Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt

The Nile Valley Settling the Nile The earliest Egyptians moved into the Nile River valley from less fertile areas.  They farmed and built villages along the riverbanks.  The Nile River is the longest river in the world, about 4,000 miles long.  Egyptians used the Nile River for many things. (pages 39–40)

Settling the Nile (cont.) The Nile Valley Settling the Nile (cont.) They used river water to drink, clean, farm, and cook.  They ate fish from the river.  The Nile valley is a narrow, green valley in Egypt.  The northern end of the valley is a fertile area of land called a delta. (pages 39–40)

Settling the Nile (cont.) The Nile Valley Settling the Nile (cont.) The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, lies west of the Nile Valley.  The Eastern Desert lies to the east of the valley.  Egypt has several natural borders to protect it.  The deserts, the dangerous rapids of the Nile, and marshes in the delta kept enemies from entering Egypt. (pages 39–40)

Settling the Nile (cont.) The Nile Valley Settling the Nile (cont.) The Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east allowed trade with other peoples.  Within Egypt, people traveled on the Nile to trade with each other. (pages 39–40)

The Nile Valley The River People Floods along the Nile were predictable and were not devastating.  Each spring the Nile would flood and leave a dark, fertile mud along its banks.  Farmers learned about the waters of the Nile.  They used the soil left behind by the floods to grow wheat, barley, and flax seeds. (pages 41–42)

The River People (cont.) The Nile Valley The River People (cont.) Farmers learned about irrigation.  They dug basins to trap floodwaters, dug canals to channel water to the fields, and built dikes to strengthen the basin walls.  Papyrus, a reed plant that grew along the Nile, was used to make baskets, sandals, and river rafts.  Later, it was used to make paper. (pages 41–42)

The River People (cont.) The Nile Valley The River People (cont.) The Egyptian system of writing was called hieroglyphics.  This system consisted of thousands of picture symbols.  Some Egyptian men learned to read and write.  They attended schools to learn to be scribes. (pages 41–42)

The Nile Valley A United Egypt Because the people in Egypt had surplus food, some people became artisans instead of farmers.  Artisans wove cloth, made pottery, carved statues, and crafted weapons and tools.  Egyptians traded with each other and with others in Mesopotamia.  A few strong chiefs united groups of villages into kingdoms. (pages 43–44)

The Nile Valley A United Egypt (cont.) Eventually, the strongest kingdoms overpowered the weaker ones.  In this way, two large kingdoms emerged—Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.  Narmer united the two kingdoms.  He ruled from the city of Memphis, and his kingdom lasted long after his death. (pages 43–44)

The Nile Valley A United Egypt (cont.) Narmer’s descendants passed the ruling power on from father to son to grandson, forming a dynasty.  Ancient Egypt was ruled by 31 dynasties that historians have grouped into three time periods—Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. (pages 43–44)

The Nile Valley Early Egyptian Life Ancient Egypt had social classes.  The pharaoh was the highest power.  The upper class consisted of nobles, priests, and government officials.  The middle class included merchants, artisans, shopkeepers, and scribes.  Farmers were the largest group of people and were in a lower class than the middle class. (pages 45–46)

Early Egyptian Life (cont.) The Nile Valley Early Egyptian Life (cont.) Unskilled workers were the lowest class of people in ancient Egypt. (pages 45–46)

Early Egyptian Life (cont.) The Nile Valley Early Egyptian Life (cont.) Although men were the heads of households, women had more rights in Egypt than in other ancient civilizations.  They could own and pass on property, buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain divorces. (pages 45–46)

Early Egyptian Life (cont.) The Nile Valley Early Egyptian Life (cont.) Few children went to school in ancient Egypt.  Children had time to play games and had toys.  Egyptian girls learned to sew, cook, and run a household.  Boys learned farming or a skilled trade. (pages 45–46)

Old Kingdom Rulers Egypt’s Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom lasted from about 2600 B.C. until about 2300 B.C.  Pharaohs were all-powerful Egyptian kings who guided every activity in Egypt.  Pharaohs appointed officials to carry out their commands.  Egyptian people served pharaohs because they believed the kingdom depended on one strong leader. (page 48)

Old Kingdom Rulers (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom Old Kingdom Rulers (cont.) They also believed the pharaohs were the sons of Re, the sun god.  The thought pharaohs were gods on earth. (page 48)

Egypt’s Religion Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses, or deities.  These deities controlled every human activity and all natural forces.  The major god was Re, the sun god.  Another major god was Hapi, who ruled the Nile River.  Isis was the most important goddess. (pages 49–50)

Egypt’s Religion (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egypt’s Religion (cont.) Egyptians believed in life after death.  The Book of the Dead contained a collections of spells that Egyptians believed they needed to enter the afterlife.  Egyptians believed only pharaohs and a few elite people could have life after death. (pages 49–50)

Egypt’s Religion (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egypt’s Religion (cont.) To protect the pharaoh’s body after death, Egyptians developed an embalming process.  During the process, the body’s organs were removed.  The body was treated with spices and oils and then wrapped with strips of linen. (pages 49–50)

Egypt’s Religion (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egypt’s Religion (cont.) The wrapped body was called a mummy.  Egyptian doctors used herbs and drugs to treat illnesses.  They also set broken bones and stitched cuts.  Egyptian doctors were the first doctors to specialize in different areas of medicine, and they wrote the world’s first medical book. (pages 49–50)

The Pyramids Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egyptians built pyramids to protect the bodies of dead pharaohs.  The pyramids also contained items the pharaohs might need in the afterlife.  A pyramid took thousands of people and years of labor to build. (pages 50–52)

