nobles could look

forward to life after death▫Afterlife: life believed to follow death

Views of what made for a happy afterlife varied

Many Gods

•Polytheists•Worshiped gods that were related to the

afterlife & to parts of nature•Many gods were worshipped in certain

areas only

Making Mummies

•Bodies embalmed before they were placed in tombs▫All organs removed except the heart

Organs kept & treated▫Body was washed & purified▫Body packed and covered w/ natron

Body transformed into a mummy▫Linen was wrapped around the mummy▫Whole process took about 70 days

Egyptian Tombs

•Tombs held everyday objects any person might want or need▫Food, drink, clothing, & furniture

Living relatives were suppose to bring fresh food & drink daily, as well as prayers for persons soul

Section 3The Pyramid Builders

The Old Kingdom

•King Narmer▫Legend says he united Upper & Lower

Egypt▫Occurred in about 3100 B.C.▫History divided into Old, Middle, & New

Kingdom▫Pyramids built during Old Kingdom

The First Dynasties

•Began when Egypt was unified•First three before Old Kingdom•Dynasty: a line of ruler from the same

family▫When king died one of his children took

place as ruler▫Succession: order in which members of a

royal family inherit a throne•More than 30 dynasties ruled Egypt

Pharaohs Rule

•Pharaoh▫King of Egypt▫Ruled from capital city of Memphis▫Though to be child of the gods & a god

himself▫Happy lives = pharaoh pleased gods▫Suffering = pharaoh angered gods; new

pharaoh usually took over•Religion & Government were not separate

▫Priests had a lot of power in government

Kufu’s Great Pyramid

•1st rulers▫Buried in an underground tomb topped by

mud bricks•Soon mud bricks replaced w/ small

pyramids•King Djoser

▫Built step pyramid

The Great Pyramid• King Kufu

▫Had great pyramid built 760 feet long 7 core was built from 2.3 million blocks of

stone▫Hard work to build pyramid

Blocks of stone cut using copper saws & chisels Stones pulled up ramps & put in place Farmers did heavy labor

Hauled stone during flood season▫Took 20 years to build▫20,000 Egyptians worked on it▫City of Giza was built for pyramid workers & for the

people who fed, clothed, & housed them

Grave Robbers• Pyramids stopped being built

▫Pyramids drew attention to tombs; grave robbers broke into tombs to steal treasure buried there

• Robbed Tomb▫Believed if tomb was robbed the person buried

there could not have a happy afterlife• New Kingdom

▫During this period pharaohs built secret tombs in the Valley of the Kings

▫Treasures, however, were stolen from almost every tomb

▫Only one not was that of Tutankhamen Discovered in 1922

Middle Kingdom

•2160 B.C.▫Central power of pharaohs began to break

down▫Disunity, civil war, & invasion plagued

Egypt for 100 years•Mentuhotep II

▫2055 B.C. brought stability back to Egypt▫Period known as Middle Kingdom

Connect to Tradition• Amenemhet I

▫Founded 12th Dynasty in 1985 B.C. Not a member of the royal line Claimed ancient prophecy supported his claim to the

throne• Prophecy of Neferti dated from the time of

Snefru (4th Dynasty pharaoh)▫Fortold of the coming of a king, Ameni, who would

save Egypt from chaos• The Truth

▫Amenemhet had this story written to connect him to Snefru & show his kingship was meant to be

Strength & Prosperity• Egypt extended boundaries with military during 12th

Dynasty▫ Wanted to control Numbia’s resources

• 1800 B.C.▫ Reached 2nd cataract of the Nile▫ Built fortresses to control new territory

• Agriculture▫ Boosted during Middle Kingdom▫ Vast swamps were drained in area known as Faiyum

150,000 acres created Increased food production

• The arts flourished, trade expanded, & pharaohs were stable & orderly during the thriving 12th Dynasty

Decline & Overthrow

•13th Dynasty▫Weaker rule▫Asiatics (people from Sinai Peninsula)

immigrated to eastern Nile Delta▫Hyksos invaded from Palestine & Syria

Conquered Lower Egypt w/ the help of better weapons & horse-drawn chariots Eventually drove out after 100 years in Egypt

