034-037 Ch2 CO-824133 3/9/04 4:37 PM Page 34 Ancient...

Sphinx and pyramidin Giza, Egypt

Ancient Egypt

c. 3100 B.C.NarmerunitesEgypt

c. 2540 B.C.GreatPyramid atGiza built

c. 1500 B.C.QueenHatshepsutreigns

728 B.C.Piye of KushdefeatsEgyptians

3500 B.C. 2500 B.C. 1500 B.C. 500 B.C.3500 B.C. 2500 B.C. 1500 B.C. 500 B.C.

34–3

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Chapter PreviewWhile the people of Mesopotamia fought wars, people

along Africa’s Nile River formed rich and powerful civiliza-tions. Read this chapter to learn how the people of Egyptand Kush built large monuments that still stand today.

View the Chapter 2 video in the World History:Journey Across Time Video Program.

The Nile ValleyThe fertile land along the great Nile River supported theEgyptian civilization.

Egypt’s Old KingdomDuring the Old Kingdom period, Egyptians built cities, greatpyramids, and a strong kingdom.

The Egyptian EmpireMany changes occurred during Egypt’s Middle and NewKingdoms. It expanded into a great empire as art, literature,and architecture blossomed.

The Civilization of KushSouth of Egypt a new civilization arose called Kush. Kushitesadopted Egyptian ways and eventually conquered Egypt itself.

Chapter Overview Visitjat.glencoe.com for a previewof Chapter 2.

Organizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize the key eventsand ideas from ancient Egypt and Kush.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,take notes under theappropriate tabs. Writemain ideas and key termsunder the “what” tab.

Step 1 Stacktwo sheets ofpaper so thatthe front sheetis one inchhigher than theback sheet.

Step 2 Fold down the top edges of the paper toform four tabs. Align the edges so that all of thelayers or tabs are the same distance apart.

Step 3 Crease the paper to hold the tabs inplace, then staple them together. Cut the topthree thicknesses to create a layered book.

Step 4 Label the booklet as shown and take notes on the inside.

This makes allthe tabs thesame size.

Kushwhere?when?what?

Egyptwhere?when?what?

Stapletogether along

the fold.

CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt 35

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http://jat.glencoe.com

36

What Do You Predict?A prediction is a guess based on what you already know.

Making predictions before you read can help you understandand remember what you read.

How do you make predictions? Read the Main Ideas below.They were taken from the opening page of Section 2 on page47. Use these main ideas to make predictions about what youwill read in this chapter.

Predicting

Predict whatthe term “all-powerful”means.• Egypt was ruled by all-powerful

pharaohs.

• The Egyptians believed in manygods and goddesses and in life after death for the pharaohs.

• The Egyptians of the Old Kingdombuilt huge stone pyramids as tombsfor their pharaohs.

—from page 47

Can you predict whattools theEgyptiansused to buildthe pyramids?

What does“life afterdeath” mean?

As you read, check your

predictions to see if

they were correct.

034-037 Ch2 CO-824133 7/14/04 6:51 PM 6

Read to WriteMaking PredictionsRead the Main Ideas below from Section 1 of

this chapter.

Select one blue sub-head in this chapter.Without reading the textunder that subhead,write a paragraph thatyou think might appearthere. Check the facts inyour paragraph to see ifthey are correct.

37

Make at least one prediction abouteach of the main ideas. Write downeach prediction. Then, as you read thissection, decide if your predictionswere correct.

• The Egyptian civilization began in thefertile Nile River valley, where naturalbarriers discouraged invasions.

• The Egyptians depended on theNile’s floods to grow their crops.

• Around 3100 B.C., Egypt’s two majorkingdoms, Upper Egypt and LowerEgypt, were combined into one.

• Egyptian society was divided intosocial groups based on wealth andpower.

—from page 38

Before you read the chapter, skimthe questions on pages 74–75 in theChapter Assessment and Activities.Choose three questions and predictwhat the answers will be.

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034-037 Ch2 CO-824133 3/9/04 1:25 AM Page 37

What’s the Connection?In Chapter 1, you learned about

the early civilization in Mesopotamia.At about the same time, anothercivilization was forming near the NileRiver. We call this civilization ancientEgypt.

Focusing on the • The Egyptian civilization began in

the fertile Nile River valley, wherenatural barriers discouragedinvasions. (page 39)

• The Egyptians depended on the Nile’sfloods to grow their crops. (page 41)

• Around 3100 B.C., Egypt’s two majorkingdoms, Upper Egypt and LowerEgypt, were combined into one.(page 43)

• Egyptian society was divided intosocial groups based on wealth andpower. (page 45)

Locating PlacesEgypt (EE• jihpt)Nile River (NYL)Sahara (suh•HAR•uh)

Meeting PeopleNarmer (NAR•muhr)

Building Your Vocabularycataract (KA•tuh•RAKT)delta (DEHL•tuh)papyrus (puh•PY•ruhs)hieroglyphics (HY•ruh•GLIH• fihks)dynasty (DY•nuh•stee)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Create a diagram to describe Egyptians’irrigation systems.

c. 5000 B.C.Agriculturebegins alongNile River

c. 4000 B.C.Egypt is made up of twokingdoms

c. 3100 B.C.NarmerunitesEgypt

Nile

R.

Memphis

5000 B.C. 4000 B.C. 3000 B.C.5000 B.C. 4000 B.C. 3000 B.C.

38 CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt

Irrigation

TheNile Valley

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Settling the NileThe Egyptian civilization began in the

fertile Nile River valley, where natural barriers dis-couraged invasions.Reading Focus Did you know that the Nile River islonger than the Amazon, the Mississippi, and everyother river in the world? Read on to find out whenancient peoples first moved to its fertile banks.

Between 6000 B.C. and 5000 B.C., huntersand food gatherers moved into the greenNile River valley from less fertile areas ofAfrica and southwest Asia. They settleddown, farmed the land, and created severaldozen villages along the riverbanks. Thesepeople became the earliest Egyptians.

A Mighty River Although Egypt (EE• jihpt)was warm and sunny, the land received littlerainfall. For water, the Egyptians had to relyon the Nile River (NYL). They drank from it,bathed in it, and used it for farming, cook-ing, and cleaning. The river provided fishand supported plants and animals. To theEgyptians, then, the Nile was a precious gift.They praised it in a song: “Hail O Nile, whocomes from the earth, who comes to give lifeto the people of Egypt.”

Even today, the Nile inspires awe. It isthe world’s longest river, flowing north fromthe heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.This is a distance of some 4,000 miles (6,437km). Traveling the length of the Nile wouldbe like going from Atlanta, Georgia, to SanFrancisco, California, and then back again.

The Nile begins as two separaterivers. One river, the Blue Nile, has itssource in the mountains of easternAfrica. The other, the White Nile,starts in marshes in central Africa.The two rivers meet and form theNile just south of Egypt. There, nar-row cliffs and boulders in the Nile

form wild rapids called cataracts (KA • tuh •RAKTS). Because of the cataracts, large shipscan use the Nile only for its last 650 miles(1,046 km), where it flows through Egypt.

A Sheltered Land In Egypt, the Nile runsthrough a narrow, green valley. Look at themap below. You can see that the Nile lookslike the long stem of a flower. Shortly beforethe Nile reaches the Mediterranean Sea, itdivides into different branches that looklike the flower’s blossom. These branchesfan out over an area of fertile soil called adelta (DEHL• tuh).

100 km0Azimuthal Equidistant projection

100 mi.0

N

S

W E

30°E

30°N

20°N

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

DeadSea

Nile

River

Great Pyramidand Sphinx

First Cataract

Second Cataract

ARABIANDESERT

WESTERNDESERT

EASTERNDESERT

NILE DELTALOWER EGYPT

UPPER EGYPT

NUBIA

Giza

Memphis

Thebes

Ancient Egypt c. 3100 B.C.

Egyptian civilization developed in the narrowstrip of fertile land along the Nile River.1. What physical features border the Nile River

to the east and west? 2. About how far is it from the first cataract

to the second cataract? Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

39

Nile ValleyKEY

MotionIn

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On both sides of the Nile Valley and itsdelta, deserts unfold as far as the eye cansee. To the west is a vast desert that formspart of the Sahara (suh •HAR •uh), the largestdesert in the world. To the east, stretching tothe Red Sea, is the Eastern Desert. In someplaces, the change from green land to bar-ren sand is so abrupt that a person canstand with one foot in each.

The ancient Egyptians called the deserts“the Red Land” because of their burningheat. Although these vast expanses couldnot support farming or human life, theydid serve a useful purpose: they kept out-side armies away from Egypt’s territory.

Other geographic features also pro-tected the Egyptians. To the far south, theNile’s dangerous cataracts blocked enemyboats from reaching Egypt. In the north, thedelta marshes offered no harbors forinvaders approaching from the sea. In thisregard, the Egyptians were luckier than the

people of Mesopotamia. In that region, fewnatural barriers protected the cities. TheMesopotamians constantly had to fight offattackers, but Egypt rarely faced threats. Asa result, Egyptian civilization was able togrow and prosper.

Despite their isolation, the Egyptianswere not completely closed to the outsideworld. The Mediterranean Sea borderedEgypt to the north, and the Red Sea laybeyond the desert to the east. These bodiesof water gave the Egyptians a way to tradewith people outside Egypt.

Within Egypt, people used the Nile fortrade and transportation. Winds from thenorth pushed sailboats south. The flow ofthe Nile carried them north. Egyptian vil-lages thus had frequent, friendly contactwith one another, unlike the hostile relationsbetween the Mesopotamian city-states.

Summarize What wasEgypt’s physical setting like?


