WH Ch. 3 Section 1 Notes

Nile Civilizations Section 1


Preview• Starting Points Map: The Nile Valley

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Geography and Early Egypt

• The Old Kingdom

• The Middle Kingdom

• The New Kingdom

• Map: The New Kingdom

• Faces of History: Hatshepsut

The Kingdom of Egypt


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Reading Focus

• How did geography influence Egypt’s early history?

• What achievements were made in the Old Kingdom?

• What happened during the Middle Kingdom?

• What was Egypt like during the New Kingdom?

Main Idea

1. Egypt was one of the most stable and long-lasting civilizations of the ancient world.

The Kingdom of Egypt


Geography of Egypt• The Nile flooded every year

– Predictable floodwaters with spring rains

– Left rich, black silt

• Narrow band of fertile soil

• Became home of Egyptian civilization

Geography and Early Egypt• The Nile

– Most important physical feature in Egypt

– 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert

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


• Nile afforded protection itself

• Flowed through cataracts to the south

• Currents and waterfalls made sailing impossible

• Not an easy invasion route

Cataracts

• Egypt’s most fertile soil in Nile Delta

• Silt deposits at mouth of river

• Black Land of rich arable soil

• Red Land unlivable but afforded protection

Delta

Geographical Features


Unification• Two kingdoms unified around 3100 BC

• Upper Egypt ruler Menes conquered north

– Founded capital city of Memphis

– Adopted both symbols, the snake and the vulture

• First of 31 dynasties

2. Two Kingdoms• First farming villages as early as 5000 BC

• Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt

– Mild climate; cobra goddess worshipped

• Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt

– Warmer climate; prayed to a vulture goddess


Draw Conclusions

How did geography affect where the early Egyptians lived?

Answer(s): They lived in a narrow strip of fertile land where they could raise crops. It was surrounded by inhospitable desert, which would not easily support life.


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

The Pyramids

• 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 Pyramids

The Old Kingdom


Egyptian Bureaucracy

• Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone

• Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s relatives

• Most powerful official was the vizier

• Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly

The Pharaohs

• The head of the government was the king

• Became known as pharaoh (“great house”)

• Had great power because he was believed to be a god

• Egypt a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures


Summarize

What Egyptian institutions were developed during the Old Kingdom?

Answer(s): a government headed by the pharaoh, highly structured bureaucracy


The Middle Kingdom

Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC

Warfare, economic strife for almost 200 years

• New dynasty began Middle Kingdom 2055 BC

– Strong leadership brought stability

– Trade with surrounding lands encouraged

• Trade routes not always safe

– Fortresses built along the Nile

– The Hyksos invaded, conquered around 1650 BC


Summarize

How did the Middle Kingdom rise and fall?

Answer(s): new dynasty came to power after almost 200 years of chaos; brought stability and economic prosperity; Middle Kingdom fell when Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos, who conquered Lower Egypt


Hyksos ruled almost 100 years

•Not harsh, but resented

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

First permanent army

• Traditional foot soldiers

• Archers and charioteers

• Adopted weapons from Hyksos

Securing Egypt

• Egypt could not rely on geography for protection

• Desert and sea not enough

• Had to build powerful military

Created an empire

• Egypt to rule beyond Nile Valley

• Headed south into Nubia

• Also campaigns east into Asia

The New Kingdom


Monotheism in Egypt

• Amenhotep IV, 1353

– Worshipped only one god, Aten

– Banned worship of all other gods

• Built temple to Aten at Akhetaten

• The next pharaoh restored worship of traditional gods

3. The Reign of Hatshepsut

• Hatshepsut best known for encouraging trade

• Only woman pharaoh

– Wanted to be treated like any other pharaoh

– Dressed like a man, statues of her as a man


Egypt expanded empire• Fought campaigns in Nubia and Syria• A new foe around 1250 BC• Hittites invaded from Mesopotamia

Ramses’ rule• Reign marked with extravagant splendor• Built more temples and monuments than other pharaohs• Many political and artistic achievements

Confrontation with Hittites• Ramses the Great led army• Accounts of battle vary, but two armies signed truce• Ramses married Hittite princess and conflict ended

Ramses the Great


Egypt’s Decline

• Ramses’ successors faced challenges to authority

• Major invasions of Egypt

– Sea Peoples devastated empires

– Ended Hittite Empire, weakened Egypt’s control of Syria

• Egypt broke into small states

– Many foreign rulers over next 700 years

– Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks

– Finally fell to Rome


Sequence

How did Egypt grow and change during the New Kingdom?

Answer(s): built strong military, created own empire, increased trade

WH Ch. 3 Section 1 Notes

Education

Transcript of WH Ch. 3 Section 1 Notes