1. First Civilizations: Africa and Asia 3200 – 500 B.C.
Chapter 2
First Civilizations:
Africa and Asia
3200 – 500 B.C.

2. 2.1: Ancient Kingdoms of de Nile
The Nile
The Nile river flooded yearly, providing a 10 mile strip of fertile land on either side of its banks
The “Black Land” was used by farmers to grow flax and wheat
The rest of Egypt, the “Red Land,” was primarily desert and sparsely inhabited

3. North vs. South
Egypt was actually two regions at the time, north and south
Upper Egypt was closer to the mouth of the river, while Lower Egypt contained the delta and Mediterranean coast
King Menes (3100BC) united Upper and Lower Egypt and used the Nile for transportation and communication,

4. The Kingdoms of Egypt Egypt’s History is divided into three kingdoms:
Old Kingdom ( BC)
Middle Kingdom ( BC)
New Kingdom ( BC)

5. Old Kingdom
Old Egypt was ruled by pharaohs, who claimed divine inspiration and were worshipped as gods
The pharaoh kept a vizier, who supervised the government, collected taxes, regulated farming, and maintained the irrigation systems

6. The Pyramids
The pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom as temples to the gods and tombs for the dead
The Egyptians believed in an afterlife and embalmed the bodies (mummies) to preserve them
Workers hand-chiseled and hauled massive limestone blocks up earthen ramps to build the pyramids

7. The Pyramids at Giza

8. The Pyramids at Giza

9. The Middle Kingdom
Power struggles, crop failures, and the heavy cost of building pyramids signaled the end of the Old Kingdom
More than a century passed before Egypt would be united again under the pharaohs in the Middle Kingdom
The Middle Kingdom saw the creation of a large drainage project which allowed for more usable farm land

10. The Middle Kingdom
The Middle Kingdom was very turbulent with corruption and rebellion the norm
Egypt occupied gold-rich Nubia to the south
Egypt was conquered by the Hyksos for a century
The Hyksos used horse-drawn war chariots, which the Egyptians adopted
The Hyksos were run out of Egypt after a century of occupation

11. The New Kingdom
The New Kingdom saw the expansion of the Egyptian empire to the Euphrates River
This allowed for Egyptian culture to mix with those of Africa, Asia, and southern Europe

12. New Kingdom Rulers Hatshepsut Powerful female ruler
She encouraged trade with eastern Mediterranean islands and the Red Coast of Africa

13. New Kingdom Rulers Ramses II Extended Egyptian rule to Syria
Lead his soldiers to victory against the Hittites
Produced a document, the first known to exist, proclaiming peace between the two peoples

14. Egyptian Decline Following Ramses II, Egyptian power severely declined
New invaders such as the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans were eager to get their hands on the gold and fertile land of the Nile River Valley

15. Egypt and Nubia
Nubia, the kingdom to the south of Egypt, experienced a back and forth relationship
Nubians provided cattle, ivory, slaves, gold, and warriors to Egypt after their conquest
As Egypt declined, Nubia regained its independence and later took control of Egypt in 750 BC
The Nubians ruled Egypt as the pharaohs had once and treated the culture with great respect

16. Egypt and Nubia
The Nubians would later be driven out around 650 BC by the Assyrians, but would rule on for nearly 1000 years in their home lands

17. Ch2.2 Egyptian Civilization
Egyptian culture was based heavily on the gods and goddesses and the afterlife
The Tale of Osiris and Isis
God of the Underworld
Brother, Set
Ankh – symbol of life

18. Osiris

19. Egyptian Religion Each major phenomenon was ruled by a god
The principle god in the Egyptian religion was the sun-god, Amon-Re
The pharaoh was also considered a god and was the only one to hold ceremony with Amon-Re
Osiris and Isis were also very important
Osiris was also god of the Nile and controlled the annual flood
Isis served as a role for women

20. The Afterlife
The gods Osiris and Isis promised life after death for all Egyptians
Each soul had to pass a test to enter the after life
The dead soul would be ferried across a lake of fire to the temple of Osiris
Osiris would then weigh your heart against the feather of truth
Those found worthy would enter the Happy Field of Food, guilty would be surrendered to the Eater of the Dead

21. The Afterlife
The Egyptians used the Book of the Dead to guide them to a successful afterlife
The Book of the Dead contained spells, charms, and formulas to reach the afterlife
The Book of the Dead contains the Negative Confession:
“I have made no man suffer hunger. I have made no one to weep. I have done no murder… I have not encroached upon the fields of another. I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller… I have not turned back water when it should flow… I am pure. I am pure. I am pure.”

22. The Afterlife Mummification
Egyptians believed the afterlife would be much like life on earth and preserved the bodies of the dead for use in the afterlife
Bodies of the rich and powerful would be drained of blood, removed of their organs, stuffed with spices and preservatives, and carefully dried and wrapped in linen
The process was very costly and time consuming

23. Mummification

24. The Afterlife
Many pharaohs were buried in the pyramids at Giza, but others were buried in the Valley of the Kings
One such pharaoh included Tutankhamen, or King Tut
Tut died at the age of 18 and was a minor king
The tombs of many of the pharaohs were raided by looters because of their vast treasures of gold

25. The Afterlife

26. Egyptian Society
Early Egyptian society followed the usual class system described earlier
In the off-season, farmers helped build pyramids, temples, and serve the pharaoh
During the New Kingdom, trade and warfare increased, which allowed for increased social mobility

27. Egyptian Women
Egyptian women enjoyed more rights and freedoms than women elsewhere in the ancient world
Women could own property, enter business deals, buy and sell goods, go to court, and get a divorce
Women could also make textiles, perfumes, serve as priests to the goddesses, and doctors

28. Egyptian Woman

29. Egyptian Learning
Scribes were used to record everything from pharaoh’s orders, to ceremonies, taxes, gifts, to how to do math, medicine, and engineering
Scribes were one of the few professions that could easily elevate a peasant to a wealthy learned man
Hieroglyphics, an elaborate system of writing, was developed
Earliest forms were carved into the stone walls of temples and pyramids

30. Hieroglyphics
Scribes went from early ideograms to demotic, a simpler form of writing for everyday use
Scribes also invented a paper-like substance called papyrus, made from reeds that grew along the Nile
Major writings were still done on stone because it was more durable

31. Rosetta Stone
After the fall of the Egyptian civilization, the meanings of the hieroglyphics was lost
Not until the 1800’s, when Jean Champollion discovered the Rosetta Stone, could Egyptian writing be deciphered
The Rosetta Stone contained the same message written in hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek
This allowed scholars to translate ancient Egyptian writing for the first time

32. Rosetta Stone

33. Medicine and Science Believed in magic
Learned a great deal about the human body through mummification
Used herbal medicines and performed complex surgeries
Created the basis for our modern calendar with 12 months of 30 days
Used geometry and engineering to build temples and pyramids

34. Arts and Literature

35. Arts and Literature

36. Ch2.3 City-States of Ancient Sumer
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