Today, the Nile River valley makes up only about 3 percent of Egypt’sland, yet most Egyptians live and work in the area. How did the desertssurrounding the Nile Valley help protect Egypt?

John Lawrence/Getty Images

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The River PeopleThe Egyptians depended on the Nile’s

floods to grow their crops.Reading Focus When you hear about floods, do youpicture terrible damage and loss of life? Read on tolearn why the Egyptians welcomed, rather than feared,the flooding of the Nile.

In Chapter 1, you learned that the peo-ple of Mesopotamia had to tame the floodsof the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in orderto farm. They learned to do so, but theunpredictable rivers loomed as a constantthreat.

Regular Flooding Like the Mesopotamians,the Egyptians also had to cope with riverfloods. However, the Nile floods weremuch more dependable and gentle thanthose of the Tigris and the Euphrates. As aresult, the Egyptians were able to farm andlive securely. They did not worry that sud-den, heavy overflows would destroy theirhomes and crops, or that too little floodingwould leave their fields parched.

Every spring, heavy rains from centralAfrica and melting snows from the high-lands of east Africa added to the waters ofthe Nile as it flowed north. From July toOctober, the Nile spilled over its banks.When the waters went down, they leftbehind a layer of dark, fertile mud.Because of these deposits, the Egyptianscalled their land Kemet (KEH • meht), “theBlack Land.”

How Did the Egyptians Use the Nile? TheEgyptians took advantage of the Nile’sfloods to become successful farmers. Theyplanted wheat, barley, and flax seeds in thewet, rich soil. Over time, they grew morethan enough food to feed themselves andthe animals they raised.

One reason for their success was thewise use of irrigation. Egyptian farmersfirst dug basins, or bowl-shaped holes, inthe earth to trap the floodwaters. The farm-ers then dug canals to carry water from thebasins to fields beyond the river’s reach.The Egyptians also built dikes, or earthenbanks, to strengthen the basin walls.

In time, Egyptian farmers developedother technology to help them in their work.For example, they used a shadoof (shuh •DOOF), a bucket attached to a long pole, tolift water from the Nile to the basins. ManyEgyptian farmers still use this device today.

Hymn to the Nile

This passage is part of a hymn written around2100 B.C. It shows how important the NileRiver was to the people of ancient Egypt.“You create the grain, you bring forth the barley,assuring perpetuity [survival] to the temples. Ifyou cease your toil and your work, then all thatexists is in anguish.”

—author unknown, “Hymn to the Nile”

How does this hymn show that the ancientEgyptians thought of the Nile as a god?

A shadoof

CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt 41Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

038-046 Ch2 S1-824133 3/9/04 1:56 AM Page 41

Early Egyptians also developed geome-try to survey, or measure, land. Whenfloods washed away boundary markersdividing one field from the next, theEgyptians surveyed the fields again to seewhere one began and the other ended.

Egyptians used Papyrus (puh•PY• ruhs), areed plant that grew along the Nile, to makebaskets, sandals, and river rafts. Later, theyused papyrus for papermaking. They didthis by cutting strips from the stalks of theplant. Then they soaked them in water,pounded them flat, dried them, and thenjoined them together to make paper.

What Were Hieroglyphics? The Egyptiansused their papyrus rolls as writing paper.Like the people of Mesopotamia, theEgyptians developed their own system ofwriting. Originally, it was made up of thou-sands of picture symbols. Some symbols

stood for objects and ideas. To communicatethe idea of a boat, for example, a scribewould draw a boat. Later, Egyptians createdsymbols that stood for sounds, just as theletters of our alphabet do. Combining bothpicture symbols and sound symbols createda complex writing system that was latercalled hieroglyphics (HY • ruh•GLIH• fihks).

In ancient Egypt, few people could readand write. Some Egyptian men, however,went to special schools located at Egyptiantemples to study reading and writing andlearn to become scribes. Scribes keptrecords and worked for the rulers, priests,and traders. Scribes also painstakinglycarved hieroglyphics onto stone walls andmonuments. For everyday purposes,scribes invented a simpler script and wroteor painted on papyrus.

Identify What crops didthe ancient Egyptians grow?

From Farming to Food Harvesting wheat andturning it into bread was vital to the ancientEgyptians. Some people were full-time farmers,but many others were drafted by the government

Tomb painting showing wheatbeing harvested

Tomb painting showing Egyptian manand woman plowing and planting

42

wooden sickles and women gathered it into bundles.Animals trampled the wheat to separate the kernels fromthe husks. The grain was then thrown into the air so thewind would carry away the lightweight seed coverings.Finally, the grain was stored in silos for later use.

to help during busyseasons.

The process began asmen cut the wheat with

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038-046 Ch2 S1-875047 9/7/06 8:34 PM Page 42

A United EgyptAround 3100 B.C., Egypt’s two major

kingdoms, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, were com-bined into one.Reading Focus What types of services does yourlocal government provide? Read on to find out aboutthe government in ancient Egypt.

In Egypt, as in Mesopotamia, skillfulfarming led to surpluses—extra amounts—of food. This freed some people to work asartisans instead of farmers. They wovecloth, made pottery, carved statues, orshaped copper into weapons and tools.

As more goods became available,Egyptians traded with each other. Beforelong, Egyptian traders were carrying goodsbeyond Egypt’s borders to Mesopotamia.There they may have picked up ideas aboutwriting and government.

The Rise of Government The advances infarming, crafts, and trade created a need forgovernment in Egypt. Irrigation systemshad to be built and maintained, and surplusgrain had to be stored and passed out intimes of need. In addition, disputes overland ownership had to be settled. Gradually,government emerged to plan and to directsuch activities.

The earliest rulers were village chiefs.Over time, a few strong chiefs unitedgroups of villages into small kingdoms. Thestrongest of these kingdoms eventuallyoverpowered the weaker ones. By 4000 B.C.,Egypt was made up of two large kingdoms.In the Nile delta was Lower Egypt. To thesouth, upriver, lay Upper Egypt.

Egypt’s Ruling Families About 3100 B.C., thetwo kingdoms became one. Credit for thisgoes to Narmer (NAR • muhr), also known

Connecting to the Past1. How did the government ensure that enough people were

available to harvest the wheat?

2. Why do you think seeds, fruit, and other additives werereserved for the wealthy?

Turning grain into bread was a long process. Womenground the grain into flour, then men pounded it untilit became very fine. For the wealthy, seeds, honey, fruit,nuts, and herbs were added to the dough for flavor.Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to keep smallstones and sand out of the flour. As a result, manyEgyptians developed tooth decay as these particleswore down their tooth enamel.

A replica of an ancientEgyptian bakery

Wheat beingharvested today

43

Baking bread in pots

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038-046 Ch2 S1-824133 3/9/04 1:59 AM Page 43


as Menes (MEE • neez). As king of UpperEgypt, he led his armies north and took con-trol of Lower Egypt.

Narmer ruled from Memphis, a city hebuilt on the border between the two king-doms. To symbolize the kingdom’s unity,Narmer wore a double crown: the helmet-like white crown represented Upper Egypt,and the open red crown represented LowerEgypt.

Natural Defenses Flat mud plains; few natural defenses

Unpredictable, and a constant threat to the people

Rivers

Floods

Economy

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Farming and trade

Many defenses: Nile delta, Sahara, Eastern Desert, and cataracts

Dependable and regular; not feared

Nile River

Farming and trade

Government City-state led by kings and priests; eventually empires formed

Villages led by chiefs, then united into kingdoms; kingdoms later united and ruled by pharaohs

Work of Artisans Metal products, pottery, cloth Metal products, pottery, cloth

Advances • Cuneiform writing• Number system based on 60• 12-month calendar• Wagon wheel, plow, sailboat

• Hieroglyphic writing• 365-day calendar• Number system based on 10, and fractions• Medicine and first medical books

Mesopotamia Egypt

Comparing Mesopotamia to EgyptComparing Mesopotamia to Egypt

Narmer’s united kingdom held togetherlong after his death. Members of his familypassed the ruling power from father to sonto grandson. Such a line of rulers from onefamily is called a dynasty (DY • nuh • stee).When one dynasty died out, another tookits place.

Over time, ancient Egypt would beruled by 31 dynasties, which together lastedabout 2,800 years. Historians group Egypt’sdynasties into three main time periodscalled kingdoms. The earliest period, theOld Kingdom, was followed by the MiddleKingdom and then the New Kingdom. Eachmarked a long period of strong leadershipand stability.

Define What is a dynasty?

The civilizations of both Mesopotamia andEgypt depended on rivers for fertile lands andirrigation.1. Which civilization had greater natural

defenses? Explain.2. Compare Use the chart to compare the

governments of the two civilizations.

038-046 Ch2 S1-824133 6/30/05 5:46 PM Page 44

Early Egyptian LifeEgyptian society was divided into

social groups based on wealth and power.Reading Focus Did you play with dolls or ballswhen you were young? Egyptian children did too.Keep reading for more details about the Egyptians’daily life.

If you made a diagram of the differentsocial groups in ancient Egypt, you wouldfind that they make a pyramid shape. At thetop was the king and his family. Beneaththat level was a small upper class of priests,army commanders, and nobles. Next camea larger base of skilled middle-class people,such as traders, artisans, and shopkeepers.At the bottom was the largest group—unskilled workers and farmers.

Egypt’s Social Classes Egypt’s upper classwas made up of nobles, priests, and otherwealthy Egyptians who worked as the government officials. They lived in cities andon large estates along the Nile River. Theyhad elegant homes made of wood and mudbricks, with beautiful gardens and poolsfilled with fish and water lilies. Wealthy fam-ilies had servants to wait on them and to per-form household tasks. The men and womendressed in white linen clothes and woreheavy eye makeup and jewelry.

