Focus Question # 26

2. Focus Question # 26 • What kind of civilization did ancient Nubia develop? (Part 1)

3. Trade Partner and Rival: • Egypt had many trading partners and rivals. One of these was the land of Nubiain the south. • Nubia was located on the Nile River at the point where two separate rivers converge or join to form the world’s most famous waterway: The Blue Nile which flows northeast out of Lake Tana and the White Nile flows north out of Lake Victoria. • Cataracts (rough and steep rapids) run along these rivers with intense speed and are very dangerous to navigate. • Nubia’s climate varied between oppressively hot summers and extremely cold winters. • Despite its near desert climate, the flooding of the Nile coughed out enough silt to make the region fertile for farming.

4. Geography is Destiny • Nubia’s was split into two different geographical regions: Upper and Lower Nubia. • Upper Nubia was unsuitable for farming because of its hilly and rugged landscape. Most people herded livestock (cattle) in this area. • It was rich in minerals and gold and copper deposits, however, which made it a tempting target for neighboring Egypt. • Owing in large part to its wealth, Nubia traded many of its resources with Egypt. • The Nubian’s developed cities, organized governments run by kings and established a religious system not unlike their neighbors to the north.

5. The Emergence of Kush: • Egypt invaded Nubia during its Middle Kingdom period, as pharaohs grew more powerful and desired wealth and prestige. • They were able to conquer most of it, except for the kingdom of Kush, which was one of Nubia’s independent Upper kingdoms; • This frustrated Egypt because Kush controlled access to most of the rare mineral resources (gold, iron, copper, etc.) • Kush’s capital of Kermawas a trading center into which many goods (cloth, ivory, ceramics, crafts) flowed from other parts of Africa.

6. The Civilization of Kush: • For centuries Kush established itself as a trading power and grew wealthy. • After moving its capital further inland to avoid threats from Egypt, Kush and its new capital of Meroe prospered for over 600 years. • Kush cities featured large boulevards and buildings made of brick, as well as municipal storage pools that housed water surpluses for public use. • They mined rich elements (ore for making iron) and used furnaces to refine the ore into tools and weapons.

7. The Nubian Social Pyramid: • The Social hierarchy in Kush was based on pyramidal structure. • At the top of the pyramid was the king or queen; • Then followed the priests and soldiers; • Then followed the merchants, artisans, and farmers; • Lastly, the enslaved people were at the base of the pyramid. • This structure ensured that people would know their place and respect authority. It was anti-democratic and kept Nubian culture from realizing the full talents of all of its citizens. You could not promote yourself to any other level of the pyramid. In conclusion, you died a member of the social class into which you were born.