Egypt

Chapter 2 Section 2

What do you know about the Ancient

Egyptians?

Describe where Egypt is located?

What is Egypt’s major river?

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Warm up

The Nile dominates the Egyptian

landscape. It flows northward across Africa for

over 4,100 miles. It is the longest river in the world.

The Nile was divided by cataracts. – rapids that made it impossible for river boats to pass.

The Geography of Egypt

Where do you think the

Egyptians decided to settle? Why?

Egyptian settlements arose along the Nile on a

narrow strip of fertile land.

Yearly flooding of the Nile brought fertilized

the soil so that Egypt could grow crops and produce a surplus. The flooding of the Nile was predictable and

reliable. The Egyptians worshiped the Nile as a god

who gave life and seldom turned against them.

Herodotus – “Egypt was the gift of the Nile.”

The Gift of the Nile

What does it mean that

Egypt was the “gift of the Nile”?

Although the Nile flooded predictably, the

amount of flooding varied. Too little flooding – thousands would starve Too much flooding – waters would destroy

houses, granaries, and seeds. Huge deserts on either side of Egypt acted as

natural barriers. Provided protection and isolation.

Environmental Challenges

The southern part of the Nile is known as Upper

Egypt. It has a higher elevation.

Lower Egypt is to the north and includes the Nile delta region. – a broad, marshy, triangular area of land at the mouth of the river.

The Nile provided transportation between Upper and Lower Egypt. This helped unify Egypt’s villages and

promote trade.

Upper and Lower Egypt

Egyptians lived in farming villages as long ago as

5000 B.C.E. Each village had its own rituals, gods, and rulers.

By 3200 B.C.E., Egypt was organized into two separate kingdoms. Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Eventually, the two kingdoms were united by

Narmer around 3000 B.C.E. Narmer is seen on a palette wearing a

combination of the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Egypt Unites

To other early civilizations, kings were seen as

representatives of gods. In Egypt, the kings were gods. Pharaohs – Egyptian god kings. Because

Egyptians believed the Pharaoh to be god, their government was considered a theocracy.

Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh bore full responsibility for the kingdom’s wellbeing. He caused the sun to rise, the Nile to flood,

and the crops to grow.

Pharaohs Rule as gods

Egyptians believed that their king ruled even

after his death. Ka – his eternal life force that continued to

take part in government. Because the king was expected to rule

forever, his tomb was more important than his palace.

Builders of the Pyramids

What would you put in your tomb?

kings during the Old Kingdom, Egyptians build

huge pyramids to serve as the tombs of their Pharaohs. These were huge engineering

achievements.

Pyramids at Giza

Largest is the Great Pyramid

- 756 feet on each side- 450 feet high (45 stories)

- 2 million stones- 13 acres (8 football fields)

Egyptian Architecture

Inside the Great Pyramid

B

C

F

EA

D

GAir Vents

Entrance

1st Burial Site – Waste disposal

2nd Burial Site – Queen’s chamber

Escape route

Grand Gallery153 feet

Pharaoh’s Burial Site

The pyramids reflect the strength of the

Egyptian civilization. They had the economic strength and the technological means to support massive public works projects. They also had strong leadership to direct and carry these projects out.

Answer the questions on your notes using the

information posted around the room.

Egyptian Culture