Egypt’s middle class included peoplewho ran businesses or produced goods.They lived in much smaller homes anddressed more simply. Artisans formed animportant group within the middle class.They produced linen cloth, jewelry, pottery,and metal goods.


Pharaoh

Farmers andherders

Unskilledworkers

Priests andnobles

Traders, artisans, shopkeepers, andscribes

Ancient Egyptian society was highly structured. At the top was the pharaoh and his family.At the bottom was the group with the least wealth—unskilledworkers. What group was justbelow the pharaoh in Egyptiansociety?

038-046 Ch2 S1-824133 3/9/04 2:02 AM Page 45

1. What is papyrus and how didthe Egyptians use it?

2. What rights did women have inancient Egypt?

Critical Thinking3. Cause and Effect Draw a

diagram to show three thingsthat led to the growth of gov-ernment in ancient Egypt.

4. Geography Skills How didthe geography of the Nile Rivervalley lead to the growth of acivilization there?

5. Describe Describe theEgyptian writing system.

6. Analyze What was the signif-icance of Narmer’s doublecrown?

7. Predicting Usewhat you have learned in thissection to write a paragraphpredicting what life might havebeen like on an ancientEgyptian farm.

Growth of Government in Ancient Egypt

What Did You Learn?

Study Central™ Need help with the material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com

46 CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt46 CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt46 CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt

Farmers made up the largest group ofearly Egyptians. Some rented their land fromtheir ruler, paying him with a hefty portionof their crops. Most, however, worked theland of wealthy nobles. They lived in vil-lages along the Nile, in one-room huts withroofs made of palm leaves. They had a sim-ple diet of bread, beer, vegetables, and fruit.

Many of Egypt’s city dwellers wereunskilled workers who did physical labor.Some unloaded cargo from boats and car-ried it to markets. Others made and stackedmud bricks for buildings. Workers lived incrowded city neighborhoods. They hadsmall mud-brick homes with hard-packeddirt floors and a courtyard for the family’sanimals. On the flat rooftops, familiestalked, played games, and slept. Womenworked on the rooftops, drying fruit, mak-ing bread, and weaving cloth.

Family Life In ancient Egypt, the fatherheaded the family. However, Egyptianwomen had more rights than females inmost other early civilizations. In Egypt,women could own and pass on property.They could buy and sell goods, make wills,and obtain divorces. Upper-class womenwere in charge of temples and could per-form religious ceremonies.

Few Egyptians sent their children toschool. Mothers taught their daughters tosew, cook, and run a household. Boyslearned farming or skilled trades fromtheir fathers. Egyptian children had timefor fun, as well. They played with boardgames, dolls, spinning tops, and stuffedleather balls.

Identify Who made up thelargest group in Egyptian society?

Reading SummaryReview the • The deserts on either side of the

Nile Valley, along with the Nilecataracts and delta marshes, pro-tected Egypt from invaders.

• The Egyptians became successfulfarmers using the Nile River’sfloods and irrigation.

• About 3100 B.C., Narmer unitedLower Egypt and Upper Egypt.

• Egypt’s society was divided intoupper-class priests and nobles,middle-class artisans and mer-chants, and lower-class workersand farmers.

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What’s the Connection?In Section 1, you learned that

Egyptian dynasties are divided intothe Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom,and New Kingdom. In Section 2,you will learn about the Egyptians’leaders, religion, and way of life inthe Old Kingdom.

Focusing on the • Egypt was ruled by all-powerful

pharaohs. (page 48)

• The Egyptians believed in many godsand goddesses and in life after deathfor the pharaohs. (page 49)

• The Egyptians of the Old Kingdombuilt huge stone pyramids as tombsfor their pharaohs. (page 50)

Locating PlacesGiza (GEE • zuh)

Meeting PeopleKing Khufu (KOO • foo)

Building Your Vocabularypharaoh (FEHR •oh)deity (DEE •uh • tee)embalming (ihm •BAHM • ihng)mummy (MUH •mee)pyramid (PIHR •uh • MIHD)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Use agraphic organizer like the one below to identify the different beliefs inEgypt’s religion.

Egypt’s OldKingdom

c. 2600 B.C.Old Kingdomperiod begins

c. 2540 B.C.Great Pyramidat Giza built

c. 2300 B.C.Old Kingdomdeclines

Nile R.

MemphisGiza

2600 B.C. 2400 B.C. 2200 B.C.2600 B.C. 2400 B.C. 2200 B.C.


Egyptian beliefs

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Old Kingdom RulersEgypt was ruled by all-powerful

pharaohs.Reading Focus Would you want your student bodypresident or your sports team captain to have unlimitedauthority? Think what it would be like to have such aleader as you read about the rulers of ancient Egypt.

Around 2600 B.C., the period known asthe Old Kingdom began in Egypt. The OldKingdom lasted until about 2300 B.C. Duringthose years, Egypt grew and prospered. TheEgyptians built cities and expanded trade,and their kings set up a strong government.

The Egyptian kings, or pharaohs (FEHR•ohs) as they were called, lived with their fami-lies in grand palaces. In fact, the word pharaohoriginally meant “great house.” The pharaohwas an all-powerful ruler who guided Egypt’severy activity. His word was law, and it had tobe obeyed without question.

Pharaohs appointed many officials tocarry out their wishes. These officials saw toit that irrigation canals and grain store-houses were built and repaired. They made

sure that crops were planted as the pharaohdirected. They also controlled trade and col-lected tax payments of grain from farmers.

Why did Egyptians willingly serve thepharaoh? One reason was that they believedthe unity of the kingdom depended on astrong leader. Another was that they consid-ered the pharaoh to be the son of Re (RAY), theEgyptian sun god. As a result, his subjectspaid him the greatest respect. Whenever heappeared in public, people played music onflutes and cymbals. Bystanders along theroad had to bow down and “smell the earth,”or touch their heads to the ground.

The Egyptians thought their pharaohwas a god on earth who controlled Egypt’swelfare. He carried out certain rituals thatwere thought to benefit the kingdom. Forexample, he drove a sacred bull aroundMemphis, the capital city. The Egyptiansbelieved this ceremony would keep the soilrich and ensure good crops. The pharaohwas also the first to cut ripe grain. Egyptiansbelieved this would bring a good harvest.

Analyze Why did thepharaohs hold so much power?

The Great Sphinx, a huge statue with the head of a man (perhaps a pharaoh) and the body of a lion, stands guard outside the tomb of a pharaoh. What did the word pharaoh mean, and why was it used for Egypt’s rulers?

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Egypt’s ReligionThe Egyptians believed in many gods

and goddesses and in life after death for thepharaohs.Reading Focus Have you seen mummies in horrormovies? Maybe you’ve even wrapped yourself in stripsof cloth to be a mummy for a costume party. Keep read-ing to find out how the ancient Egyptians made mum-mies, and why.

Religion was deeply woven intoEgyptian culture. Like the people ofMesopotamia, the ancient Egyptians wor-shiped many deities (DEE •uh • teez), or godsand goddesses. The Egyptians believedthese deities controlled the forces of natureand human activities.

The main Egyptian god was the sun godRe. This was probably because of Egypt’shot, sunny climate and the importance ofthe sun for good harvests. Another majorgod was Hapi (HAH • pee), who ruled theNile River. The most important goddess wasIsis (EYE • suhs). She represented the loyalwife and mother, and she ruled over thedead with her husband Osiris (oh •SY • ruhs).

Life After Death Unlike the Mesopota-mians, who imagined a gloomy life afterdeath, the Egyptians took a hopeful view.They believed that life in the next worldwould be even better than life on Earth.Following a long journey, the dead wouldreach a place of peace and plenty.

One of the most important manuscriptswritten in ancient Egypt was the Book of theDead. This was a collection of spells andprayers that Egyptians studied to obtain lifeafter death. They believed that the god Osiriswould meet newcomers at the entrance to thenext world. If they had led good lives andknew the magic spells, Osiris would grantthem life after death.

For centuries, Egyptians believed thatonly the pharaohs and an elite few couldenjoy the afterlife. They also believed thatthe pharaoh’s spirit needed a body to makethe journey to the afterlife. If the pharaoh’sbody decayed after death, his spirit wouldbe forced to wander forever. It was vitalthat a pharaoh’s spirit reach the next world.There, the pharaoh would continue to carefor Egypt.

To protect the pharaoh’s body, theEgyptians developed a process calledembalming (ihm •BAHM • ihng). First, priestsremoved the body’s organs. A special salt,natron, was then applied to the body, and itwas stored for a number of days to dry. Afterthis, the body was filled with spices and per-fumes, then stitched closed. Next, it wascleaned with oils and tightly wrapped with


During the embalming process, the pharaoh’sbody was placed on a special table. The chiefembalmer was dressed as Anubis, the god ofmummification. Why did the Egyptiansembalm the pharaoh’s body?

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Egypt’s ReligionEgypt’s Religion

long strips of linen. The wrapped body wasknown as a mummy (MUH•mee). It was putin several wooden coffins, one fitting insidethe other. The pharaoh was then ready forburial in a tomb.

Egyptian Medicine In the course ofembalming the dead, the Egyptians learnedmuch about the human body. Egyptian doc-tors used herbs and drugs to treat many dif-ferent illnesses. They grew skilled at sewingup cuts and setting broken bones.

Some doctors focused on treating par-ticular parts of the body, becoming thefirst specialists in medicine. Egyptiansalso wrote the world’s first medical bookson scrolls of papyrus.

Identify Who were someof the Egyptians’ main gods and goddesses?

