1. EGYPT

2. BACKGROUND
Where: Next to Saudi Arabia. Nile River splits upper & lower Egypt
When: about 3100 B.C B.C.
Why: King Menes united upper & lower Egypt into a single kingdom and created first royal dynasty

3. Social Organization
Divided into Old Kingdom (2700 B.C B.C.), Middle Kingdom (2055 B.C B.C.) and New Kingdom (1570 B.C B.C.)
Organized like a pyramid: god-king on top, pharaohs w/ upper class nobles & priests, then merchants, artisans, scribes, followed by lower class pheasants
Divided into 42 provinces; governors appointed by the pharaoh

4. Social Organization Husbands were considered master of the house
Wives were still well respected; they kept their property & inheritance
Most careers were not available to women but some operated businesses; other jobs varied by class
Parents organized weddings for their kids, girls at age 12 & boys at age 14

5. Belief System Polytheistic; believed in multiple gods
They believed in sun & land gods
Egyptian ruler called “Son of Re” because rulers were like earthly form of Re, one of the sun gods
They did mummification- process of slowly drying a dead body to prevent rotting
Pyramids were tombs, they made them tall so the dead could touch the sun god

6. Achievements Pyramids- city to the dead
System of writing(3000 B.C.): hieroglyphics “sacred writings” were seen on temple walls & tombs
Hieratic script was used for everyday life
The Great Sphinx: guardian of sacred sites
Math(3500 B.C.): developed a number system

7. Achievements
They used area, volume, and geometry to survey flooded land
Developed 365 day calendar by basing their year on movements of the moon & the bright star Sirius
Tools: silver & copper tools, rope, paper, linen clothing, & wooden furniture

8. Decline Weakness of military
Ruler Amenhotep the third died & his son took over & tried to change their religion
People didn’t want to change & conflict arose & created more problems
The New Kingdom ended & for lots of years was dominated by Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, & Macedonians

9. Citations
History.com Editors. “Ancient Egypt.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 Oct. 2009,
Mark, Joshua J. “Ancient Egypt” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 02 Sep Web. 22 Aug 2019.
Spielvogal, J. “The Rise of Egypt”. World History and Geography. August 2019.
“The New Kingdom.” Ancient Egypt, ancientegypthistorykingdom.weebly.com/the-new-kingdom.html.