1. Egyptian Civilization
Chapter 4
Egyptian Civilization

2. Vocabulary for Chapter 4
Delta – a triangular piece of rich, fertile land usually at the mouth of a river. Formed by soil deposits.
Cataract – waterfalls ; rapids,
Arid – dry desert ; hot ; little to no precipitation; little to no vegetation
Predict – to tell in advance
Afterlife – life after death ; soul live on not your physical body
Diplomacy – relations between countries; countries discuss political ideas – Positive – Allies //// Negative – Enemy
Nation-State – a region with a united people and a single government
Dynasty – a series of rulers from the same family
Vizier – chief advisor to the Pharaoh ; carried out the Pharaoh’s orders
Pyramid – a large stone structure ; tombs for Egyptian rulers, Pharaoh’s, and their servants ; triangular prism
Mummy – a preserved body ; usually of someone of importance ; body is wrapped in linen ; would take out all the organs except the heart.
Civil War – war between two groups with in the same nation or country.
Famine – food shortages; a long famine will destroy parts of civilizations
Cost-Benefit Analysis – an examination made to decide whether to carry on trade
Pharaoh - Egyptian king or queen ; means “great house”
Reign – time of rule ; how long a ruler was in charge
Rural – an area that is not completely developed by humans ; may have a lot of vegetation and not many people
Hieroglyphs – pictures or symbols that stand for sounds, words, or ideas
Papyrus – paper like material invented by the Egyptians ;

3. Lesson 1
The Nile Valley

4. Describe the Nile river
Describe the Nile river. Include location, flow, length, & nick-name Ancient Egyptians gave the Nile.
The Nile river is located east central Africa and flows south to north. The Nile River is 4,160 miles long making it the longest river in the world. The Ancient Egyptians called the Nile the “Giver of Life” because the Nile River flooded and after the flood water receded silt was left behind to create fertile soil, good for farming.

5. List ways Egyptians controlled the Nile.
Built dams to help fill the canals
Built ditches, or canals, to help water their plants
Irrigation systems to help water their crops

6. How did the unpredictability of the Nile contribute to the formation of polytheistic beliefs in ancient Egypt?
Made up stories that tried to explain what happened. Over time the stories of the floods turned into the formation of the god, Hapi.

7. How did the Nile support early civilization in ancient Egypt?
The Nile supported civilization in ancient Egypt because it deposited silt along the banks making the soil fertile. Also, it provided fresh water for people and plants. Allowed the develop of trade and help people develop better means of water travel.

8. Describe ancient Egypt's major river using the words delta and cataract.
Lower Egypt lies at the Nile’s mouth and is made up mainly of the Nile’s delta.
One may find more cataracts towards the Nile’s source in Upper Egypt.

9. How did Egypt’s location make it an ideal center for trade?
Egypt's location made it an ideal center for trade because of the Nile River. Also, because it was the crossroads of three continents. (Asia, Europe, and Africa)

10. What agriculture items were some Egyptian towns able to trade?
Some agriculture items were wheat, barley, and spices

11. Why do you think the Egyptians believed in gods and goddesses?
They believed in gods and goddesses because they wanted to make sense of the world around them and explain naturally occurring events. For example flooding and drought.

12. What were some of the technologically advances that allowed Egypt to go from small villages to a powerful civilization?
The Egyptians developed sails for ship so that they could sail upstream, against the current. Also, irrigations systems so that they may water there crops. Built dams and dikes to help control the yearly flooding. Built pools to save water for when there might be a drought. Built tools to help till the land.

14. The Old Kingdom

15. Egypt Unites
Egypt united about 3,100 B.C. because King Narmer conquered Lower Egypt and built the great city of Memphis, it’s new capital.
The capital is where the government leaders are located and work.
King Narmer created the world’s first nation-state
King Narmer ruled the first of 31 different dynasties.
The Egyptian Empire lasted more than 3,000 years and is divided into three parts: The Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms

16. The Pharaoh's influence / importance
The Egyptians considered the Pharaoh as a living god.
that meant the pharaoh could do whatever he wanted. (never wrong)
that meant the Egyptian people did not have freedoms like we do in the U.S.A
could control the Nile flooding
The Pharaoh employed a vizier, Pharaoh chief advisor, which carried out the Pharaoh’s orders.

17. Hieroglyphs (picture symbols)
Learned/Borrowed the idea of writing from the Sumerians
Hieroglyphs may be found on ancient pyramids
used to keep records (religious ceremonies, tax collecting)
Papyrus: used the papyrus stem, pressed them together, and made a paper like material
The Rosetta Stone allowed people to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs.

18. Building the Pyramids (145)
Write 5 significant facts about building the pyramids
For example:
Old Kingdom is known as the Age of Pyramids (main detail)
The Egyptians developed pyramid technology over a 500 years period (supporting detail)
pyramids served as tombs for Pharaoh’s
This first known pyramids were step-like pyramids
The pyramid shapes is associated with the sun god, Ra
Pyramids help us understand the relationship between social order and religion.
As god like rulers the Pharaoh’s forced their people to work on the pyramids.
The greatest of these pyramids is the Pyramid at Giza
each stone weighs 2.5 tones or 5,000 lbs.
height is 480 ft.

19. Preparing for the Afterlife
Egyptians believed in an afterlife
Believed that souls could live forever or get devoured by a monster (part lion, part crocodile, part hippopotamus)
Created mummies, which are dead preserved bodies because they needed bodies in the afterlife
Egyptian priest took out all the organs except the heart because the heart was the home of the soul.
The Book of the Dead played an important role in the ceremony leading into the afterlife.
Egyptians believed their heart would be JUDGED before the god Osiris and other judges.

20. The Middle Kingdom

21. Reuniting the Kingdom
Egypt fell into civil war and famine in B.C.
Brothers fought against brothers ; fathers against sons
2040 B.C. is the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, which reunited Egypt and brought stability and growth
The Middle Kingdom grew in strength and achievements
Built forts, temples, pyramids, irrigation canals
Crafted jewelry and revived wall paintings and literature

22. Trade Trade increased during the Middle Kingdom
Trade can be very dangerous and risky