The PyramidsThe Egyptians of the Old Kingdom built

huge stone pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs.Reading Focus Do you think the Statue of Liberty orthe White House will still be here in 4,000 years? Thegiant pyramids of Egypt have stood for about that long.Read to find out how and why they were built.

No ordinary tomb would do for apharaoh of Egypt. Instead, the Egyptiansbuilt mountainlike pyramids (PIHR • uh •MIHDS) entirely of stone. These gigantic struc-tures, the size of several city blocks, protectedthe bodies of dead pharaohs from floods,wild animals, and grave robbers. The pyra-mids also held supplies that the pharaohmight need in the spirit world, includingclothing, furniture, jewelry, and food.

In this painting, the god Osiris (seated at right) watchesas other animal-headed gods weigh a dead man’s souland record the results. The scales have balanced, so thedead man may enter the underworld. What was theBook of the Dead?


Osiris

(t)The British Museum, (b)Musee du Louvre, Paris/Explorer/SuperStock

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How Was a Pyramid Built? It took thou-sands of people and years of backbreakinglabor to build a pyramid. Most of the workwas done by farmers during the Nile floods,when they could not tend their fields. Inaddition, surveyors, engineers, carpenters,and stonecutters lent their skills.

Each pyramid sat on a square base, withthe entrance facing north. To determinetrue north, the Egyptians studied the heav-ens and developed principles of astron-omy. With this knowledge, they invented a365-day calendar with 12 months groupedinto 3 seasons. This calendar became thebasis for our modern calendar.

To determine the amount of stone neededfor a pyramid, as well as the angles necessary

for the walls, the Egyptians made advancesin mathematics. They invented a system ofwritten numbers based on 10. They also cre-ated fractions, using them with whole num-bers to add, subtract, and divide.

After the pyramid site was chosen,workers went wherever they could findstone—sometimes hundreds of miles away.Skilled artisans used copper tools to cut thestone into huge blocks. Other workers tiedthe blocks to wooden sleds and pulledthem to the Nile over a path “paved” withlogs. Next, they loaded the stones ontobarges that were floated to the buildingsite. There, workers unloaded the blocksand dragged or pushed them up ramps tobe set in place.

Ancient Egyptians buried their kings within large stone buildings called pyramids.

Air Shaft

King's Burial Chamber The king's mummified body was placed in a room at the pyramid's center.

Grand Gallery This tall, sloping hall held large granite blocks that sealed the tomb.

Queen's Burial Chamber This chamber held a statue of the king, not the queen's body.

Entrance

Underground Burial Chamber Sometimes kings were buried here instead.

Queen's Pyramids These smaller pyramids are believed to be tombs for the king's wives.

Mastaba These tombs surrounding the pyramids held royal family members and other nobles.

Valley Temple This temple may have been used for rituals before the king was buried.

Inside a PyramidInside a Pyramid

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Reading SummaryReview the • The all-powerful rulers of Egypt,

called pharaohs, were believed tobe related to Egypt’s main god.

• The Egyptians believed in manygods and goddesses. They alsobelieved in life after death for thepharaoh, whose body would bemummified before burial.

• The pyramids, built as huge stonetombs for the pharaohs, requiredmany years and thousands ofworkers to construct.

1. How was stone for a pyramidtransported to the building site?

2. What did Egyptians learn fromembalming bodies?

Critical Thinking3. Organize Information Draw

a diagram like the one below.Fill in details about thepharaohs of the Old Kingdomand their duties.

4. Math/Science Link How didthe building of the pyramidslead to advances in science andmathematics?

5. Compare and ContrastHow did the Egyptians’ reli-gious beliefs compare to thoseof the Mesopotamians?

6. Persuasive Writing Supposeyou are an Egyptian pharaohwho wants a pyramid built tohouse your tomb. Write a letterto the farmers and workers inyour kingdom explaining why itis their duty to build the pyra-mid for you.

What Did You Learn?



The Great Pyramid About 2540 B.C., theEgyptians built the largest and grandest ofthe pyramids known as the Great Pyramid.It is located about 10 miles from the mod-ern city of Cairo. This pyramid, built forKing Khufu (KOO • foo), is one of three stillstanding in Giza on the west bank of theNile. It rises nearly 500 feet (153 m) abovethe desert, covers an area about the size ofnine football fields, and contains more than 2 million stone blocks. Each block weighs anaverage of 2.5 tons.

The Great Pyramid was the tallest struc-ture in the world for more than 4,000 years.It is equal to the size of a 48-story buildingand is the largest of about 80 pyramidsfound in Egypt. The Great Pyramid is trulya marvel because the Egyptians built itwithout using beasts of burden, specialtools, or even the wheel.

Explain What was the pur-pose of pyramids?

The pyramid shown above is that of KingKhafre, son of Khufu. Although smaller than theGreat Pyramid, Khafre’s pyramid was built onhigher ground so as to appear taller. Abouthow tall is the Great Pyramid?

Pharaohs

John Heaton/CORBIS

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53

In this story, a prince must avoidthree types of animals because itwas predicted that one of themwould kill him. The people wholove him try to prevent him fromcoming into contact with theanimals, but the prince does notwant to live in fear.

Before You ReadThe Scene: This story takes place in ancient times in Egypt and in an areathat is now Iraq.

The Characters: The first characters introduced are the king of Egypt, hisson, and the seven Hathor goddesses, who predict the prince’s death. Whenthe prince travels, he meets Chief of Naharín and his daughter.

The Plot: For many years, the king of Egypt protects his son from the deaththat was predicted for him. The prince convinces his father to let him travel.He meets a princess, and together they try to prevent his fate.

Vocabulary Previewdestiny: an already-determinedcourse of events

ferried: carried by boat

enchant: to cast a spell on something

fugitive: a person who runs away or escapes

folly: a foolish action

vessel: a container

exalting: praising

Translated by Lise Manniche

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º

1seven Hathor goddesses:goddesses who visited newbornchildren to discover their fates

As You ReadThis is one of the world’s oldest known fairy tales. It was written inhieroglyphics more than 3,000 years ago. The places in the tale are real,and the prince and princess may have been based on real people, as well.The ancient Egyptians often made important people the main charactersin their stories.

There once was a king of Egypt who had no sons at all. So the kingasked the gods of his time for a son and they decided that he shouldhave one. . . .

The seven Hathor goddesses1 came to decide the boy’s fate andthey declared, “He is destined to be killed by a crocodile or a snakeor a dog.”

The people who were at the boy’s side heard this. They reportedit to the king and his heart grew sad.

The king had a house of stone built for the boy at the edge of thedesert, supplied with servants and with all sorts of good things fromthe palace, for the child was not to go outside. There the boy grew up.

One day he climbed up to the roof of the house and saw a dogfollowing a man, who was walking along the road.

“What is that?” he asked his servant.

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“It’s a dog,” the servant replied.“Let me have a dog like that,” the boy

said.The servant reported this to the king

and the king said, “His heart is sad. Lethim have a bounding little puppy.”

So they gave the boy a dog.In time, the young prince grew

restless and he sent a message to hisfather, saying, “Why should I stay heredoing nothing? After all, my destiny hasbeen determined. Allow me to do as Iwish until I meet my fate.”

The king replied saying “Let achariot2 be prepared for him, equippedwith all sorts of weapons, and assign aservant to accompany him.”

So they did as the king commandedand gave him all that he needed. Then theyferried him across the Nile to the east bankand said to him, “Now go as you wish.”

And the dog was with him.The prince traveled as he pleased

northwards across the desert, living onthe best of all desert game.

Thus he came to the realm of theChief of Naharín,3 who had no children—except one daughter. He had built a housefor her with a window seventy cubits4

from the ground.The Chief of Naharín then sent for

all the sons of all the chiefs of Kharu,5

saying, “He who can jump up to the

window of my daughter shall have her forhis wife.”

The sons of all the chiefs had beentrying to reach the window each day formany days when the prince passed bythem.

They took the prince to their house,and they bathed him, they rubbed himwith oil, and they bandaged his feet. Theygave fodder6 to his horses and food to hisservant. They did everything for theyoung man.

And to start a conversation, they said,“Where do you come from, youhandsome youth?”

“I am the son of a chariot officer fromEgypt. My mother died and my fathertook another wife. My stepmother grewto hate me and I have fled her.”

They welcomed him and kissed him.

2chariot: a two-wheeled, horse-drawn car3Naharín: an area east of the EuphratesRiver in present-day Iraq

4cubits: units of length based on the lengthof the arm from the elbow to the fingertips

5Kharu: an area in present-day Syria

6fodder: food for cattle, horses, and sheep

C

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Several days later the prince asked theyouths, “What are you doing here inNaharín?”

“The past three months we havespent each day jumping, for the Chief ofNaharín will give his daughter to the onewho reaches her window,” they said.

“Oh, if only I could enchant my feet, Iwould jump with you,” said the prince.

The youths went off to jump, as it wastheir daily custom, while the prince stoodat a distance, watching.

From her window the daughter of theChief of Naharín gazed at him.

At last, when many days had passed,the prince joined the sons of the chiefs.

He jumped and he reached the windowof the daughter of the Chief of Naharín.

She embraced him and she kissed him.

A messenger went to inform her father.“One of the young men has reached

the window of your daughter,” themessenger said.

“Whose son is it?” the Chief ofNaharín inquired.

“He is the son of a chariot officer fromEgypt. He has fled from his stepmother.”

The Chief of Naharín grew veryangry. “Am I to give my daughter to afugitive from Egypt? Send him home!”

“You must go back where you camefrom,” the messenger said to the prince.