The Pyramids (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom Egyptians used astronomy and mathematics to create the pyramids.  To build a pyramid, Egyptians first selected a site.  Then, they searched for stone.  The artisans cut the stone into blocks, and other workers tied the stone to sleds and pulled them to the Nile. (pages 50–52)

Egypt’s Old Kingdom The Pyramids (cont.) (pages 50–52)

The Pyramids (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom At the river, workers loaded the stones onto barges and floated them to the site.  There, the blocks were unloaded and dragged or pushed up ramps.  While studying the skies to create pyramids, Egyptians created the 365-day calendar that became the basis for our calendar today. (pages 50–52)

The Pyramids (cont.) Egypt’s Old Kingdom The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt.  It was built for King Khufu and is located near the city of Cairo. (pages 50–52)

The Middle Kingdom The Egyptian Empire Pharaohs lost control of Egypt in about 2300 B.C.  At that time, a new dynasty of pharaohs created a capital at Thebes.  This began the Middle Kingdom, a time of stability, prosperity, and achievement.  Egypt took control of other lands and forced conquered people to send tribute, or forced payments. (pages 60–61)

The Middle Kingdom (cont.) The Egyptian Empire The Middle Kingdom (cont.) In this way, Egypt increased its riches.  During the Middle Kingdom, the arts, literature, and architecture blossomed.  The Middle Kingdom ended when the Hyksos attacked and conquered Egypt.  The Hyksos ruled until around 1500 B.C., when the Egyptian prince Ahmose led a revolt to drive the Hykos out of Egypt. (pages 60–61)

The Middle Kingdom (cont.) The Egyptian Empire The Middle Kingdom (cont.) This artwork with gold inlay from the Middle Kingdom period shows a funeral boat. (pages 60–61)

The New Kingdom The Egyptian Empire During the New Kingdom period, Egypt grew richer and more powerful.  Hatshepsut was the first woman to rule Egypt.  Trade grew during Hatsheput’s reign.  Traders exchanged beads, tools, and weapons for ivory, wood, leopard skins, and incense.  Trade made Egypt wealthier. (pages 61–62)

The New Kingdom (cont.) The Egyptian Empire Thutmose III became pharaoh after Hatshepsut’s death.  Thutmose conquered more lands, and Egypt grew richer from tributes.  Slavery became common in Thutmose’s reign.  Slaves had some rights.  They could own land, marry, and eventually obtain freedom. (pages 61–62)

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs The Egyptian Empire The Legacies of Two Pharaohs Amenhotep IV came to power in 1370 B.C.  Amenhotep felt priests were gaining too much power.  He introduced a new religion with only one god.  Priests who did not follow the new religion were removed from power. (pages 64–65)

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs (cont.) The Egyptian Empire The Legacies of Two Pharaohs (cont.) Most Egyptians refused to accept the new religion.  Amenhotep became so devoted to his new religion that he neglected his other duties.  He did not act when the Hittites attacked Egypt.  As a result, Egypt’s empire greatly diminished. (pages 64–65)

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs (cont.) The Egyptian Empire The Legacies of Two Pharaohs (cont.) Tutankhamen, now called King Tut, was a boy ruler who took power after Akhenaton died.  He ruled for only nine years before his death.  In A.D. 1922, a British archaeologist found King Tut’s grave. (pages 64–65)

The End of the New Kingdom The Egyptian Empire The End of the New Kingdom Ramses II was one of the most effective pharaohs of the New Kingdom.  During Ramses’s rule, many temples were built throughout Egypt.  Temples were used for services.  Most Egyptians prayed at home because they believed the temples were houses for the gods and goddesses. (pages 65–67)

The End of the New Kingdom (cont.) The Egyptian Empire The End of the New Kingdom (cont.) After Ramses’s rule, Egyptian rule began to decline.  Egypt was attacked by neighboring groups and eventually controlled only the Nile delta.  Beginning in the 900s B.C., Egypt was ruled by the Libyans, then the people of Kush, and finally the Assyrians. (pages 65–67)

Nubia The Civilization of Kush The region of Nubia, later known as Kush, was located south of Egypt on the Nile River.  The first people to arrive in Nubia were cattle herders, who grazed their herds on the savanna.  A savanna is a grassy plain.  Later, farmers settled in villages in Nubia. (pages 69–70)

Nubia (cont.) The Civilization of Kush More powerful Nubian villages took control of weaker ones, and the kingdom of Kerma was created.  People of Kerma traded with the Egyptians, and Kerma became wealthy.  The kings of Kerma were buried in tombs like the Egyptian pharaohs. (pages 69–70)

Nubia (cont.) The Civilization of Kush Egypt invaded Kerma, and after 50 years of war, Kerma was defeated.  During Egyptian rule, the people of Kerma adopted many of the Egyptian ways. (pages 69–70)

The Rise of Kush The Civilization of Kush Nubians broke away from Egypt and formed their own kingdom called Kush.  The Kushite kings ruled from the city of Napata, which was located along the upper Nile.  This location helped the Kush people become important traders, and Kush grew wealthy. (pages 70–72)

The Rise of Kush (cont.) The Civilization of Kush A king named Kashta and his son, Piye conquered Egypt in 728 B.C.  The Assyrians later invaded Egypt and forced the Kushites out.  The Kushites learned iron working from the Assyrians.  The Kushites were the first Africans to become iron workers. (pages 70–72)

The Rise of Kush (cont.) The Civilization of Kush Kush moved the ruling city south to the city of Meroë, farther away from the Assyrians.  Monroë became an important center of trade and iron working.  Kushite kings rebuilt Meroë to look like Egypt, with pyramids and temples. (pages 70–72)

The Rise of Kush (cont.) The Civilization of Kush Kush eventually declined in power, and the kingdom of Axum rose up.  Axum invaded Meroë and burned it to the ground. (pages 70–72)