1. Egypt is located in northeast Africa

2. The Sahara Desert The world’s hottest desert
Bigger than the United States in area
The Nile R.

5. 1) Nile River Flows North Ends in the Mediterranean Sea
The longest river in the world at 4,160 miles

6. Floods Until recently, flooded annually in July
Floods were predictable
Deposited silt, replenishing the soil with nutrients
The silt built up at the mouth of the river, forming a delta

8. 2) The Red Sea The Red Sea lies between Africa and Asia
It is almost 1400 miles long and only 200 miles wide

10. 3) The Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea connects 3 continents:
Africa, Europe, and Asia
The Mediterranean Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean

12. The Nile River Delta is very fertile and great for growing crops
4) Nile Delta
Delta- A triangle-shaped deposit of rich soil at a river’s mouth
Usually forms many smaller rivers because of silt deposit
The Nile River Delta is very fertile and great for growing crops

14. 5) Sinai Peninsula Small strip of land between Africa and Asia
The Mediterranean Sea lies to the north and the Red Sea to the south

15. 6) Lower Egypt
Although to the north, it was called Lower Egypt because of the low-lying land that formed the Nile River Delta

16. 7) Upper Egypt
Called Upper Egypt because it is upstream of the Nile River Delta and the land is more elevated
The Nile is hard to travel in Upper Egypt because of cataracts (rapids)

17. Influence of Geography on Civilization
Natural Barriers provide obstacles to potential invaders
Mediterranean Sea to the North
Sahara Desert to the West
Red Sea to the East
Susceptible to Invasion
Across the Sinai Peninsula

18. Effect of Barriers Limited invasions
Limited farming to a narrow region on either side of the Nile River
Caused river villages to be crowded
As population grew, villages along the river expanded
Forced Egyptians to develop irrigation systems to create more farm land

19. Nile River Delta from space
Benefits
The river served as a highway
United the villages along the river
The river made travel between villages easy
Currents carried barges downstream
Sails used to catch winds and travel upstream
The river attracted wildlife and fish
Papyrus grew along the river- Used to make paper
Nile River Delta from space

20. Early Egyptian Life Originally two kingdoms developed along the Nile:
Lower Egypt
Northern Nile
Good farmland
Copper mines in Sinai Peninsula
Upper Egypt
Southern Nile
Ruler named Menes
Conquered Lower Egypt, which led to unification
In 3100 BC Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt unified, forming one kingdom
The capital was built at Memphis
Menes unified the two Kingdoms

21. Ancient Egyptian Timeline
From Discovery Ed. (Chapter 4.2)

22. Gods and Goddesses
The Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses
Believed in over 2000 different gods
They believed that some of these gods lived in the sun, sky, the Nile River, the desert, etc.
Often, these gods would take the form of animals or humans or a combination of both

23. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Beliefs:
Gods control the forces of nature
Gods control life and death
Gods identified with certain animals
Ka: Life force (spirit) that left the body after death

24. The Afterlife Egyptians believed in life after death
Believed that the dead needed to take things with them that they would need in the afterlife
This is why people were often buried with treasure, clothing, and other valuable objects

25. Mummification Preserved the bodies of the dead through mummification
Egyptians believed that once they died, they were sent to the Underworld for their next life

26. The Great Pyramid of Giza Discover Ed Video
Constructed by King Khufu during the Old Kingdom (around 2570 BCE)
Used advanced knowledge of geometry and architecture
Built with over 2 million limestone blocks

27. Hatshepsut Ruled from 1479 BCE – 1459 BCE
She is considered to be the first female ruler in history
Considered to be one of the most successful pharaohs of Egypt:
Strengthened the military
Increased trading with neighbors
Built many great temples throughout Egypt

28. Ramsses the Great Ruled from 1279 BCE – 1213 BCE (60 years)
Considered to be one of the most famous pharaohs of Egypt
A neighboring group called the Hittites tried to take control of Egypt and Ramses led the Egyptian army to victory
Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE

29. Social Structure
Like Mesopotamia, Egyptians were divided into different social classes

30. Medicine
Many early civilizations believed illness was caused by evil spirits. Egyptians began to study the body and discovered that they could use medicines to cure certain illnesses
The first doctors and dentists started in Egypt
Because there was so much sand in Egypt, people developed problems with their eyes, teeth, and stomachs
Since Egyptians mummified bodies and removed organs, they knew more about the human body than any civilization until the Greeks.
Anatomy is the study of the human body
Egyptians had knowledge of different organs: heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain

31. Architecture Pyramids of Egypt- Discovery Ed Video
The Egyptians had extensive knowledge of architecture
Architecture- The process of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and structures
The Egyptians understood that to create strong structures, they had to have a solid foundation, understand the importance of measurements and angles
The Egyptians made their pyramids, temples, and public buildings on a very large scale
Today, many government buildings, civic centers, and important places of worship are designed in a similar style.

32. Reading and Writing Hieroglyphics- Discovery Ed Video
Early civilizations had no form of written language. Everything was spoken. There was no way to post laws, write directions, or record sales.
The Egyptians began using pictures as a form of writing. Each picture represented an idea or a word.
Hieroglyphics allowed Egyptians to track their business transactions, praise their rulers, and record their history.

33. Paper
The invention of paper was important because now writing could be transported (moved from place to place)
The Egyptians also developed ink and a stylus (like a pen)
The development of written language and the creation of papyrus enabled Egyptians to make consistent communications among themselves as well as with their neighbors
It also ensured their beliefs, ideas, and knowledge could be passed down to future generations and civilizations. Much of what we know about ancient Egyptians today comes from their written records.

34. Rosetta Stone
For centuries, archaeologists struggled to understand hieroglyphics.
In 1799, French soldiers found a large rock near the city of Rashid, which was also known as Rosetta.
It was inscribed with one message written in three different scripts.
Greek
Hieroglyphics
Demotic script (another form of Egyptian writing)
Scholars realized the message was the same in all three scripts and were finally able to decipher the hieroglyphics by using the Greek translation.
The rock is on display at the British Museum in London.

35. Math Egyptian Numbers- Discovery Ed Video
In addition to a system of writing, Egyptians also created numerals and had an understanding of mathematical concepts
The Egyptian numeric system was similar to that used by the Romans. Individual symbols were used for 1, 10, 100, and so on.
The Egyptians also understood mathematical concepts and operations. Documents show examples of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. Egyptians also could solve more complex problems using fractions and basic concepts of geometry.

36. Ships Invented large ships out of cedar (wood) that was imported
Allowed travel up and down the Nile River and Mediterranean Coast
The pieces of cedar wood were tied together with reeds
Egyptian ships used oars, as many as 20 a side on
The also used sails to catch the wind

37. Trade Networks
Ancient Egyptian merchants used trade networks to ship their goods throughout the ancient world.
Export- Goods that are traded away or going out
Import- Goods that you trade for or receiving
As they traded, Egyptians brought their innovations to other civilizations