But the princess clung to the prince,and she swore, “As Re lives, if they takehim from me, I will not eat, I will notdrink, I will die within the hour!”

When the messenger had reportedeverything she had said to her father, herfather sent men to kill the prince then andthere.

Again the princess swore, “As Re lives,if they kill him, I shall die before sunset. Iwill not live an hour more than he!”

They repeated this to her father, andthe Chief of Naharín had the prince andhis daughter brought before him.

The young man impressed the Chief,who welcomed him and kissed him andsaid, “Now you are like my own son. Tellme about yourself.”

“I am the child of a chariot officer fromEgypt,” said the young man, “My motherdied and father took another wife. Shegrew to hate me, and I have fled from her.”

The Chief of Naharín gave hisdaughter to the prince, and he gave him ahouse and fields and herds andeverything they needed.

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When they had lived together forsome time, the young man told his wife,“I know my fate. I shall be killed by oneof three: a crocodile or a snake or a dog.”

“Then,” she said, “the dog that followsyou everywhere must be killed.”

“That would be folly,” he replied. “Iwill not have the dog killed for I have hadit ever since it was a puppy.”

So his wife began to watch over himclosely, and she did not allow him to goout alone.

It so happened that on the very daythe prince had arrived in Naharín, thecrocodile, his fate, began to follow him. Itcaught up with him in the town where theprince lived with his wife.

But there in the lake was a giant whowould not let the crocodile out, and sothe crocodile refused to let the giant out.For three whole months they had beenfighting all day long, beginning each dayat sunrise.

The prince spent many pleasant daysin his house, and in the evenings whenthe breeze died down, he went to bed.One evening when sleep had overcomehim, his wife filled a vessel with wine andanother with beer. Then she sat downbeside him, but she did not sleep.

A snake came out of its holeintending to bite the prince, but thevessels tempted it and the snake drankfrom them, got drunk and rolled over onits back to sleep.

His wife chopped the snake in threepieces with her axe. Then she roused herhusband and said to him, “See, your godhas placed one of your fates in yourhands. He is protecting you.”

The prince made offerings to his godRe, adoring him and exalting his powereach day that passed.

After some time, the prince went for astroll around his estate. His wife stayed athome, but his dog followed him.

Suddenly the dog turned on him andthe prince fled from it.

He ran to the edge of the lake andjumped into water to escape the dog, butthere the crocodile seized him anddragged him off to find the giant.

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“I am pursuing you, for I am your fate,” said the crocodile.“Listen, for three whole months I have been fighting with the giant.I will let you go now if you will take my side and kill the giantwhen he returns to fight.”

So the prince waited by the water all that night, and when dawn broke and a second day began, the giant returned.

The giant began to fight the crocodile at once, but the prince stepped forward with his scimitar7 in his hand.He cut out the heart of the giant and the giant died.

At that very moment the dog sneaked up behind the prince. It attacked him and tore him to bits and spread the pieces all about.

When the prince failed to return, his wife set out to look for him. After seven days and seven nights in search for him, she came upon his remains.

She collected all the pieces of her husband’s body and put them back together again—except for his heart.That she placed in a lotus flower which was blooming on the water.

Lo and behold, the prince reappeared as he had been before.From that day on the prince and princess lived together happily

until they crossed over to the fields of the blessed.

º

1. How did the prince’s father and wife try to protect him?

2. How would this story be different if it were told from thepoint of view of the prince?

3. Evaluating Information Do you think the prince paidenough attention to the goddesses’ warning? Why or whynot? Support your opinion with examples.

4. Drawing Conclusions Why do you think the prince lied tothe Chief of Naharín about his parents?

5. Read to Write Suppose you are the prince,captive in the stone house, or the princess, captive in thetower. Write three diary entries about your daily life, yourfeelings about being kept away from society, and your hopesfor the future.

Responding to the Reading

7scimitar (SIH • muh • tuhr): a long sword with a curved blade

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c. 2050 B.C.Middle Kingdombegins

c. 1500 B.C.Queen Hatshepsut reigns

c. 1279 B.C.Ramses II takesthe throne

Nile

R.

Memphis

Thebes

2400 B.C. 1600 B.C. 800 B.C.2400 B.C. 1600 B.C. 800 B.C.


What’s the Connection?During the Old Kingdom,

Egyptians established their civilization.During the Middle Kingdom and theNew Kingdom, Egypt’s powerfulpharaohs expanded the empire byconquering other lands.

Focusing on the • The Middle Kingdom was a golden age

of peace, prosperity, and advances inthe arts and architecture. (page 60)

• During the New Kingdom, Egyptacquired new territory and reachedthe height of its power. (page 61)

• Akhenaton tried to change Egypt’sreligion, while Tutankhamen isfamous for the treasures found in histomb. (page 64)

• Under Ramses II, Egypt regainedterritory and built great temples, butthe empire fell by 1150 B.C. (page 65)

Locating PlacesThebes (THEEBZ)

Meeting PeopleAhmose (AHM•OHS)Hatshepsut (hat•SHEHP•soot)Thutmose III (thoot•MOH•suh)Akhenaton (AHK•NAH•tuhn)Tutankhamen

(TOO•TANG•KAH•muhn)Ramses II (RAM•SEEZ)

Building Your Vocabularytribute (TRIH•byoot)incense (IHN•SEHNS)

Reading StrategyCategorizing Information Create a diagram to show the majoraccomplishments of Ramses II.

Ramses

Egyptian Empire

The

059-067 Ch2 S3-824133 10/14/04 5:17 PM Page 59

The Middle KingdomThe Middle Kingdom was a golden age

of peace, prosperity, and advances in the arts andarchitecture.Reading Focus Have you heard older people talkabout enjoying their “golden years”? Countries can alsoexperience such happy, productive times. In the fol-lowing paragraphs, you’ll learn why the MiddleKingdom was a golden age for Egypt.

About 2300 B.C., the pharaohs lost con-trol of Egypt as nobles battled one anotherfor power. Almost 200 years of confusionfollowed. Finally, a new dynasty ofpharaohs came to power. They moved theircapital south from Memphis to a city calledThebes (THEEBZ). There they restored orderand stability, ushering in a new periodcalled the Middle Kingdom.

The Middle Kingdom lasted from about2050 B.C. to 1670 B.C. During this time,Egyptians enjoyed a golden age of stability,prosperity, and achievement.

The Drive for More Land During theMiddle Kingdom, Egypt took control ofnew lands. Soldiers captured Nubia to thesouth and attacked what is now Syria. Theconquered peoples sent tribute (TRIH •byoot), or forced payments, to the Egyptianpharaoh, enriching the kingdom. WithinEgypt, the pharaohs added more waterwaysand dams. They increased the amount ofland being farmed and built a canal betweenthe Nile River and the Red Sea.

The Arts Blossom During the MiddleKingdom, arts, literature, and architecturethrived. Painters covered the walls of tombsand temples with colorful scenes of thedeities and daily life. Sculptors created largewall carvings and statues of the pharaohs,showing them as ordinary people rather

than godlike figures. Poets wrote lovesongs and tributes to the pharaohs.

A new form of architecture was also created. Instead of building pyramids,pharaohs had their tombs cut into cliffswest of the Nile River. This area becameknown as the Valley of the Kings.

Who Were the Hyksos? The MiddleKingdom came to an end in 1670 B.C.Nobles were again plotting to take powerfrom the pharaohs. This time, however,Egypt also faced a serious threat from out-side. A people known as the Hyksos (HIHK •SAHS), from western Asia, attacked Egypt.


This artwork with gold inlay from the MiddleKingdom period shows a funeral boat. How didarchitecture change during the Middle Kingdom?

Web Activity Visit jat.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 2—Student Web Activity tolearn more about ancient Egypt.

Gianni Dagli Orti/CORBIS

059-067 Ch2 S3-824133 3/9/04 3:18 AM Page 60


Today, millions of people usecomputer icons as symbols for words

and even emotions in e-mails andother electronic communication. These

icons are pictures—such as flags or paperclips—that represent other things. In what way

are hieroglyphs and computer icons similar?

Hieroglyphs and Computer Icons

The ancient Egyptian system of writing wasmade up of hundreds of different characters calledhieroglyphs. Each hieroglyph was a picture thatrepresented a word. For example, a large circlewith a smaller circle drawn in its centermeant “sun.” Egyptian scribes carvedhieroglyphic symbols on monuments andused them for everyday communication.

Computer icons


The Hyksos were mighty warriors. Theycrossed the desert in horse-drawn chariotsand used weapons made of bronze andiron. Egyptians had always fought on footwith copper and stone weapons. They wereno match for the invaders.

The Hyksos ruled Egypt for about 120years. Then, around 1550 B.C., an Egyptianprince named Ahmose (AHM • OHS) led anuprising that drove the Hyksos out ofEgypt.

Identify Who were theHyksos?

The New KingdomDuring the New Kingdom, Egypt acquired

new territory and reached the height of its power.Reading Focus Do you know the names of anywomen who hold political office? In ancient civiliza-tions, women rarely held positions of power. Read tolearn how a woman became ruler of Egypt.

Ahmose’s reign in Egypt began a periodknown as the New Kingdom. During thistime, from about 1550 B.C. to 1080 B.C., Egyptreached the height of its ancient glory.

Hieroglyphs

(l)Smithsonian Institution, (r)file photo

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A Woman Ruler About 1473 B.C., a queennamed Hatshepsut (hat •SHEHP • soot) cameto power in Egypt. She ruled first with herhusband and then, after his death, on behalfof her young nephew. Finally she made herself pharaoh. Hatshepsut became one ofthe few women to rule Egypt.

