Ancient Ancient EgyptiansEgyptians

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the cultural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

Environment• Nile River

– flows north – longest in world– flooding provides silt

• predictable

– farming• wheat• barley

– irrigation– travel & trade

Environment• Nile River

– worshipped by Egyptians as god who gave them life

• East – land of living– sunrise

– cities, temples

• West – land of dead– sunset

– tombs

Environment• Deserts

– lack of rain– Arabian

• east of Nile

– Libyan• west of Nile

– both are part of Sahara

– Villages & cities built along Nile River

• first farming villages about 5000 BCE

Quick Write• What are some geographical similarities

between Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Egypt Unites• Menes (Narmer)

– King who united Upper & Lower Egypt into one kingdom

– Double crown around 3000 BCE

– Capital at Memphis

Deshret of Lower Egypt Hedjet of Upper Egypt

Pschent

Ptolemy VI

Pharaohs: God KingsPharaohs: God Kings

• Theocracy– government in which rule

is based on religious authority

• Pharaohs– fully responsible for

kingdom• religion• military• run government• promote justice & truth

– believed to make sun rise

Pharaohs: God KingsPharaohs: God Kings• Ka

– eternal life force of king

– continued after death– needs & pleasures

must continue to be met

Pharaohs: God KingsPharaohs: God Kings

• Pyramids– final resting place– represent economic strength, technology &

leadership of Egyptian civilization

ReligionReligion• Polytheistic

– more than 2000 gods & goddesses

– believed in afterlife• Anubis

– weighed each dead person’s heart

• all classes prepared for burials

• upper classes had great tombs

– filled with clothes, gems, tools, art

Ancient Ancient EgyptiansEgyptians

Part IIPart II

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the cultural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

Pyramids• built by peasants• Giza

– completed about 2556 BCE

Pyramid of KhufuPyramid of Khufu• an almost perfect square (deviation .05%)

• Orientation is exactly North, South, East, West

• 2,300,000 blocks, almost 500 ft high

• 20 years to build

• Average block weighs 2.5 tons– Some weigh 9 tons!

Social ClassesSocial Classes1. king, queen, family

2. wealthy landowners, gov’t officials, priests, army commanders

3. artisans & merchants

4. peasant farmers & laborers

– largest

5. slaves from war

WritingWriting• Hieroglyphics

– “sacred carving”– started with pictures– grew to resemble an

alphabet– first on stone & clay

• later papyrus

WritingWriting• The Rosetta Stone

– discovered by Napoleon’s troops

• 1799

CalendarCalendar• Features:

– 365 days– 12 months– 30 days each– 5 holidays– tracked:

• flooding• planting• harvesting

ArtworkArtwork

ArtArt

HistoryHistory• Old Kingdom

– 2660-2160 BCE– ends with decline

of pharaohs influence

• civil wars

HistoryHistory• Middle Kingdom

– 2060-1750 BCE– strong pharaohs

• restored order

– improved irrigation, trade, transportation with canal from Nile to Red Sea

– Hyksos invade• from Palestine• rule from 1630-1523

BCE

HistoryHistory• New Kingdom

– 1550-1070 BCE– Ahmose I expelled the

invading Hyksos and reunited Egypt

– Known as the Empire period

HistoryHistory• New Kingdom

– Militaristic & imperialistic nature

– incorporated chariot, bronze, horses

– development of a professional army

– became a slave based economy fueled by war and expansion

HistoryHistory• Ramses II

– 1279-1213 BCE– greatest New

Kingdom ruler– military leader of Egypt– expanded into

southern Turkey– built many monuments

to himself– last gasp of Egyptian

power