 Nile River – 4,100 miles flowing S to N  Yearly floods (July /October ) Predictable Silt – fertile black mud  Desert all around How does this help the Egyptians? How does it hurt them?  Cataracts = rapids How would these make life more difficult?  Nile split into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

 Old Kingdom – BCE Capital at Memphis United Upper and Lower Egypt Ruled as pharaohs  God-Kings  Religious head too  Called the sun to rise, Nile to flood, and crops to rise Government called a theocracy  Rule based on religious authority  State and Religion

 Polytheistic – believed in over 2,000 gods  Pharaohs had ka, an eternal life force, that helped rule Egypt after their death Needed tombs, pyramids, to maintain control  Afterlife! Would be judged on their deeds What does this sound like? How much does your heart weigh??

DEVOURER OF SOULS - AMMIT

 Pyramids! Royal tombs  Great Pyramid of Giza Limestone blocks weighing 2.5 tons Some weighed 15 tons 2 million blocks stacked to 481 feet Covered 13 acres  How would they move the blocks?  Who built these massive structures?  What is a down side to these tombs?

 Middle Kingdom – BCE Built canal from Nile to Red Sea  Improved trade and transportation  Are there any negative effects? Defeated by the Hysoks who ruled Egypt

 Hieroglyphics Flexible writing system “sacred carvings” Picture stands for an idea Wrote on papyrus  Reeds from the Nile  The ability to read Hieroglyphics was lost until what “stone” was found?

 Calendar Keep track of flooding Calculated 365 day years  12 months of 30 days  5 days for holidays Only off our solar year by 6 hours

Pharaoh and Royal Family Upper Class – Landowners. Priests, Government Officials, Army Commanders Middle Class – Merchants and Artisans Peasant Farmers and Laborers Could move up and down based on success and marriage

 New Kingdom – BCE Golden Age  Conquered territory with bronze weapons and chariots (what was this the equivalent of?) Hatshepsut – Female pharaoh promoted trade, not just war  Increased wealth and prosperity  Erased from history Built massive temples and pyramids  Any downside to all this building?