Hatshepsut was more interested intrade than conquest. During her reign,Egyptian traders sailed along the east coastof Africa. They exchanged beads, metal

tools, and weapons for gold, ivory, ebony,and incense (IHN • SEHNS), a material burnedfor its pleasant smell.

Another product Egyptians wanted waswood. The Nile Valley had few trees, and theEgyptians needed wood for boats and otheritems. The search for wood took Egyptiantraders to the eastern Mediterranean, whereLebanon is located today. The region hadmany trees, and its people, called thePhoenicians, were famous for their woodenfurniture.

Trading brought great wealth to Egypt.Hatshepsut used some of this wealth tobuild monuments. One of her greatest proj-ects was a huge temple and tomb in thelimestone cliffs of the Valley of the Kings.

Expanding the Empire When Hatshepsutdied, her nephew, Thutmose III (thoot •MOH • suh), became pharaoh. Thutmose’sarmies expanded Egypt’s borders north tothe Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Histroops also moved south and regainedcontrol of Nubia, which had broken freefrom Egypt earlier.

Thutmose’s empire grew rich fromtrade and tribute. In addition to claiminggold, copper, ivory, and other valuable

goods from conquered peoples,Egypt enslaved many prisoners ofwar. These unfortunate captiveswere put to work rebuildingThebes. They filled the city withbeautiful palaces, temples, and

monuments.Slavery had not been widespread in

Egypt before. During the New Kingdom,however, it became common. Enslaved peo-ple did have some rights. They could ownland, marry, and eventually be grantedtheir freedom.

Summarize DescribeEgyptian trade during the rule of Hatshepsut.


300 km

300 mi.0

0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

N

S

W E

40°E30°E

30°N

20°N

TROPIC OF CANCER

Red

Sea

Mediterrranean Sea

Nile R.

LOWEREGYPT

UPPEREGYPT

SYRIA

NILE DELTA

ARABIANPENINSULA

Cyprus

Giza

Memphis

Thebes

Egyptian Kingdoms

During the Middle Kingdom, the capital ofEgypt moved from Memphis to Thebes.1. Which kingdom included lands across the

Mediterranean Sea?2. What physical feature makes up much of the

eastern border of the Middle Kingdom?

Old KingdomLand added during Middle KingdomLand added during New KingdomPyramids

KEY

MotionIn

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HATSHEPSUTReigned 1473–1458 B.C.

Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I

and Queen Aahmes. Even as a young princess, she

was confident, describing herself as “exceedingly

good to look upon . . . a beautiful maiden” who

was “serene [peaceful] of nature.” During her

marriage to King Thutmose II, Hatshepsut

influenced her husband’s decisions and hoped

to someday have more power. She saw an

opportunity when Thutmose died and

declared herself pharaoh.

Because the position of pharaoh was

usually passed from father to son,

Hatshepsut had to prove that she was a

good leader. She often wore men’s clothing

to convince the people that she could

handle what had always been a man’s job.

Unlike other pharaohs, Hatshepsut avoided

military conquests. She focused her attention

instead on expanding Egypt’s economy. She restored

Egypt’s wealth through trade with Africa and Asia.

Returning home from trading expeditions, cargo ships were loaded

with ebony, gold, ivory, incense, and myrrh. During her reign, Hatshepsut also

rebuilt many of Egypt’s great temples, including the temple at Karnak. In her

temple at Deir el Bahri, the reliefs on the walls recorded the major events of

Hatshepsut’s reign.

Hatshepsut’s 21-year reign was peaceful, but her stepson, Thutmose III, was

plotting against her. He overthrew Hatshepsut and her government.

It is unknown how Hatshepsut died, but

after her death, Thutmose III ordered

that the reliefs and statues in

Hatshepsut’s temple be destroyed.

63

Hatshepsut

“A dictator excellentof plans”

—Egyptian scribe quoted inBarbarian Tides

Make a list of Hatshepsut’s strengths as a

leader. Then choose a present-day female

leader and list her leadership strengths. Write a

paragraph comparing their similarities and

differences.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift,1929 (29.3.3)

059-067 Ch2 S3-824133 3/17/05 11:40 AM Page 63

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Cats in Ancient Egypt In ancientEgypt, cats were loved and evenworshiped. Egyptians valued the abilityof wild cats to protect villages’ grainsupplies from mice and rats. Overseveral hundred years, cats becametame, and their role developed fromvalued hunter to adoredfamily pet to goddess.

In ancient Egyptiantombs, archaeologistshave found many wallpaintings, carvings, andstatues of cats. Often thestatues were adorned withbeautiful jewelry, such assilver or gold earrings, noserings, and collars. When anEgyptian family’s catdied, its ownersshaved theireyebrows to showtheir grief and had thecat’s body mummified.

Egyptians worshipedcats because theyassociated them with thegoddess Bastet. She representedmotherhood, grace, and beauty, andoften appears in paintings and statuesas a woman with the head of a cat.

The Legacies of Two PharaohsAkhenaton tried to change Egypt’s

religion, while Tutankhamen is famous for thetreasures found in his tomb.Reading Focus If you ask people to name anEgyptian pharaoh, the answer you’re likely to get is“King Tut.” Read on to find out more about him and hispredecessor.

About 1370 B.C., Amenhotep IV (AH •muhn • HOH • TEHP) came to the throne. Withthe help of his wife, Nefertiti (NEHF • uhr •TEET • ee), Amenhotep tried to lead Egypt ina new direction.

A Religious Reformer Amenhotep real-ized that Egypt’s priests were gainingpower at the expense of the pharaohs. Inan attempt to maintain his own power,Amenhotep introduced a new religionthat swept away the old gods and god-desses. Instead, only one god, called Aton(AH • tuhn), was to be worshiped. WhenEgypt’s priests resisted these changes,Amenhotep removed many from theirpositions, seized their lands, and closedtemples. He then changed his name to

Akhenaton (AHK • NAH • tuhn), which means“Spirit of Aton.” He began ruling Egypt froma new city.

To most Egyptians, Akhenaton’s attackson the gods seemed to be an attack onEgypt itself. They refused to accept Aton asthe only god. Meanwhile, Akhenatonbecame so devoted to his new religion thathe neglected his duties as pharaoh. Theadministrators he appointed were not asexperienced as the priests they replaced,and Akhenaton took no action when ene-mies from what is now Turkey, the Hittites,attacked Egypt. As a result, Egypt lost mostof its lands in western Asia, greatly shrink-ing the empire.

Egyptiangoddessdepictedas a cat

Connecting to the Past1. Why did ancient Egyptians first value cats?

2. With what goddess did the ancientEgyptians associate cats?

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The Boy King When Akhenaton died, hisson-in-law inherited the throne. The newpharaoh, Tutankhamen (TOO • TANG • KAH •muhn), was a boy about 10 years old. Herelied on help from palace officials andpriests, who convinced him to restore theold religion. After ruling for only nineyears, Tutankhamen died unexpectedly. Hemay have suffered a fall or been murdered;no one is sure.

What is certain is that “King Tut,” as he isnicknamed, played only a small role inEgypt’s history. Why, then, is he the mostfamous of all pharaohs? The boy king cap-tured people’s imaginations after a Britisharchaeologist, Howard Carter, found histomb in A.D. 1922.

The tomb contained the king’s mummyand incredible treasures, including a brilliantgold mask of the young pharaoh’s face.Carter’s find was a thrilling discovery,because most royal tombs in Egypt werelooted by robbers long ago.

Evaluate Why isTutankhamen so famous today?

The End of the New KingdomUnder Ramses II, Egypt regained terri-

tory and built great temples, but the empire fell by1150 B.C.Reading Focus Egypt remained mighty for thou-sands of years, but it finally fell to outsiders. Read tolearn about Egypt’s last great pharaoh and the empire’sdecline.

During the 1200s B.C., pharaohsworked to make Egypt great again. Themost effective of these pharaohs wasRamses II (RAM • SEEZ). He reigned for aremarkable 66 years, from 1279 B.C. to 1213B.C. During this time, Egyptian armiesregained lands in western Asia and rebuiltthe empire. Ramses also launched anambitious building program, constructingseveral major new temples.

Tutankhamen’sgold mask

Temple of Karnak

CHAPTER 2 Ancient Egypt 65(t)Egyptian National Museum, Cairo/SuperStock, (b)Gavin Hellier/Getty Images

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RAMSES IIReigned 1279–1213 B.C.

Ramses II began his military training at a very young

age. Ramses’ father, Seti I, allowed his 10-year-old son to

serve as a captain in his army. Seti also made his son

coruler of Egypt. By the time Ramses was crowned pharaoh

of Egypt, he was a great warrior and experienced leader.

Nine kings who ruled after Ramses II named themselves in

his honor. Many centuries later, archaeologists nicknamed

the pharaoh “Ramses the Great” because of his fame on the

battlefield, his construction and restoration of buildings and

monuments, and his popularity among the Egyptian people. His

subjects fondly called him “Sese,” an abbreviation of Ramses.

Ramses continued in his father’s footsteps by trying to

restore Egyptian power in Asia. In the early years of his reign,

he defeated forces in southern Syria and continuously battled

Egypt’s longtime enemy, the Hittites. Details about one costly

battle with the Hittites were carved on temple walls, showing

the Egyptians succeeding against great odds.

During his 66-year reign, Ramses II undertook a large-scale

building program. He could afford such an expensive plan because

Egypt was very prosperous during his reign. He restored the

Sphinx, completed the Temple of Karnak, and built himself a city

with four temples as well as beautiful gardens and orchards. He

is famous for the temple built at Abu Simbel. It was carved out

of a solid rock cliff and featured four huge statues of Ramses II,

two on each side of the doorway.

