EGYPTAncient Civilizations

EGYPT

How is Egypt divided?

The biggest struggles were over water.

Why would water control and usage lead to such conflict?

Mesopotamia experienced more change than Egypt. Why?

GEOGRAPHY More security and peace

Isolated

Sea and cataracts (large waterfalls)

Desert

Natural resources to sustain itself

THE PHARAOH

Ruled by a pharaoh

Term means “great house” or “palace”

No codified set of laws

nomarchs = Egyptian governors

RELIGION DOMINATED EGYPTIAN LIFE

Polytheistic

740 gods in Egypt; “blended” or combined gods

Egyptian gods took various forms

Animals, humans, nature forms (sun, moon, etc.)

Pharaoh: gods’ spokesman – or deity himself

EGYPTIAN ERASOLD KINGDOM

OLD KINGDOM Royal power

unchallenged

Pharaoh ruled through family lines

Pharaoh appointed leaders

Pharaoh considered a god

THE PYRAMIDS

EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS

Tombs for pharaohs

Took over 100,000 people over 20 years to build

A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE AFTERLIFE?

Archaeologists believe the ancient Egyptians had positive beliefs about the afterlife.

What is it about the pyramids that leads to this conclusion?

MUMMIFICATION

EGYPTIANS BELIEVED THE DEAD NEEDED THEIR BODIES IN THE NEXT LIFE.THEY PRESERVED BODIES THROUGH MUMMIFICATION.

THE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT 70 DAYS. THE BRAIN WAS HOOKED AND THEN PULLED OUT THROUGH THE NOSE.

OTHER ORGANS WERE STORED IN CANOPIC JARS. THE HEART WAS LEFT IN THE BODY SO IT COULD BE WEIGHED IN THE NEXT LIFE.

INSIDE THE PYRAMID

INNER WALLS OF THE PYRAMIDS COVERED WITH PICTURES ABOUT PHARAOH BURIED THERE

HIEROGLYPHS “SACRED CARVINGS” – TERM COINED BY GREEKSOVAL-SHAPED DESIGNS: CARTOUCHES REFER TO PHARAOH OR ROYAL FAMILY

IMHOTEP

DESIGNED THE FIRST PYRAMID

Priest

Served Pharaoh Djoser

Egypt’s most famous architect

Designed the stepped pyramid

THE STEPPED PYRAMIDThe first pyramid – designed by Imhotep

THE GREAT PYRAMID

PHARAOH KHUFU (CHEOPS)WORLD’S OLDEST STRUCTURE,BUILT DURING OLD KINGDOM

2,300,000 STONE BLOCKS (EACH 2 ½ TONS!)

KHAFRE

PYRAMIDS AT GIZA BUILT THE PYRAMIDS AT GIZA

THE SPHINX

KHAFRE ALSO BUILT THE SPHINX, WHICH IS PART LION - PART HUMAN.THE GREEKS NAMED THIS CREATURE THE “SPHINX.”

MENES

MENES

Founded first Egyptian dynasty

Unified Upper and Lower Egypt

Founded Memphis; became his capital

Reigned 62 years

Killed by a hippopotamus

MENES’ UNIFIED CROWN

Created new crown when he ascended to the throne

How did this crown represent a “unified” Egypt?

How would this help Menes to rule his people?

HATSHEPSUT

HATSHEPSUT

Female pharaoh

Ruled for approximately 22 years

Co-regent with Thutmose III

Wore a false beard

HATSHEPSUT’S ACHIEVEMENTS

Extended Egyptian trade

Sent delegates to Punt

Sailors returned with myrrh and frankincense trees

Led successful military campaigns

HATSHEPSUT THE BUILDER

COMMISSIONED 100S OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

LATER PHARAOHS CLAIMED PROJECTS AS THEIRSTHE TEMPLE OF KARNAK

AMENHOTEP IV

AMENHOTEP IV

Opposed priests who worshipped Amon-Re

Monotheistic

Worshipped Aton (sun’s physical disk)

Changed name to Akhnaton (“It pleases Aton”)

Moved capital from Thebes to Akhaton

AMENHOTEP IV:AN INTOLERANT RULER

Amenhohtep IV worshipped Aton.

The people worshipped him.

How would this arrangement serve his purpose as a ruler?

NEFERTITI

QUEEN NEFERTITI

Wife of Amenhotep I (Akhnaton)

One of the world’s most beautiful women

Worshipped Aton; people worshipped her and husband

KING TUT

TUTENKHAMEN

Replaced Akhnaton’s successor

“The boy king”

Married daughter of Akhnaton and Nefertiti

Restored old religion – erased memory of Akhnaton

Moved capital back to Thebes

KING TUT

THIS MODEL, MADE FROM TUTENKHAMEN’S MUMMY, SHOWS

WHAT HE MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN REAL LIFE.

TREASURES FROM KING TUT’S TOMB

RAMSES II

RAMSES II:THE PHARAOH OF THE BIBLE?

Believed to be Pharaoh referred to in Exodus

Lived during the New Kingdom

ANOTHER GREAT BUILDER

RAMESSEUM ABU SIMBEL

EGYPTIAN ERASMIDDLE KINGDOM

THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

Upper and Lower Egypt reunited

Capital moved from Thebes back to Memphis

MIDDLE KINGDOM: A NEW KIND OF PHARAOH

FUNERARY MASK

More directly concerned with his people

Unlike earlier pharaohs (absolute, distant, god-king)

Art shows change in pharaoh’s attitude

More careworn, brooding

EGYPTIAN ERASNEW KINGDOM

NEW KINGDOM

LION TEMPLE IN SUDAN

Foreign expansion

Temples built in Sudan (1,300 miles away)

Egypt’s economic, political power at its height

Luxury, cosmopolitanism in royal court

NEW KINGDOM: FAME & WONDER

63 TOMBS IN VALLEY OF THE KINGS

Reign of famous pharaohs:

Hatshepsut Amenhotep IV Tutankhamen Ramses I and II

Many pyramids built

Valley of the Kings

NEW KINGDOM: HYKSOS INVADE EGYPT

Name means “chief of foreign lands”

Ruthless invaders from the East

Conquered Nile Delta

Probably Amorites

NEW KINGDOM: WAR AND DEVASTATION Hyksos brought new

weapons and military techniques

Egyptians more militaristic

after contact with Hyksos

Egyptians probably drove out Hyksos during Moses’ time