1. The Nile River Life force of the Kingdom of Egypt

2. Overview • Settled in the Nile River Valley • Probably borrowed ideas from Sumerians • Writing • Hieroglyphics: Egyptian writing which used pictures to stand for objects, ideas and sounds • Egypt grew strong while Mesopotamian city-states squabbled • Isolated • Civilization lasted over 2,000 years

4. Geography • Protected Egypt from foreign invaders • Desert • Sea • Cataracts

6. Transportation • Linked Upper and Lower Egypt • The Nile also served as a communication and transportation route as well.

7. The Nile River • Flows north from Central Africa to the Mediterranean • River Valley • Cuts a narrow, green valley through desert • Delta – fan shaped mouth • Silt deposits

8. Importance of the Nile • Annual flood • mid-July • Nilometer • Waters recede • Silt (rich soil) left behind • Great for crops • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/science-channel/30376-what-the-ancients-knew-nilometer-video.htm

9. Shadoof • This graphic is a diagram of a shadoof used by the Egyptians.

10. Role of the Shadoof in Irrigation • This tool was used to carry water from the Nile. The shadoof would help water crops and keep the irrigation system going.

11. Still Useful Todayhttp://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/9280-pre-history-flooding-the-nile-video.htm

12. Papyrus • The word paper comes from papyrus • A long thin reed which grew wild along the river banks

13. Examples of Papyrus • Egyptians harvested papyrus and made baskets, boats, sandals and a lightweight writing material.