Ramses’ first wife, Queen Nefertari, died early in his reign.

Like other pharaohs, Ramses had many wives. Ramses II was

proud of his large family, which included more than 100

children.

Statue of Ramses II holding an offeringtable

Coffin of Ramses II

“They all came bowingdown to him, to hispalace of life and satisfaction.”

—hieroglyphic translation by James B. Pritchard,

Ancient Near Eastern Texts

Use the Internet and your local library to learn

about Mount Rushmore, a monument in South

Dakota. Describe Mount Rushmore, and then

compare it to Ramses’ temple at Abu Simbel.

(t)Michael Holford, (b)O. Louis Mazzatenta/National Geographic Society Image Collection

059-067 Ch2 S3-824133 3/20/04 9:16 AM Page 66

Reading SummaryReview the • During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt

expanded its borders, and the artsflourished.

• Under New Kingdom rulers,Egypt built a strong empire andexpanded trade.

• Akhenaton failed in his attemptto create a new religion.Tutankhamen ruled briefly butgained fame because of treasuresfound buried with him.

• Ramses II was Egypt’s last greatpharaoh. In the 900s B.C., Egyptlost power to outside invaders.

1. What improvements did theMiddle Kingdom rulers make?

2. What purposes did templesserve in Egypt?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Create a chart like the onebelow. Fill in details aboutEgypt’s Middle Kingdom andNew Kingdom.

4. Evaluate What was unusualabout the reign of Hatshepsut?

5. Analyze How did Akhenatonupset the traditional order?

6. Compare and ContrastDescribe the similarities anddifferences between the rule ofHatshepsut and Ramses II.

7. Expository Writing Which of the rulers discussed in thissection do you think had thegreatest effect upon Egyptianhistory? Write a short essay toexplain your answer.

What Did You Learn?



Why Were Temples Built? Under RamsesII and other New Kingdom rulers, scores ofnew temples rose throughout Egypt. Manywere built by enslaved people captured inwar. The most magnificent was Karnak atThebes. Its huge columned hall decoratedwith colorful paintings still impresses visi-tors today.

Unlike modern churches, temples, andmosques, Egyptian temples did not holdregular services. Instead, most Egyptiansprayed at home. They considered the tem-ples as houses for the gods and goddesses.Priests and priestesses, however, performeddaily temple rituals, washing statues of thedeities and bringing them food.

The temples also served as banks.Egyptians used them to store valuableitems, such as gold jewelry, sweet-smellingoils, and finely woven cloth.

Egypt’s Decline and Fall After Ramses II,Egypt’s power began to fade. Later pharaohshad trouble keeping neighboring countriesunder Egyptian control. Groups from theeastern Mediterranean attacked Egypt by sea,using strong iron weapons. The Egyptianshad similar arms, but they paid dearly forthem because Egypt lacked iron ore.

By 1150 B.C., the Egyptians had lost theirempire and controlled only the Nile delta.Beginning in the 900s B.C., Egypt cameunder the rule of one outside group afteranother. The first conquerors were theLibyans from the west. Then in 760 B.C., the people of Kush, a land to the south, seizedpower and ruled Egypt for the next 70years. Finally, in 670 B.C., Egypt was takenover by the Assyrians.

Identify What groups con-quered Egypt starting in the 900s B.C.?

Middle Kingdom New Kingdom

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Civilization Kush

c. 750 B.C.Kashta of Kush conquerspart of Egypt

NileR

.

Napata

Mero¨e

800 B.C. 700 B.C. 600 B.C. 500 B.C.800 B.C. 700 B.C. 600 B.C. 500 B.C.


What’s the Connection?In Sections 1, 2, and 3, you

learned about the rise and fall ofcivilizations in ancient Egypt.Another civilization in early Africawas Kush. It was located near Egyptand was very similar.

Focusing on the • To the south of Egypt, the Nubians

settled in farming villages andbecame strong warriors. (page 69)

• The people of Kush devotedthemselves to ironworking and grewwealthy from trade. (page 70)

Locating PlacesNubia (NOO•bee•uh)Kush (KUHSH)Kerma (KAR•muh)Napata (NA•puh•tuh)Meroë (MEHR•oh•ee)

Meeting PeopleKashta (KAHSH•tuh)Piye (PY)

Building Your Vocabularysavanna (suh•VA•nuh)

Reading StrategyCompare and Contrast Use a Venndiagram like the one below to showthe similarities and differencesbetween Napata and Meroë.

Theof

Napata Meroë

728 B.C.Piye of Kushdefeats Egyptians

c. 540 B.C.Kush movescapital to Meroë

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In this wall painting, four Nubian princes offer rings and gold to an Egyptian ruler.What kingdom was formed when more powerful Nubian villages took over weaker ones?

NubiaTo the south of Egypt, the Nubians set-

tled in farming villages and became strong warriors.Reading Focus Are you on good terms with your neigh-bors? It’s not always easy—for individuals or countries.Read on to find out about the Egyptians’ neighbors to thesouth and the ways the two civilizations mixed.

The Egyptians were not alone in settlingalong the Nile River. Farther south, in present-day Sudan, another strong civiliza-tion arose. This was in a region calledNubia (NOO •bee •uh), later known as Kush(KUHSH).

Historians do not know exactly whenpeople arrived in Nubia. Evidence suggeststhat cattle herders arrived in about 2000 B.C.They grazed their herds on the savannas (suh •VA •nuhs), or grassy plains, that stretchacross Africa south of the Sahara. Later, peo-ple settled in farming villages in Nubia. They

grew crops, but they were also excellenthunters, skilled at using the bow and arrow.Soon the Nubians began forming armiesknown for their fighting skills.

The Kingdom of Kerma The more pow-erful Nubian villages gradually took overthe weaker ones and created the kingdomof Kerma (KAR • muh). Kerma developedclose ties with Egypt to the north. TheEgyptians were happy to trade for Kerma’scattle, gold, ivory, and enslaved people.They also admired Nubian skills in warfareand hired Nubian warriors to fight in theirarmies.

Kerma became a wealthy kingdom. Itsartisans made fine pottery, jewelry, and metalgoods. Like Egyptian pharaohs, the kings ofKerma were buried in tombs that held pre-cious stones, gold, jewelry, and pottery. Theseitems were as splendid as those found inEgypt during the same period.

Egyptian Expedition of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Rogers Fund, 1930 (30.4.21)/The Metropolitan Museum of Art

068-072 Ch2 S4-824133 3/9/04 4:54 AM Page 69

Why Did Egypt Invade Nubia? As youlearned earlier, the Egyptian pharaohThutmose III sent his armies into Nubia inthe 1400s B.C. After a 50-year war, the king-dom of Kerma collapsed, and the Egyptianstook control of much of Nubia. They ruledthe Nubians for the next 700 years.

During this time, the people of Nubiaadopted many Egyptian ways. They beganto worship Egyptian gods and goddessesalong with their own. They learned how to work copper and bronze and changedEgyptian hieroglyphs to fit their own lan-guage. As people and goods continued topass between Nubia and Egypt, the twocultures mixed.

Identify Where was Kushlocated?

The Rise of KushThe people of Kush devoted them-

selves to ironworking and grew wealthy from trade.Reading Focus Do you and your friends ever tradevideo games or CDs? Trading may be a casual activityfor you, but it was very important to ancient peoples.Read to find how Kush took advantage of its locationalong an important trade route.

As Egypt declined at the end of the NewKingdom, Nubians saw their chance tobreak away. By 850 B.C., a Nubian grouphad formed the independent kingdom ofKush. For the next few centuries, powerfulKushite kings ruled from the city of Napata(NA •puh • tuh).

Napata was in a favorable location. Itstood along the upper Nile where trade caravans crossed the river. Caravans soon

carried gold, ivory, valuable woods, andother goods from Kush to Egypt.


300 km

300 mi.0

0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

N

S

W E

40°E30°E

30°N

20°N

10°N

Re d

Se a

Mediterranean Sea

Nile

R.EGYPT

SAHARA

ARABIA

Thebes

Memphis

Napata

Mero¨e

These Kushite pyramidswere much smaller andhad more steeply slopedsides than Egyptianpyramids. How else wasMeroë rebuilt to looklike an Egyptian city?

Kush Kingdom c. 250 B.C.

KushKEY

Kush developed along the Nile River to thesouth of Egypt.1. Which of Kush’s capital cities was closest to

Egypt?2. Based on its location, where might trade that

passed through Kush have come from?

Timothy Kendall/Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

068-072 Ch2 S4-824133 3/9/04 4:56 AM Page 70

In time, Kush became rich enough andstrong enough to take control of Egypt.About 750 B.C., a Kushite king namedKashta (KAHSH • tuh) headed north with apowerful army. His soldiers began the conquest of Egypt that his son Piye (PY)completed in 728 B.C. Piye founded adynasty that ruled both Egypt and Kushfrom Napata.

The kings of Kush greatly admiredEgyptian culture. In Napata they builtwhite sandstone temples and monumentssimilar to those of the Egyptians. TheKushites also built small pyramids in whichto bury their kings. The ruins of these pyra-mids can still be seen today.

The Importance of Iron Kush’s rule inEgypt did not last long. During the 600s B.C.,the Assyrians invaded Egypt. Armed withiron weapons, they drove the Kushites backto their homeland in the south.

Despite their losses, the Kushites gainedsomething from the Assyrians—the secretof making iron. The Kushites became thefirst Africans to devote themselves to iron-working. Soon, farmers in Kush were usingiron for their hoes and plows instead ofcopper or stone. With these superior tools,they were able to grow large amounts ofgrain and other crops.

