The Civilization of Kush - 6th Grade Social...

Civilization Kush

The

of

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Sections 1, 2, and 3, you learned

about the rise and fall of civilizationsin ancient Egypt. Another civilizationin early Africa was Kush. It waslocated near Egypt and was verysimilar.

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

settled in farming villages and becamestrong warriors. (page 188)

• The people of Kush devotedthemselves to ironworking and grewwealthy from trade. (page 189)

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

Meeting PeopleKashta (KAHSH•tuh)Piye (PY)

Content Vocabularysavanna (suh•VA•nuh)

Academic Vocabularycollapse (kuh•LAPS)decline (dih•KLYN)

Reading StrategyCompare and Contrast Use a Venndiagram like the one below to show thesimilarities and differences betweenNapata and Meroë.

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.2 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of the earlycivilizations ofMesopotamia, Egypt,and Kush.

Napata Meroë

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.

CHAPTER 2 • Ancient Egypt and Kush 187

728 B.C.Piye of Kushdefeats Egyptians

c. 540 B.C.Kush movescapital to Meroë

187-191 Ch2 S4-868874 7/8/05 9:56 PM 87

WH6.2.8 Identify the location of the Kush civilization and describe its political, commercial, and cultural relations with Egypt.

WH6.2.9 Trace the evolution of language and its written forms.

188 CHAPTER 2 • Ancient Egypt and Kush

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 Connection Are you on good terms with your

neighbors? It’s not always easy—for individuals or coun-

tries. Read on to find out about the Egyptians’ neighbors

to the south 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.

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WH6.2.6 Describe the role of Egyptian trade in the eastern Mediterranean and Nile valley.

WH6.2.8 Identify the location of the Kush civilization and describe its political, commercial, and cultural relations with Egypt.

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 in relation to Egypt?

The Rise of KushThe people of Kush devoted them-

selves to ironworking and grew wealthy from trade.

Reading Connection Do you and your friends ever

trade video games or CDs? Trading may be a casual

activity for you, but it was essential to ancient peoples.

Read to find how Kush took advantage of its location

along an important trade route.

As Egypt declined at the end of theNew Kingdom, Nubians saw their chanceto break 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 sooncarried gold, ivory, valuable woods, andother goods from Kush to Egypt.


300 km

300 mi.0

0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

N

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W E

40°E

50°E

30°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

1. Location Which of Kush’s capital cities wasclosest to Egypt?

2. Human/Environment Interaction Based on itslocation, where might trade that passed throughKush have come from?

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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 theTwenty-fifth Dynasty that ruled both Egyptand Kush from 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 which

to 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 Kushtransported iron products and enslavedpeople as far away as Arabia, India, andChina. In return, 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 hadaccess 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

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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 beneficial?

5. How did Egypt’sculture affect Kush?

6. Compare How were Kush andEgypt similar?

7. PosingQuestions If you wanted tolearn more about Kush, whatquestions would you ask?Write three questions andexchange them with a class-mate. Research each other’squestions and write a summaryof your findings. CA HR1.

CA 6RC2.2

CA 6RC2.0

CA CS3.

CA 6RC2.4

What Did You Learn?


Building a Profitable Trade Meroë becamethe core, or center of a huge trading networkthat stretched north to Egypt’s border andsouth into central Africa. Kush’s tradersreceived leopard skins and valuable woodsfrom the interior of Africa. They tradedthese goods, along with enslaved workersand iron 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

Study Central Need help with the kingdom of Kush? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

187-191 Ch2 S4-868874 7/8/05 10:02 PM Page 191

http://ca.hss.glencoe.com

Ramses II Rebuilds

R amses II, one of the great pharaohs ofEgypt, ruled from 1279–1213 B.C. Ramses IIundertook a large-scale building project. Thefollowing passage comes from an inscriptiondescribing his order to finish building hisfather’s tomb.

