Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs

1. What led to the creation of kingdoms in the Nile Valley? Kingdoms were created in the Nile Valley because the region was able to support permanent settlements. The people used water from the Nile and the fertile soils to cultivate the land. Since they no longer lived a nomadic lifestyle, they built permanent communities and economics. This led to the establishment of political states that became great civilizations.

2. Ancient settlers in the Nile Valley kept records of when the Nile flooded its banks. Why do you think it was important to know this? It was important to know when the Nile flooded its banks because this told farmers when to plant crops so they could reasonably predict harvest time.

3a. How did Egyptian writing become more complex overtime? Egyptian writing became more complex as they advanced from pictograms to ideograms. Pictograms depicted objects but ideograms were more sophisticated because they symbolized ideas and actions. Egyptians later added pictures in sequence that symbolized the sounds of words.

3b. How did writing contribute to the development of Egyptian civilization? As writing became more complex, it contributed to the development of Egyptian civilization because it created great opportunities to communicate, record information, and exchange ideas.

Kush: Lost Kingdom of the Nile

1. What can scientists and archaeologists learn from studying the remains of ancient Kush? Scientists and archeologists can learn about the culture and civilization of the Kush Empire and what factors made it a great civilization. They can uncover information about religion, politics, trade, archaeology, and technology that will help them understand why this ancient civilization flourished.

2. What was the economic importance of Kush? The economic importance of Kush was its trade resources. Iron ore was one of Kush’s most important resources. The abundant supply of iron ore made Kush the iron centre of ancient Africa. Its strategic location near the Red and Mediterranean seas allowed trade to flourish and generated great wealth for the rulers of Kush.

3. How did the exploitation of the environment contribute to the fall of the Kingdom of Kush? To meet the demand for iron, the Kushites cut down trees to burn as fuel in iron production. But they cut down the trees at such a rapid rate that the forests were unable to replenish themselves. This led to deforestation, which ultimately led to soil erosion. The Kushites could no longer earn a living from farming. AS a result, Kush gradually disappeared.

Axum: Kingdom at the Crossroads

1. What resources contributed to the wealth of Axum? Ivory, rhinoceros horns, hippopotamus hides, gold dust, frankincense, spices, elephants, and enslaved peoples contributed to the wealth of Axum.