Section 4The New Kingdom & Kush

A Woman Pharaoh

•Period of most powerful rulers of Egypt•New capital city of Thebes created•Empire expanded•Queen Hatshepsut

▫1st woman pharaoh Wife of pharaoh who died shortly after taking

power Ruled with stepson Thutmose III Eventually declared herself only ruler Wore a false beard reserved for pharaohs

alone

Trade Grows

•Empire expanded through war•Hatshepsut

▫Used war as well as trade to expand empire Sent traders to the Red Sea; ships brought

back rare spices, scented wood, live monkeys, and potted trees to make incense

Hatshepsut’s Legacy

•Erected the obelisk▫Four-sided shaft with a pyramid shaped top▫Carved from blocks of red granite▫Hieroglyphs recorded her great deeds

•After ruling for 15 years Hatshepsut disappeared▫Died peacefully or killed by Thutmose III ?

•Thutmose III became pharaoh after her death▫Tried to destroy all records of her reign

Damaged temple & tomb restored by archaelogists

A Reforming Pharaoh

•A New Belief▫Akhenaton became pharaoh

Worshiped sun god Aton Closed temples of other gods & promoted

worship of one god (1st time in Egyptian history) Priests who served other gods lost power;

feared actions angered the old gods New way of thinking affected art

Small steps towards realism began to appear

•Reform Ends▫New religion did not last long

3 years after Akhenaton death relative Tutankhamen became pharaoh Tut relied on advisors to help him rule

▫Convinced him to reject new religion & worship old gods

A Powerful Pharaoh• Ramses II took throne in 1279 B.C.▫ Reigned for 66 years

• Empire Builder▫ Ramses the Great wanted to make Egypt powerful through war

Territory extended into African kingdom of Nubia & to eastern rim of Mediterranean Sea where empire bordered the empire of the Hittites

▫ Egyptian & Hittites were enemies Ramses led army into battle against Hittites

No one won but Ramses claimed victory Negotiated 1st known peace treaty

▫ Ramses built city of Pi-Ramses▫ At Abu Simbel he built 4 66 foot statues of himself to guard his

temple Wanted statues to appear god like in statues

▫ Ramses was over 90 years old at end of his reign 66 years of rule made Egypt’s gov’t stable & brought peace

Egypt’s Decline

•Egypt never the same after Ramses died•Gov’t became weak•Foreign rulers took over•Persians conquered Egypt in 525 B.C.•Alexander the Great took over in 332 B.C.

▫Began 300 years of Greek rule

Nubia & the Kush Civilization

•When central power broke down at end of New Kingdom separate ruling groups came to dominate Lower & Upper Egypt▫Where not able to exert control in Nubia

A Nubian kingdom called Kush came to power

Cultural Relations Between Egypt & Kush•Cultural exchanges took place during the

times when Egypt controlled Nubia▫Art influenced by Egyptian rule▫Young Kushite nobles learned Egyptian

language in Egypt Adopted customs & clothing styles Brought back royal rituals & hieroglyphic

writing system Egyptian pyramids also copied in Kush

Kush Rises to Power

•Kushite worshiped Amun▫Power struggle took place in western delta

& threatened Upper Egypt▫Rules of Thebes, center of Amun worship,

invited Kushite king Piye to defend them Piye sailed up the Nile to Thebes where he

was declared pharaoh Continued into Lower Egypt defeating enemies

along the way▫After long war he ruled all of Egypt

Political and Commercial Relations with Egypt•Piye united Egypt & Kush•Nubia est. own dynasty

▫Piye rule marked beginning of 25th Dynasty Did not live in Egypt, lived in Kush capital city

of Napata•Napata

▫Located at head of a road to move goods by one of Nile’s cataracts Led to trade along the Nile Became for the spread of Egyptian goods and

culture & other Kush trading partners

The Decline of Kush•704 B.C.

▫Kushite Egyptain forces battled Assyrians in Palestine Supported ruler there who resisted Assyrian rule

▫Assyrians iron weapons better than Kush copper weapons Assyrians won

▫Sides fought off and on for years•671 B.C.

▫Assyrians invaded & conquered Egypt Ended Kushite rule in Egypt