EGYPT

1. EGYPT The Gift of the Nile

2. Essential Questions • How did the environment influence Egyptian civilization? • What were the great achievements of the early Egyptians? • What were the main periods in the early history of Egyptian civilization?

3. The Gift of the Nile • Egyptian civilization confined to Nile River basin • Floods on regular basis • Calendar • Fertile soil

4. How do we know? • Egyptian writing = hieroglyphics • 1798 Frenchman discovers Rosetta Stone • Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic • Jean Francois Champollion deciphers 23 years later • Here’s what we have learned… Scott

5. 2 Egypts • 6000-4000 B.C. – agriculture develops • 4000 B.C. – towns (nomes) appear • 3400 B.C. – 2 Kingdoms emerge • Lower Egypt (Delta) • Upper Egypt (Valley below delta) • Conflict and competition until…

6. Unity • 3100 B.C. – Menes unites • Southern nomes gain domination over delta • Union between kingdoms would benefit both • Centralized city (1st capital = Memphis)

7. In a nutshell • Egyptians called land Misr (Egyptians were Misri); anciently called Khemet • Egypt is a Greek term; make sacrifice to Ptah (creation deity) • Manetho (Egyptian priest) writes history of Egypt in Greek • 3 Kingdoms (Old, Middle, New) • 33 Dynasties