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Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt

Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt. Unification Originally two kingdoms developed along the Nile River Lower Egypt Located along the northern Nile Good farmland Upper Egypt Located along the southern Nile 1 st Ruler named Menes He established first dynasty Built capital at Memphis.

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Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt

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  1. Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt

  2. Unification • Originally two kingdoms developed along the Nile River • Lower Egypt • Located along the northern Nile • Good farmland • Upper Egypt • Located along the southern Nile • 1st Ruler named Menes • He established first dynasty • Built capital at Memphis

  3. Geography of the Nile Region • River • Flows north • Ends in the Mediterranean Sea • Longest river in the world at 4,160 miles

  4. The Nile • Floods • Until recently, flooded annually in July • Floods predictable • Added moisture to the soil • Deposited silt, replenishing the soil with nutrients • Caused delta to form at the mouth of the river

  5. Nile River and delta from space

  6. Influence of Geography on Civilization • Natural barriers provide obstacles to potential invaders • Mediterranean Sea to the North • Libyan Desert to the West • Nubian Desert to the Southeast • Red Sea to the East

  7. Effect of Barriers • Limited invasions from many directions • Limited farming to a narrow region on either side of the river • Caused river villages to be crowded • As population grew, villages needed to expand • Irrigation helped to create more fertile land for farming

  8. Benefits of the Nile • The river served as a highway • United villages along the river • Travel was relatively easy on the river • Currents carried barges downstream (North) to the delta • Sails used to catch winds to return upstream (South) • Additional benefits • River attracted wildlife and provided fish for hunting & sport • Papyrus grew along river • Used to make paper

  9. Religion in Ancient Egypt • Beliefs • Nature important-gods control forces of nature • Polytheistic (many gods) • Gods control forces of nature • Gods controlled all life and death • Gods frequently identified with certain animals • Egyptian Gods • Aman Re • Most important god • Sun god • East represented birth (sunrise) • West represented death (sunset) • Burial temples built on the West bank of the Nile

  10. Religion • Osiris • God of the underworld -periodically dies and is reborn • Judges the dead • Rise & fall of the Nile believed to be the death & rebirth of Osiris • Isis • Wife of Osiris • Brought him back to life • Nile floods and brings renewed life

  11. Religion • The Afterlife • Egyptians believed in a life after death • Believed the good lived in happiness • Believed the dead needed to take with them things they would need in death • Believed the earthly body would be needed as a home for the soul • Preserved the bodies of the dead through mummification • Originally reserved for rulers and nobles

  12. Tutankhamen (aka King Tut)

  13. Howard Carter discovers King Tut Tomb in 1922

  14. System of Writing • Record keeping of religious rituals prompted writing • ~3,100 BC • pictograms- picture of object • Ideograms added to convey ideas • Added symbols for sounds • No symbols for vowel sounds • Symbols evolved into hieroglyphics • Writings carved in wood or stone • Later, symbols painted in ink on papyrus

  15. Hieroglyphics

  16. The Rosetta Stone • Slab of black rock carved in three languages • Hieroglyphics • Demotic (shorthand hieroglyphics) • Greek • Found in 1799 • 1822- French scholar Jean Chapollion cracked the code of hieroglyphics because he could read Greek • Enabled scholars to decipher papyrus scrolls of hieroglyphics

  17. What Characterized Civilization in Ancient Egypt? • Civilizations developed when people could stay put and not have to wander after their food supply. • When people began to grow food, they became more organized • Divisions in labor developed to decide who did what • Farmers, herders, artisans, government • Cities grew with this organization • Civilization & cities often thought to go hand in hand

  18. The Old Kingdom 2700-2200 BC • Strong monarchs • Tasks delegated to many gov’t officials • Built pyramids and Sphinx

  19. The Middle Kingdom ~2050-1800 BC • New capital Thebes in upper (southern) Egypt • ~1900 BC ruler becomes known as the pharaoh • Hyksos-people from Asia who brought the chariot and compound bow. • Through trade and conquest, Egyptians learn other ideas and blend cultures (movement)

  20. New Kingdom ~1570- 1090 BC Pharaohs had absolute control over the government and established an empire. • Early female ruler Hatshepsut • 1370 BC Amenhotep rises to power • makes many unsettling changes • Makes Egyptians monotheistic • Aton the sun god

  21. New Kingdom • 1200’s BC rule of Ramses II • Long rule • Many children (52 sons, plus daughters…) • Had temples and tombs built byHebrew slaves Mummy of Ramses II

  22. Old Middle New Corrupt government suffered frequent rebellions Pharaohs organized centralized state Pharaohs created a large empire Government Built enormous tombs, the pyramids Land drained for farming Traded with lands along eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea Achievements Power struggles, crop failures and cost of pyramids caused collapse Hittites invaded and conquered Nubians, then others invaded Decline

  23. Egyptian Civilization Learning Religion Society Arts & Literature Hieroglyphics Calendar Geometry Engineering Medicine Polytheism mummify dead Women had higher status fluid class system in New Kingdom Painting Sculpture Folk tales

  24. Egyptian Society • Social Class • A person’s social position and occupation determined at birth • Social Structure • Top = Pharaoh • Rulingclass of priests & nobles • Middle class of merchants, artisans, doctors • Bottom = Slaves

  25. Egyptian Society • Status of Women • Relatively high status for that time in history • Could buy and sell property • Could seek divorce (although rare) • Property inherited through female line

  26. Education • Original purpose of schools was to train priests • Subjects taught • Reading & writing • Math • Religious ceremonies & rituals • Eventually temple schools provided more general education

  27. Scribes • Scribes were very important • Kept records, recorded history • Could possibly become rich • About the only social mobility of the era

  28. Scientific Accomplishments • In areas of math and science • Developed system of surveying land • Important due to annual floods • Surveying land led to Geometry • Area & volume helped to build • the pyramids

  29. Scientific Accomplishments • Development of astronomy • To predict floods, eclipses • Led to development of calendar • 365 days, 12 months • 3 seasons, 30 days for 11 months, 35 for the 12th • No leap year • Development of building techniques • engineering

  30. Scientific Accomplishments • Medical discoveries • Magic heavily used • Developed surgery • Greeks & Romans based much of their medical knowledge on that of the Egyptians

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