EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

Madeline Vinelli, Adele Strother, Rachel Barlow, and Anna von Schmeling

WRITING SYSTEM

Hieroglyphics is the system of writing utilized by the ancient Egyptians

-combines symbols representing letters and

animals or objects

Origins (Greek)

-hieros :sacred/holy

-glyphe :writing

Rosetta stone used for translation:

-stone tablet

-translation began in 1922

-contains information on Ptolemy V

-dates from 196 B.C.E.

WRITING SYSTEM

How long did they use the hieroglyphics?

WRITING SYSTEM

Languages contained in the Rosetta stone

-hieroglyphic :religious decree

-demotic :daily use

-Greek: government/administration

Hieroglyphics were used until 396 A.D.

WRITING SYSTEM

Types of hieroglyphics:

-Hieratic: simple, written quickly,

-from Greek hieratikos meaning

priestly because it was often used by priests

-Demotic: used in stories and government

-from Greek demotikos meaning popular

NILE RIVER VALLEY

Ancient Egypt was divided in to two sections

“Black land”

-fertile because of the annual silt deposits from the Nile

-used for growing crops

“Red land”

-desolate deserts

-protected Egypt from invasion

-provided gems and metal

NILE RIVER VALLEY

The Nile river flood

-occurred every year

-July to November

-provided silt which allowed crops to be grown

-if the river was too high it destroyed buildings

-if it was too low it caused famine

What were the two sections of Egypt?

UPPER EGYPT

Egypt was divide into two sections

Upper Egypt :

- from the Libyan Desert to Abu Simbel

-called Ta-Shemau

-composed of 22 sections of land called nomes

-patron goddess :Nekhbet

-symbolized by the lotus and sedge reed

LOWER EGYPT

Lower Egypt :

-from south of Cairo to the Nile Delta

-called Ta-Mehu

-composed of 20 sections of land called nomes

-patron goddess :Wadjet

-symbolized by the cobra and papyrus and the bee and the vulture

What was the role of women during the time?

ROLE OF WOMEN

Woman were ideally treated as equal to men in the way of the law; they could manage private property, resolve legal settlements, they could free slaves, they could adopt, and could sue at law.

Most girls married around the age of 14 and became a wife after she left her father’s home and moved into her new home.

Woman gained more respect once they were pregnant.

Woman could become Pharaoh in special circumstances.

Married woman were regarded as “mistress of the house” and took care of all the business of household matters.

ROLE OF WOMAN

Goddesses’ roles included: queens, nurtures, child bearers, and protectors of gods.

They were often associated with animals that had qualities with deity.

They could be priestesses.

People would prepare dead bodies specifically for the protection from goddesses such as Isis and Nut

goddesses

RELIGION

Polytheism• Believed in many gods• Important part of Egyptian culture. There

were more gods as the Egyptian culture grew• gods took on human form and personalities• gods were part of a “family” each with a

different quality

How did religion influence the culture?

RELIGION

Ma’at

Appearance: woman with feather on head

Goddess of truth, justice, and harmony

Pharaohs often made offerings to her to show that they were keeping harmony and justice on earth.

Different gods and goddesses

RELIGION

Ra Appearance: man with a hawk

head and a sun disk headdress.

Sun god

Most important to ancient Egyptians

RELIGION

Tefnut

Appearance: woman with head of a lioness

Goddess of moisture

ARCHITECTURE

Old Kingdom Egypt ran from 2686-2181 BC

Period in which they built pyramids.

Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara was the first completed large stone building in the world.

The capital of Egypt for the time period was Memphis; a city on the west bank of the nile.

Old Kingdom

Pyramids were still a big part of culture. They used them for temples and burial places.

They made giant statues like the great pyramid of Sphinx

Middle Kingdom

The Pharaohs would use the new found money from the gold to build giant buildings and statues to show thanks to the gods. This also showed their people and the visitors of how much wealth they had.

Temples were the big architectural innovation of the time period. They were the most important buildings and cities were built around temples.

They moved away from pyramids and instead used tombs to bury the wealthy. These tombs were detailed with paintings of the ideal afterlife for the person.

New Kingdom

Why was the Nile the most popular form of transportation?

Most used the Nile for transportation since it was quicker.

The Kings Road and the Horus Road are two of the most famous roads.

These roads led to coast lines and through the desert.

