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Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt. 2.1-2.2. Geography of the Nile. Irrigated “Black Land” Stretches 10 miles wide Beyond that... “Red Land” desert Grew wheat and flax for clothing. Flooding. Spring- rains send water down streams that feed the Nile Flood welcomed Deposited layer of silt - rich soil

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Ancient Egypt

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  1. AncientEgypt 2.1-2.2

  2. Geography of the Nile • Irrigated “Black Land” • Stretches 10 miles wide • Beyond that... “Red Land” desert • Grew wheat and flax for clothing

  3. Flooding • Spring- rains send water down streams that feed the Nile • Flood welcomed • Deposited layer of silt- rich soil • Built dikes, reservoirs, irrigation ditches • channel river, store water

  4. 2 Regions • Upper Egypt in South • Lower Egypt in North • From 1stcataract (waterfall) of Nile North to within 100 miles of Mediterranean • Lower Egypt: Delta region- triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river • 3100 BC- Menes (King of Upper Egypt) united 2 regions • Sent officials and armies on river

  5. Trading • Merchants traveled in sailboats and barges • Exchanged products with: • Africa • Middle East • Mediterranean

  6. Old Kingdom • 3 Kingdoms • Old: 2700-2200 BC • Middle: 2050-1800 BC • New: 1550-1100 BC • Power passed from one dynasty (ruling family) to the next

  7. Government • Ruler: Pharaoh • Organized strong state • Divine support for their rule • Pharaoh was a “god” • Owned and ruled all land

  8. Justice • Vizier: chief minister, supervised business • Departments- tax collection, farming, irrigation system • Thousands of scribes • Ptah-hotep- vizier that trained young officials, wrote Instruction of Ptah-hotep “If you are sitting at the table of one greater than you, take what he may give when it is set before you. Let your face be cast down until he addresses you, and you should speak only when he addresses you”

  9. Pyramids • Built during old kingdom at Giza • Tombs for dead rulers • Sleds, ramps, pushed by hand • Took long to build…pharaohs would begin building tombs as soon as they took the throne

  10. MiddleKingdom • Power struggle, crop failures, and cost of pyramids collapsed Old Kingdom • Century of disunity • New pharaoh united lands • Turbulent- Nile not as dependable, corruption and rebellions • Drainage project- increased farmland • 1700 BC- foreign invaders- Hyksos • Horse drawn chariots • Cultural diffusion in both directions • New leaders drove out Hyksos

  11. NewKingdom • Large empire • to Euprhates River • Hatshepsut- woman who ruled as pharaoh from 1503-1482 BC • Most powerful- Ramses II from 1290-1224 BC • To Syria • Peace treaty with Hittites “shall be at peace and in brotherhood forever” • Decline- Invading Assyrians and Persians conquered region • Greeks and Romans came from North

  12. Religion • Chief god was Amon-re (sun god) • Osiris and Isis • Osiris rules over underworld, and is god of Nile • Controlled annual flood • Isis believed that she first taught women to grind corn, spin flax, weave cloth and care for children • Promised life after death

  13. Rebel • 1380 BC- young pharaoh challenged priests and Amon-Re • Worshiped Aton- minor god of Sun’s disk • Akhenaton- he who serves Aton • Tried to sweep away all others • Ordered to worship Aton • Priests resisted • Akhenaton died, old religion reestablished

  14. Afterlife • From nobles to peasants • Dead soul ferried across a lake of fire to Osiris • Weigh dead person’s heart against feather of truth • Sinners fed to crocodile “Eater of the Dead” • Worthy souls enter “Happy Field of Food”

  15. BookoftheDead • Spells, charms, formulas for afterlife Negative Confession- “I have made no man to suffer hunger. I have made no one to weep. I have done no murder…I have not encroached upon the fields of another. I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller…I have not turned back water when it should flow…I am pure. I am pure. I am pure.” -Book of the Dead • Written on scrolls and placed in tombs

  16. Mummification • Afterlife much like earth • Buried with needs for eternity • Mummification: preservation of the dead • Embalmers extracted brain and organs through nostrils • Filled body cavity with spices • Dried and wrapped in linen • Months to complete • Started only for nobles, passed to everyone

  17. http://mummification.thomasjbradley.ca/stage2.html

  18. King Tut • Tombs of pharaohs a temptation for ancient robbers • Most tombs empty today because of this • 1922: British Archaeologist unearthed King Tut’s Tomb • Body of 18-year old King Tut in solid gold coffin • Richly decorated • Transferred to Egyptian Museum in Cairo • Chariots, weapons, furniture, jewelry, toys, games , food • Minor king…Ramses II probably had much more!

  19. ClassSystem

  20. Farmers • Day and night repairing dikes and working land • Off season- served pharaoh • Building tombs, pyramids • Women: raised children, collected water, prepared food • High status, independent • Inherit property, enter business deals, buy and sell goods, go to court and obtain divorce • Not confined to home • Could enter priesthood • Few learned to read and write

  21. Learning • Scribes • Records • Served Nobles, Pharaoh • Could become rich • Hieroglyphics- picture writing • Carved in stone • Long lasting • Ideograms- pictures that symbolize an idea or action • Demotic- simpler form of writing for everyday use • Papyrus- Paper-like writing material from papyrus that grows on river

  22. Decipher-Decoding • After New Kingdom, meaning of hieroglyphics forgotten • 1800: French scholar deciphered Rosetta Stone • Message carved in Greek, hieroglyphics, demotic • Used the 3 languages to decipher meaning • Could then read thousands of writings

  23. Advances • Medicine-through mummification • Observed symptoms, found cures, diagnosed symptoms • Performed surgery • Medicines still used • Astronomy • Mapped constellations • Charted planets • 12 month calendar • Basis for modern calendar • Mathematics • Geometry to survey land • Calculate stones for pyramids • Irrigation systems

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