“I came forth from Re, although ye say,from [Seti I], who brought me up. . . . Whenmy father appeared to the public, . . . [h]esaid concerning me: ‘Crown him as king,that I may see his beauty while I live withhim.’ . . . My mighty deeds for my father asa child, I will now complete, being Lord ofthe Two Lands; I will construct them in the

proper way . . . I will lay the walls in thetemple of him that begat me. . . . I willcover its house, I will erect its columns, Iwill set stones in the places of the lowerfoundation, making monument upon mon-uments.” . . .

Then spake the royal companions, andthey answered the Good God: “Thou artRe, thy body is his body. There has been noruler like thee, (for) thou art unique, likethe son of Osiris, thou hast achieved thelike of his designs.”

—Anonymous, “Ramses II Finds the Necropolis Buildings in Ruins”

The Mighty PharaohsIn Egypt and Kush, rulers were greatly respected. The Egyptians believed

that their pharaohs were the sons of the sun god, Re. Because of these beliefs,the pharaoh had enormous power. His word had to be followed without ques-tion.

Read the passages and study the image that follows. Then answer the questions on page 193.

Re (RAY): god of sunbegat (bih•GAT): fatheredspake: spokeOsiris (oh•SY•ruhs): a god, king of the

Afterworld

stele (STEE•lee): a vertical, engravedstone slab

remnant (REHM•nuhnt): remainderAmon (A•muhn): god of Thebes; impor-

tant Egyptian god

Reader’s Dictionary


Tutankhamen’s gold mask

WH6.2.7 Understand the significanceof Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses theGreat. WH6.2.8 Identify the locationof the Kush civilization and describe itspolitical, commercial, and culturalrelations with Egypt.

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A Kushite Warrior-King

Around 728 B.C., the Kushite king Piye finishedhis conquest of Egypt. He was angry to discoverthat some of the enemy had not been destroyed.The following description appears on Piye’s vic-tory stele.

Then his majesty was enraged thereat like a panther (saying): “Have they allowed a remnant of the army of the Northland toremain? . . . Not causing their death, in order todestroy the last of them? I swear: as Re lovesme! As my father Amon favors me! I willmyself go northward, that I may destroy thatwhich he has done, that I may make him turnback from fighting, forever.”

—Anonymous, “The Nubian Invasion”

A Sphinx of Kush

The people of Kush adopted many Egyptianways, especially while they ruled Egypt. Thisgranite sphinx is of the daughter of King Piyefrom about 660 B.C. Egyptians believed thatsphinx statues had magical powers to guard tombs and temples.


Ramses II Rebuilds

1. Who does Ramses say is his father?

2. Why does Ramses want to finish Seti’s tomb?

3. Ramses’s royal companions say that he is Re,the sun god. Why do you think they say this?

A Kushite Warrior-King

4. Why is Piye so angry?

5. According to Piye, what is his relationshipwith the Egyptian gods Re and Amon? Why isthis relationship important?

A Sphinx of Kush

6. The Egyptians were known for creatingsphinxes, yet this sphinx was made for adaughter of a king of Kush. Why do you thinkthis is so?

7. Compare this sphinx to the images of theGreat Sphinx on pages 152 and 166. How arethey alike? How are they different?

Read to Write

8. Reread the two passages, as well as theinformation about the sphinx. What do theseprimary sources tell you about the role ofreligion in the lives of Egyptian rulers? Howdo they demonstrate the power of pharaohs?

CA HR3.

This sphinx has the face of King Piye’sdaughter. It guards a sacred offering vessel.The vessel was filled with gifts to the godAmon. These offerings were protected by thesphinx, which held the vessel in its hands sono one could steal it.

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N

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30°E

30°N

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

Nile

River

Great Pyramidand Sphinx

First Cataract

ARABIANDESERT

WESTERNDESERT

EASTERNDESERT

NILE DELTA

LOWER EGYPT

UPPER EGYPT

Giza

Memphis

Thebes

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?

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the followingquestions.20. Location The Nile River delta empties

into what body of water? 21. Movement Why would ancient Egyptians

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

22. Human/Environment Interaction Why isEgyptian farming along the Nile? CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA 6RC2.2

CA HR2.

