Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt

• Unification• Originally two kingdoms developed along the Nile

River

• Lower Egypt– Located along the northern Nile– Good farmland

• Upper Egypt– Located along the southern Nile– 1st Ruler named Menes– He established first dynasty– Built capital at Memphis

• River–Flows north–Ends in the Mediterranean Sea–Longest river in the world at 4,160 miles

Geography of the Nile Region

The Nile• Floods

–Until recently, flooded annually in July

–Floods predictable–Added moisture to the soil–Deposited silt, replenishing the

soil with nutrients–Caused delta to form at the

mouth of the river

Nile River and delta from space

Influence of Geography on Civilization

• Natural barriers provide obstacles to potential invaders–Mediterranean Sea to the North–Libyan Desert to the West–Nubian Desert to the Southeast–Red Sea to the East

Effect of Barriers• Limited invasions from many directions• Limited farming to a narrow region on either

side of the river• Caused river villages to be crowded

– As population grew, villages needed to expand– Irrigation helped to create more fertile land for

farming

Benefits of the Nile• The river served as a highway

– United villages along the river– Travel was relatively easy on the river– Currents carried barges downstream (North) to the

delta– Sails used to catch winds to return upstream (South)

• Additional benefits– River attracted wildlife and provided fish for hunting

& sport– Papyrus grew along river

• Used to make paper

Religion in Ancient Egypt• Beliefs

– Nature important-gods control forces of nature– Polytheistic (many gods)– Gods control forces of nature– Gods controlled all life and death– Gods frequently identified with certain animals

• Egyptian Gods– Aman Re

• Most important god• Sun god• East represented birth (sunrise)• West represented death (sunset)

• Burial temples built on the West bank of the Nile

Religion – Osiris

• God of the underworld -periodically dies and is reborn

• Judges the dead• Rise & fall of the Nile believed to be

the death & rebirth of Osiris– Isis

• Wife of Osiris• Brought him back to life• Nile floods and brings renewed life

Religion• The Afterlife

– Egyptians believed in a life after death– Believed the good lived in happiness– Believed the dead needed to take with

them things they would need in death– Believed the earthly body would be

needed as a home for the soul– Preserved the bodies of the dead through

mummification• Originally reserved for rulers and nobles

Tutankhamen (aka King Tut)

Howard Carter discovers King Tut Tomb in 1922

System of Writing• Record keeping of religious rituals prompted

writing• ~3,100 BC

– pictograms- picture of object– Ideograms added to convey ideas– Added symbols for sounds– No symbols for vowel sounds

• Symbols evolved into hieroglyphics• Writings carved in wood or stone• Later, symbols painted in ink on papyrus

Hieroglyphics

The Rosetta Stone• Slab of black rock carved in three

languages– Hieroglyphics– Demotic (shorthand hieroglyphics)– Greek

• Found in 1799• 1822- French scholar Jean Chapollion

cracked the code of hieroglyphics because he could read Greek

• Enabled scholars to decipher papyrus scrolls of hieroglyphics

What Characterized Civilization in Ancient Egypt?

• Civilizations developed when people could stay put and not have to wander after their food supply.

• When people began to grow food, they became more organized

• Divisions in labor developed to decide who did what– Farmers, herders, artisans, government

• Cities grew with this organization• Civilization & cities often thought to go hand

in hand

The Old Kingdom2700-2200 BC

• Strong monarchs• Tasks delegated to many gov’t officials• Built pyramids and Sphinx

The Middle Kingdom~2050-1800 BC

• New capital Thebes in upper (southern) Egypt

• ~1900 BC ruler becomes known as the pharaoh

• Hyksos-people from Asia who brought the chariot and compound bow.

• Through trade and conquest, Egyptians learn other ideas and blend cultures (movement)

New Kingdom~1570- 1090 BC

Pharaohs had absolute control over the government and established an empire.

• Early female ruler Hatshepsut• 1370 BC Amenhotep rises to power

– makes many unsettling changes– Makes Egyptians monotheistic

• Aton the sun god

New Kingdom• 1200’s BC rule of Ramses II

–Long rule–Many children (52 sons, plus

daughters…)–Had temples and tombs built by

Hebrew slaves

Mummy of Ramses II

Pharaohs organized centralized state

Built enormous tombs, the pyramids

Power struggles, crop failures and cost of pyramids caused collapse

Corrupt government suffered frequent rebellions

Land drained for farming

Hittites invaded and conquered

Pharaohs created a large empire

Traded with lands along eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea

Nubians, then others invaded

Egyptian Society• Social Class

– A person’s social position and occupation determined at birth

• Social Structure– Top = Pharaoh

• Ruling class of priests & nobles• Middle class of merchants, artisans, doctors

– Bottom = Slaves

Egyptian Society• Status of Women

– Relatively high status for that time in history– Could buy and sell property– Could seek divorce (although rare)– Property inherited through female line

Education• Original purpose of schools was to

train priests• Subjects taught

–Reading & writing–Math–Religious ceremonies & rituals

• Eventually temple schools provided more general education

Scribes• Scribes were very important• Kept records, recorded history• Could possibly become rich• About the only social mobility of the

era

Scientific Accomplishments• In areas of math and science• Developed system of surveying land

– Important due to annual floods• Surveying land led to Geometry

–Area & volume helped to build – the pyramids

Scientific Accomplishments• Development of astronomy

– To predict floods, eclipses– Led to development of calendar

• 365 days, 12 months• 3 seasons, 30 days for 11 months, 35 for

the 12th

• No leap year• Development of building techniques

– engineering

Scientific Accomplishments• Medical discoveries

–Magic heavily used–Developed surgery–Greeks & Romans based much of

their medical knowledge on that of the Egyptians