1. The Nile River Longest river in the world
Travels 4,160 miles
Begins at Lake Victoria
Ends in Mediterranean Sea
Flows north
Geographic Features along the river
Upper Nile broken by series of six cataracts/rapids
Lower Nile mostly flat w/ smooth water
Ends in large river delta
Heavy seasonal floods
Benefits of life along the Nile
Floods result in fertile soil/farmland
Good pathway for travel/trade
Natural protection against invasion

2. Early Steps Toward Civilization
Early Peoples:
Hunters-gathers as early as 12,000 BC
Farming settlements develop 6,000 BC
Mined copper and created bronze 3,800BC
Developed written language
Hieroglyphics developed 3,000BC
Was a symbolic (picture) system
First carved into stone
Developed papyrus and ink
Rosetta Stone provides key to hieroglyphs
Discovered by French officer in 1798 AD
Had hieroglyphs translated into Greek and demotic

3. The Kingdoms Egypt united under the rule of Menes
Founded a dynasty
Kings began to be known as “pharaoh,” believed to be gods
The Old Kingdom (2680 BC – 2180 BC)
Developments:
Built the sphinx
Built the larges tof the pyramids
Two class system
Lower class made of army, builders, farmers, etc
Upper class made of royal family, priest, scribes, & gov officials
The Middle Kingdom (2050 BC-1780 BC)
Known as the Golden Age of Egypt
Extremely stable & prosperous
Fall of Middle Kingdom
Pharaohs weakened by priests and nobles
Hyksos attack with new & better weapons (Chariots & Compound Bow)
The New Kingdom
Egypt overthrows Hyksos rule & reunites
Line of strong pharaohs
First female ruler, Hatshepsut
Amenhotep IV tries to bring monotheism
Developed strong military
Expanded the Egyptian Empire

4. Achievements of Ancient Egypt
Architecture
Pyramids built as tombs for pharaohs
80 pyramids still remain
Largest at Giza, on west bank of Nile
Art
Sculpture
Painting decorated buildings,
Frequently of everyday scenes
Science
Invented a calendar
365 day year
12 months/30 days per month
Math
Number system based on ten
Similar to modern decimal system
Used both fractions & whole numbers
Used geometry in building
Medicine
Used by “magic” to heal & herbs
Attempted to treat illness
Developed ways of preserving the body after death

5. Education & Religion Education: Religion:
Focused mainly on elite classes of society
Trained people to be scribes
Taught reading & writing
Worked for the government
Schools usually part of religious institutions
Religion:
Polytheistic (many gods/goddesses)
Villages/towns had own gods
Gods usually represented by animal symbol
Important Gods/Goddesses
Amon-Re: Son God, the creator
Osiris: Nile God, associated with death
Isis: wife of Osiris
Afterlife:
Believed that a person went to another life after death
Body had to be preserved so it could go to next life
Items needed for next life left with the body

6. Society & Economy Class System Agriculture Trade
Pharaoh
Class System
Social classes rigidly divided
Some movement allowed between classes
Women had legal rights
Could own businesses& property
Could inherit property
Agriculture
All land owned by Pharaoh
Peasants were main workers
Kept part of crop as payment for work
Most of crops went to pharaoh as rent & tax
Main crops:
Grains (wheat & barley)
Cotton & Flax (used to make cloth)
Trade
Traded food surplus to other people
Traded both over sea and over land
Traveled up the Nile & the Mediterranean
Caravans crossed overland into Asia & Africa
Nobles
Scribes & Priests
Peasants