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.4

Review Content 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 the Section 1 • The Nile Valley

8. What natural barriers protected Egyptfrom invasion?

9. What two areas of Egypt were unitedaround 3100 B.C.?

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. During what period did Egypt reach the

height of its power?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?


Standard WH6.2

Ancient Egypt

Nile ValleyKEY

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Read to Write23. Expository Writing Imagine

that you are an Egyptian pharaoh. Howwould you make sure that your empire isstable and strong? Use real-life pharaohsto help you determine what kinds ofthings you would do. Write an essaydescribing your policies and what youhope to achieve through them.

24. Using Your Use your foldable towrite a description of one of the civilizationsin this chapter. Include such things as reli-gious life, family life, and contributions.When you are finished, discuss similaritiesand differences among the civilizations witha classmate.

Using Academic VocabularyUse the terms below to fill in the blanks in thefollowing sentences.

a. feature e. structureb. technology f. principlec. labor g. restored. welfare h. construct

25. An important ____ of Egyptian pyramidsis the shape.

26. The shadoof is an example of Egyptian____.

27. A pyramid is a large ____ made of stoneblocks.

28. Pharaohs were in charge of providing forthe ____ of their people.

29. Egyptian pharaohs used farmers to help____ their pyramids.

Reviewing Skills30. Summarizing Using infor-

mation from the text, create a short storyabout Hatshepsut. Use this writing exer-cise to summarize life in ancient Egyptduring her reign. The story should com-pare Hatshepsut to other Egyptian rulersand explain the differences in her policies.The events of the story should also showthe different social classes in Egypt andexplain the problems Hatshepsut faced asa woman pharaoh. CA 6WA2.1

CA 6WS1.3

CA 6WS1.2

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

31. Building a Time Line Take alook back through the chapter. As you go,make a list of each important leader inancient Egypt. Create a time line of theseleaders, placing them in chronologicalorder. For each entry, include a short sum-mary of their reign. Describe their signifi-cant accomplishments or mistakes, andhow these actions affected Egypt.

CA CS2.

Use the map below to answerthe following question.

Which area on the map was thehome of the Kushite kingdom?

A JB KC LD M

32

Early Civilizations

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M

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The wall surrounding the old city of Jerusalem

The

c. 1290 B.C.Moses leadsIsraelitesfrom Egypt

722 B.C.AssyriansconquerIsrael

A.D. 66Jews revolt againstRomans

2000 B.C. 1300 B.C. 600 B.C. A.D. 1002000 B.C. 1300 B.C. 600 B.C. A.D. 100

Ancient Israelites

c. 1800 B.C.Abraham leadshis people toCanaan

76–7

7 A

ntho

ny P

idge

on/L

onel

y P

lane

t Im

ages

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The First IsraelitesReligion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how religion

develops. The 12 tribes of Israel in the land of Canaan weredescendants of Abraham. The Israelites believed in one God whogave commandments telling people how to live good lives.

The Kingdom of IsraelAll civilizations depend upon leadership for survival. Under David and

Solomon, the people of Israel built a powerful kingdom with anew capital in Jerusalem.

The Growth of JudaismReligion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how

religion develops. The Jews continued to keep their religion eventhough other people ruled them. They settled in many places inAsia and Europe.

View the Chapter 3 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Chapter Overview Visitca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 3.

197

Summarizing Information Make this foldable and use it to organize note cardswith information about the Israelites.

Step 1 Fold a horizontalsheet of paper (11”x17”)into thirds.

Gluehere.

Gluehere.

Step 2 Fold the bottom edge up two inches andcrease well. Glue the outer edges of the tab tocreate three pockets.

FirstIsraelitesIsrael’s

KingdomJudaismSpreads

Step 3 Label the pocketsas shown. Use thesepockets to hold notes takenon index cards or quartersheets of paper.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,summarize key facts onnote cards or on quartersheets of paper aboutIsrael and the growth and spread of Judaism.Organize your notes by placing them in your pocket foldableinside the appropriatepockets.

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