Old Kingdom Egypt Lesson

1. Old kingdom Old kingdom Egypt Egypt

2. BIG TEXT The Old Kingdom Period lasted from 2686–2181 BC Egyptian culture was centered by the Nile River because of the rich soil along the waterway, giving it the nickname 'Fertile Crescent' Egypt at the time was divided into Upper Egypt (in the south) and Lower Egypt (in the north), which is probably due to the fact that the Nile River unlike many rivers flows south to north.

3. Farming was central to this period because of the predictable, annual floods Using these floods, which deposited rich silt into the land, the Egyptians farmed in tandem with this process each year to keep a viable crop harvest. The first pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Djoser, around 2660 BC With advances in technology, trade would begin around 2000 BC

4. The Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt and was considered to be the living embodiment of a god. The religion of the Egyptians dictated that the afterlife mimicked the physical world, which is why the Pharaohs believed that structures like pyramids needed to be built to house their possessions. The pyramid allowed the 'ka' or eternal spirit to exist in the afterlife forever. The Egyptians believed in many gods or were 'polytheistic'. This led to a complex system of religion.

5. The Egyptians deep seated belief in the afterlife led to a focus on preservation of the body after death. This process of preservation was called 'mummification' The organs of the body were removed and placed in ornate jars, the body was packed with filler, treated with preservatives and wrapped in wax and cloth. The purpose of this was to ensure that the body was intact for the journey to the afterlife for judgment before the god Osiris

6. Egyptian society was set up into a hierarchy that resembles a pyramid visually.

7. Though ruled by a Pharaoh in complete power, Egyptian society was open to advancement and even boasted equal rights for men and women for the average citizen. This would be different for Pharaoh's however as very few were women. The Egyptians developed a pictograph language called 'Hieroglyphics' much like Cuneiform developed by the Sumerians. The written language helped their culture flourish and keep records.

8. Egyptians transcribed their writing onto scrolls called 'papyrus', which was a paper- like substance created from reeds. These scrolls recorded history, religious practices and in some cases were littered with magic incantations for use in the afterlife as illustrated in the 'Book of the Dead' found in some tombs, which provided protection and instructions for use after death.

9. The Egyptians built many structures other than Pyramids, most notable the Sphinx, which is a creature that is a composite of a human and a lion, sometimes pictured with wings.

10. Accurate records of who definitely built the Sphinx are disputable, but most attribute the structure to the Pharaoh Khufu. The Egyptians would flourish and expand their culture until the end of the Old Kingdom Period when they were conquered by the Hyksos leading to a period of instability divided into two Intermediary Periods before the start of the Middle Kingdom Period, where the Pharaohs regained their power.

11. BIG TEXT Nile River Fertile Crescent Upper Egypt Lower Egypt Pharaoh Ka Polytheistic Hieroglyphics Hyksos Papyrus Sphinx Book of the Dead Mummification Hierarchy

12. Discussion Questions Submit your answers to Edmodo under the section titled 'What do you think'?: EGYPT Why do you think the Egyptians were so focused on the afterlife? Why do you think the Egyptians used slave labor? Why do you think the Sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion? Why do you think the Pharaoh was considered to be a god?