Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile

1. Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile

2. Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile • The Nile River • Longest river in the world (4,160 miles) • Branches into the White Nile and the Blue Nile • Flows from South to North • Easy transportation each way • Winds blew north to south to allow sailing • Floods annually • Egyptians built their civilization near the delta

3. Nile River • Farmers learned irrigation • Allowed them to grow up to 3 crops per year • Possible to feed a large population • Building materials • Rich deposits of granite, sandstone, and limestone

4. Nile River • Other advantages • Isthmus of Suez formed a land bridge between Africa and Asia (p. 21) • Why was this important? • What are other advantages?

5. Hieroglyphics • 3000 B.C. • Egyptians developed hieroglyphics, a form of writing • Pictures and symbols represented words and sounds • Carved into stone, then later on papyrus (where we got our word “paper”)

6. Rosetta Stone • In 1798, the French invaded Egypt • Rosetta Stone was discovered • Contained passages in Greek, hieroglyphics, and an Egyptian style called demotic • Modern scholars who could read the Greek text, used it to decode the hieroglyphics • Why is this so important?

7. Egyptian Kingdoms • 2 similar, yet distinct cultures and kingdoms • Upper Egypt • Southern kingdom • Lower Egypt • Upper kingdom • 3200 B.C. • Menes, king of Upper Egypt, united all of Egypt into one kingdom

8. Menes Dynasty • Dynasty- family of rulers • Rule usually passed from father to son • Dynasty ends when one family is driven from power or when no family member is left to rule • Under Menes • New territories • Great wealth • Improved irrigation and trade

9. Pharaohs • Dynastic rulers were called pharaohs • Regarded as gods • Great temples and tombs were built to honor them • Absolute and unlimited power • Led the government, served as judge, high priest, and army general

10. Dynasties • From Menes until about 300 B.C., some 30 dynasties ruled Egypt • These dynasties are separated into three kingdoms covering different time spans • Old Kingdom • Middle Kingdom • New Kingdom

11. Old Kingdom • 2680 B.C.- 2180 B.C. • Advances in the sciences and arts • Lower class • Peasants and farmers • Served in the army and worked on building projects • Upper class • Pharaoh, noble family, and government officials

12. First Intermediate Period • Lasted 100 years after the Old Kingdom • Period of civil war and internal strife • Fought for control of the land

13. Middle Kingdom • 2050 B.C.-1650 B.C. • The Golden Age • Stability and prosperity • The Hyksos • Introduced chariots and the compound bow • Rose to power in Egypt around 1650 B.C. • Read p. 23 (last two paragraphs) • Followed by the Second Intermediate Period • 1650 B.C.-1570 B.C.

14. New Kingdom • 1570 B.C.-1080 B.C. • Characterized by strong pharaohs and expanding territory • Built an empire, ruling over many other people and territories • See map on p. 24 • Answer #2

15. New Kingdom • Notable Pharaohs • Hatshepsut • Ruled from 1503 B.C.-1482 B.C. • One of the first known female rulers • Kept borders secure and built trade with other lands

16. Notable Pharaohs • Amenhotep IV • Ruled from 1380 B.C.-1362 B.C. • Tried to establish monotheism • Changed name to Akhenaton-“he who is pleasing to Aton” • Aton was the symbol for the sun god • Failed to change Egypt’s religious beliefs

17. Egypt’s Decline • Ramses II • AKA Ramses the Great • Ruled from 1279 B.C.-1213 B.C. • Last of Egypt’s great pharaohs • Kept the Egyptian empire together • Built many temples and monuments

18. Post-Imperial Period • 1080 B.C.-300’s B.C. • Egypt began to weaken due to outside invasions • Sea Peoples • Assyrians • Nubians • Persians • By the 300’s B.C., Egypt was no longer ruled by Egyptians

19. Egyptian Life and Culture

20. Achievements • Architecture and Arts • Pyramids • Sculptures • Paintings • Science, Math, and Medicine • Calendar to predict flooding • Geometry • Treated illnesses and preserved the dead

21. Education • Scribes • Clerks who learned to read and write to work for the government • Education focused mostly on religious instruction

22. Society • Rigid Social Classes • Women had many rights • Ranked as equals with husbands in business and social affairs • Peasants • Did most of the farming • Kept only a some of the crop, the rest went to the pharaoh

23. Activity • Create and complete the chart below • You do not need to use complete sentences. • Due at the beginning of next class. • 12 points

24. Video Clip • What the Ancients Knew: Egyptians • 30 min.