The Kingdom of Kush/Nubia: 3800 BCE to 1400 CE

1. The Kingdom of Kush/Nubia: 3800 BCE to 1400 CE

2. Map of Nubia

3. Egypt Names Nubia “Kush”

4. Main Ideas of Ancient Kush • The Geography of Early Nubia helped civilization develop there • Kush and Egypt traded, but they also fought • Later Kush became a trading power with a unique culture • Both internal and external factors led to the demise of Kush

5. Geography of Nubia • South of Egypt • Situated along the Nile River • Unlike Egypt, they were not dependent upon the flooding of the Nile for good soil. They enjoyed tropical rainfall all year long. • Cataracts keep Nubia safe from invaders for some time

6. Nubia – “Land of Gold” • Nubia was a land of natural wealth. They had gold mines, ivory, incense, copper and iron ore.

7. Daily Life of Common People • Most people lived in farming villages- Each village had a leader • Like most ancient peoples, Nubians depended on agriculture for their food • Agricultural crops: Yams, beans, rice, onions, papaya, gourds, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, cotton, and peanuts. • Dressed similar to Egyptians at first (white cotton) , then dressing more like those in the Southern Sahara (colorful cotton)

8. Daily Life of Kings, Queens &Nobles • Kings, Queens and Nobles lived in riverside palaces • Queens were often more powerful than Kings • At first they modeled themselves after Egyptian Kings & Queens

9. Ancient Kushite Religion • At first Kush worships the same gods as the Egyptians • Mummified the dead • Built pyramids – similar but were smaller with flat tops

10. Relations with Egypt • Kush respected Egyptian culture and traded with them • In the New Kingdom, Egypt felt threatened by Kush so they conquered Kush in 1500 BC • Egypt ruled Kush for about 450 years (until the end of the New Kingdom)

11. Kush’s Time of Glory • After the New Kingdom fell, Kush senses Egypt’s weakness and conquers Upper Egypt. • They then make relations with Lower Egypt and conquer them. • Kashta and his son Piankhi Extend the Kushite kingdom from Napata in Nubia to the Nile Delta.

12. Piankhi751-716 BCE Piankhi was the son of Kashta, and a very powerful military leader. He was very religious. He believed he had the support of the gods to rule over the Egyptian people.

13. Kushite Occupation of Egypt • Kush’s occupation in Egypt is know as the 25th Dynasty • Piankhi and his relatives believed the old pharaohs of Egypt were their ancestors. • Kush tried to restore Egyptian cultural practices • They bulit temples to Egyptian gods • The worked to preserve hieroglyphics

14. The End of Kushite Occupation of Egypt • Kush held Egypt for about 50 years until the Assyrians invaded • They had better iron weapons than the Kushites

15. Kush Becomes the Iron Capital of the Ancient World • After their defeat by the Assyrians, the Kushites retreat back to their homeland – Nubia • There they devoted themselves to trade • The city of Meroe is the economic capital

16. Kush Becomes the Iron Capital of the Ancient World • Meroe is an area full of rich iron ore deposits • This is the place where AFRICA’s first iron industry begins • People need iron to make weapons • To create iron there was a need for wood to burn in furnaces to melt down the iron ore

17. Trade Networks • Ancient peoples want iron weapons and statues this sparks the desire to trade • Kush sent goods down to Nile to Egypt • Egyptian and Greek merchants carried goods to ports in the Mediterranean and Red Seas and ports in southern Africa. • In later times Kushite goods may have even traveled to India and perhaps China • Trade with other nations brought cultural influences to Kush

18. Trade Networks • Exports • Gold • Pottery • Iron tools • Slaves • Ivory • Leopard skins • Ostrich Feathers • Elephants • Imports • Fine jewelry • Luxury items

19. The Demise of Kush • To make iron, they needed to wood to burn. They had used up much of their wood. Their resources were dwindling. • Kush could not produce as much iron as they had in the past, yet demand for iron was growing. Traders began to look elsewhere for iron. • By 300s AD Kush lost its wealth a military might • The Kingdom of Aksum conquers Kush