Kush’s warriors also began using ironspears and swords, increasing their militarypower. Meanwhile, traders from Kush car-ried iron products and enslaved people asfar away as Arabia, India, and China. Inreturn, they brought back cotton, textiles,and other goods.

A New Capital About 540 B.C., Kush’s rulersleft Napata and moved farther south to beout of the Assyrians’ reach. In the city ofMeroë (MEHR • oh • ee), they set up a royalcourt. Like Napata, the new capital had

access to the Nile River for trade and trans-portation. The rocky desert east of Meroë,however, contained rich deposits of ironore. As a result, Meroë became not only atrading city but also a center for makingiron.

With their growing wealth, Kush’skings rebuilt Meroë to look like anEgyptian city. Small pyramids stood in theroyal graveyard. A huge temple sat at theend of a grand avenue lined with sculp-tures of rams. Sandstone palaces and red-brick houses had walls decorated withpaintings or blue and yellow tiles.


Selecting a New King

When their king died, the Kushites askedthe god Amon-Re to appoint a new leader.“[The Kushite officials said] ‘We have come toyou, O Amon-Re . . . that you might give to usa lord. . . . That beneficent office [helpful task]

is in your hands—mayyou give it to your sonwhom you love!’

Then they offered theking’s brothers beforethis god, but he did nottake one of them. For asecond time there wasoffered the king’sbrother . . . Aspalta . . .

[Amon-Re said] ‘He isyour king.’”

—author unknown,c. 600 B.C.,

“The Selection of Aspaltaas King of Kush”

Do you think Aspalta was qualified to beking? Why or why not?

Lion statue in honor ofKing Aspalta

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York/Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund/Bridgeman Art Library

068-072 Ch2 S4-824133 3/9/04 4:58 AM Page 71

Reading SummaryReview the • In the Nile Valley to the south of

Egypt, the Nubians founded thekingdom of Kerma and tradedwith the Egyptians.

• The Kushites set up a capital atMeroë that became a center forironmaking and the base of ahuge trading network.

1. Who were the Nubians?

2. What were the Kushites’ mostimportant economic activities?

Critical Thinking3. Sequencing Draw a diagram

to show events that led up tothe Kushite conquest of Egypt.

4. Geography Skills Why was Napata’s location advantageous?

5. Analyze How did the Kushitekings demonstrate their admi-ration for Egyptian culture?

6. Compare Describe the simi-larities between Kush andEgypt.

7. Persuasive Writing Createan advertisement that couldhave been used in ancientEgypt and Kush to promote themany uses of iron.

What Did You Learn?



Building a Profitable Trade Meroë becamethe center of a huge trading network thatstretched north to Egypt’s border and southinto central Africa. Kush’s traders receivedleopard skins and valuable woods from theinterior of Africa. They traded these goods,along with enslaved workers and their owniron products, to people throughout theMediterranean and the Indian Ocean area.

Kush remained a great trading powerfor some 600 years. By the A.D. 200s, though,the kingdom began to weaken. As Kushdeclined, another kingdom rose to take itsplace. The kingdom is called Axum andwas located in what is today the country ofEthiopia. Around A.D. 350, the armies ofAxum burned Meroë to the ground. Youwill read more about the kingdom of Axumwhen you study Africa.

Explain How did Kushbecome a wealthy kingdom?

Kush Conquest of Egypt

The Kushite king Taharqa was one of the most powerful leaders in Nubian history. During his reign, the kingdom grew and prospered.He built many large temples in and around Egypt and Kush. What kingdom replaced Kush?

Kushite KingKushite King

Kushite king Taharqa

SuperStock

068-072 Ch2 S4-824133 3/17/05 11:43 AM Page 72


The Egyptian Empire

The Civilization of Kush

The Nile Valley

Section

Section

Section

Section

Vocabularycataract delta papyrus hieroglyphicsdynasty

Vocabularypharaohdeity embalming mummy pyramid

Vocabularytribute incense

Vocabularysavanna

Focusing on the • The Egyptian civilization began in the fertile Nile River valley, where natu-

ral barriers discouraged invasions. (page 39)

• The Egyptians depended on the Nile’s floods to grow their crops. (page 41)

• Around 3100 B.C., Egypt’s two major kingdoms, Upper Egypt and LowerEgypt, were combined into one. (page 43)

• Egyptian society was divided into social groups based on wealth andpower. (page 45)

Focusing on the • Egypt was ruled by all-powerful pharaohs. (page 48)

• The Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses and in life after death for the pharaohs. (page 49)

• The Egyptians of the Old Kingdom built huge stone pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs. (page 50)

Focusing on the • The Middle Kingdom was a golden age of peace, prosperity,

and advances in the arts and architecture. (page 60)

• During the New Kingdom, Egypt acquired new territory and reached the height of its power. (page 61)

• Akhenaton tried to change Egypt’s religion, while Tutankhamen is famous for the treasures found in his tomb. (page 64)

• Under Ramses II, Egypt regained territory and built great temples, but the empire fell by 1150 B.C. (page 65)

Focusing on the • To the south of Egypt, the Nubians settled in farming villages and became

strong warriors. (page 69)

• The people of Kush devoted themselves to ironworking and grew wealthyfrom trade. (page 70)

73

Egypt’s Old Kingdom

Tutankhamen’sgold mask

Study anywhere, anytime!Download quizzes and flash cardsto your PDA from glencoe.com.

073-075 CH2 CRA-875047 9/7/06 9:03 PM Page 73

www.glencoe.com

Predicting What Do You Predict?Read these sentences from page 72.As Kush declined, another kingdom rose totake its place. The kingdom is called Axumand was located in what is today the countryof Ethiopia. Around A.D. 350, the armies ofAxum burned Meroë to the ground. You willread more about the kingdom of Axum whenyou study Africa.

20. Based on what you know about the loca-tion of Ethiopia and the culture of Kushand Egypt, predict what the kingdom ofAxum might be like. Check your predic-tions when you read about medievalAfrica.

To review this skill, see pages 36–37.

Section 2 • Egypt’s Old Kingdom10. What were the Egyptians’ religious beliefs?11. Where did Egyptians of the Old Kingdom

bury their pharaohs? Section 3 • The Egyptian Empire12. Why was the Middle Kingdom called a

golden age? 13. Why are Akhenaton and Tutankhamen

well-known?Section 4 • The Civilization of Kush14. Where did the Nubians live? 15. What made the Kushites wealthy?

Critical Thinking16. Describe Identify the four social groups

in ancient Egypt, and explain whobelonged to each group.

17. Synthesize How do you think religiousleaders reacted to Akhenaton’s changes?

18. Analyze Do you agree that Egyptian civi-lization can be called “the Gift of theNile”? Explain.

19. Compare In what ways did Meroë looklike an Egyptian city?

Review VocabularyMatch the definitions in the second column tothe terms in the first column. Write the letter ofeach definition.

___ 1. savanna a. area of fertile soil atthe end of a river

___ 2. tribute b. reed plant used tomake baskets, rafts,and paper

___ 3. cataract c. grassy plain

___ 4. delta d. rapids

___ 5. hieroglyphics e. Egyptian writing system

___ 6. pharaoh f. forced payments

___ 7. papyrus g. title for Egyptianleaders

Review Main IdeasSection 1 • The Nile Valley

8. What natural barriers protected Egyptfrom invasion?

9. What factors divided Egyptians into socialgroups?


073-075 CH2 CRA-824133 3/22/04 8:55 AM Page 74

100 km0Azimuthal Equidistant projection

100 mi.0

N

S

W E

30°E

30°N

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

DeadSea

Nile

River

Great Pyramidand Sphinx ARABIAN

DESERT

WESTERNDESERT

EASTERNDESERT

NILE DELTALOWER EGYPT

UPPER EGYPT

Giza

Memphis

Thebes


Ancient Egypt

AnalyzeThe Greek historian Herodotus noticedthat the Nile was different from otherrivers.“The Nile, when it floods, spreads over notonly the Delta but parts of what are calledLibya and Arabia for two days’ journey ineither direction, more or less. . . . This that Ihave mentioned was the subject of mypersistent asking why, and also why it isthat it is the only river that has no breezesblowing from it.”

—Herodotus, The History, 2.19

28. According to Herodotus, how muchland does the Nile cover when itfloods?

29. What two questions does Herodotusask about the Nile?

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the followingquestions.21. Location The Nile River delta empties

into what body of water?22. Movement Why would ancient Egyptians

find it easier to travel north and south thanto travel east and west?

23. Human/Environment Interaction Whyis most farming in ancient Egypt and inpresent-day Egypt done along the Nile?

Read to Write24. Descriptive Writing Imagine you are an

ancient Egyptian pharaoh. You are makingplans that your followers will carry outafter your death. Describe the types ofitems you want buried with you in yourpyramid. Then explain what people fromlater centuries will know about you if theyfind those items.

25. Using Your Use your foldable todescribe one of the civilizations from thechapter, including such things as religiouslife, family life, and contributions. A class-mate should identify which civilization youare describing. Then your classmate willdescribe a civilization, and you will identifyit. When you are finished, discuss similari-ties and differences among the civilizations.

Using Technology26. Developing Multimedia Presentations

Use the Internet and your local library tofind out more about the reign of one of theEgyptian pharaohs. Create a computerslide show presentation that includesdetails about the pharaoh’s reign and life.Include an illustrated time line of significantevents.

Linking Past and Present27. Organizing Information Use the Internet

and atlases to locate present-day countriesthat rely heavily on a major river. Make achart listing the country, the river, theriver’s length and average depth, and howthe people of that country use the river.

Self-Check Quiz To help prepare for theChapter Test, visit jat.glencoe.com

Nile ValleyKEY

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