Notes 2 Chapter 5

The Nile River Valley Two civilizations developed along the Nile River. Egypt developed along the northern part of the Nile River valley. Kush developed along the far southern part of the Nile River valley.

Valley Civilization In 5000 B.C., hunters and gathers from the drier areas of Africa and Southwest Asia began to move into the Nile River Valley. These people were the earliest Egyptians and Kushites. The earliest Egyptians lived in the northern region of the Nile valley. They called their land Kemet which means “black land”.

The Gift of the River Ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile for drinking water and bathing. The river also supplied water from crops. The Egyptians referred the Nile as “the creator of all good”. The Nile is the longest river in the world flowing at 4,000

A Protected Land The Nile borders the largest deserts in the world. West- Libyan Desert East- Eastern Desert Egyptians referred to these deserts as the “Red Land”. In addition to the deserts, other physical features protected Egypt from outsiders. Such as delta marshes in the north, and cataracts to the south. These physical features helped Egypt develop peacefully.

Predictable Floods Flooding along the Nile was common for both Egypt and Mesopotamia. Around the middle of summer, the Nile overflowed its banks and flooded the land. Egyptians were ready to handle these floods and take advantage of this cycle.

How Did Egyptians Farm? Farmers planted wheat, barley, and flax seeds. During dry seasons, Egyptian farmers irrigated their crops. Egyptian farmers developed new tools to make their work easier, such as shadoofs. When floods washed away boundary markers that divided one field from another, farmers used geometry to recalculate where one field began and another ended. Later, they used papyrus to make paper.

How Did the Egyptians Write Egyptians created symbols that represented sounds, just as the letters of our alphabet do. A combination of sound symbols and pictures would create a complex system of writing called hieroglyphics. Few Egyptians knew how to read and write hieroglyphics, however men attended schools to prepare for careers as scribes in government.

Forming Kingdoms The need for organized government became increasingly important as farming and trade increased. A government was necessary to oversee the construction and repair of irrigation ditches and dams. By 4000 B. C., Egypt was made up of two large kingdoms, Upper and Lower Egypt. Narmer was a king of Upper Egypt. About 3100 B. C., Narmer conquered Lower Egypt and married one of Lower Egypt's princesses, which unified the kingdoms. For the first time, all of Egypt was ruled by one king.