It was easy to get lost so it wasn’t smart to travel alone.

Maintenance work wasn’t often done since the roads were dirt and didn’t need much.

Public Works

Who is the head of the social structure?

SOCIAL STRUCTURE Society was structured like a pyramid: the top consisted of their gods (Ra, Osiris, and Isis) which they believed controlled the universe

Pharaohs (believed to be gods in human form) and those associated with “divinity” made up the top, servants and slaves made up the bottom

-Protection was the pharaoh’s main responsibility,

-Farmers paid taxes in the form of grain, kept in the pharaoh's warehouse to have in case of a famine

-The pharaoh appointed a chief minister called a vizier as a supervisor, the vizier ensured that taxes were collected

The Egyptian royalty, nobility, and clergy led wealthy and enjoyable lives, farmers and slaves struggled

-Nobles were the ones that held government posts, priests were in charge of “pleasing the gods”Soldiers would supervise the peasants and farmers, soldiers and craftsmen made up the middle class

ECONOMY OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Has been called an “ancient command economy”

Bureaucrats (an official in a government department) were in charge of the public works that were religious and involved thousands of workers Most people lived and flourished from the land

Major sources of wealth:

Farming and fishing- grain, fish, fruit, cattle, and fowl were grown; fish were caught from the Nile

Manufacturing- families produced raw materials, men grew flax and the women spun and wove the linen; small factories appeared in the towns owned by noblemen: bakeries, breweries, carpentry workshopsMining- a small number of the rich mined, used copper, bronze and metal tools; poorer people used stone and wooden tools

Banking- grain was collected as taxes and stored in large warehouses; coined money was introduced in the later half of the first millennium BCE

Energy- the main energy source was muscle power from humans and domesticated animals; Egyptians also used wind energy, fire and heat from the sun

Warfare- bravery in battle was rewarded with necklaces and medals; Egypt was rarely unsuccessful during a battle

Why was trading so important for the time?

TRADETrade beyond local exchanges were done by wholesale merchants

Bartering was changed when foreigners and wanderers introduced the coined money system

Sailed along the Nile River to trade their goods, traveled to and from the Eastern and Western Deserts

Bartered their resources: gold, papyrus, linen, and grain

In return, traders would receive items that weren’t available in Egypt: cedar wood from Lebanon; ebony and ivory from Africa; incense, myrrh and oils from Punt; lapis lazuli from Afghanistan; gold from Nubia

Trading was used to encourage friendships between other civilizations All social classes were able to trade with each other: peasants needed cheap food, Artisans needed linen, iron and copper for their crafts, scribes traded for better food (beer, meat, fish)

MILITARY

Hyksos: invaders from West Asia who invaded Egypt during 1800 BCE (during the 11th dynasty)

- the term is translated as “desert princes,” or “foreign rulers”

- burned down Egyptian cities and treated the natives cruelly

By the 15th dynasty the Hyksos ruler Lower Egypt

They were finally “expelled” from the country in 1560 BCE

What is a pharaoh?

POLITICAL RULERS:

In Egypt, political leaders are now called pharaohs.

Pharaoh- Ruler of ancient Egypt

King Narmer: (Menes was his nickname)

He was the very 1st Egyptian Pharaoh

Unified Lower and Upper Egypt, because they used to be split apart…

Which section of Egypt was called the White crown?

…THE SEPARATION OF EGYPT:

Lower Egypt was known as the red crown (North)

Upper Egypt was the white crown (South)

These names come from the flow of the Nile River.

3100 B.C.-

Narmer (Menes), founded Egypt’s first capital where each section met. (It was called Memphis)

The Egyptian pharaoh of the

north conquered the other

half, uniting Egypt.

What was Northern Egypt called?

HATSHEPSUT:

1479-1458 BC

She was the third female to become pharaoh in 3,000 years, and kept her position 22 years.

Most thought it was wrong for a woman to become pharaoh.

She often used propaganda to persuade people to respect her desires to be a pharaoh.

She demanded that she be portrayed as a man, in pictures and everything.

CHARIOTS IN EGYPT:These are a big part of ancient Egyptian history.

They are said to have originated in Mesopotamia during the third millennium BCE.

It amped up military tactics after 1700 BCE.

It was spread to Egypt through the Hyskos.

However, these later became outdated and unsuitable for rocky conditions due to their weak structure.

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