1. Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt and Kush
Sec. 1- Nile Valley
Sec. 2- Egypt’s Old Kingdom
Sec. 3- The Egyptian Empire
Sec. 4-The Civilization of the Kush

2. Introduction
About the same time as the early civilizations were in and about the fertile valley of Mesopotamia , another civilization was forming near the Nile River. This civilization was ancient Egypt.
Between 6000BC and 5000BC, hunters-gatherers moved into the Nile River valley. They settled, farmed and created villages along the river banks.

3. Key Words Cataract-narrow cliffs and boulders that form wild rapids
Delta- an area of fertile soil at the mouth of a river
Papyrus-a plant of the Nile Valley used to make a form of paper
Hieroglyphics-a system of writing made up of picture symbols developed by ancient Egyptians
Dynasty-line of rulers from the same family

4. Where did Egyptian civilization begin and why that location?
Egypt was warm and sunny but received little rainfall so people relied on the Nile River. The river provided:
Drinking water
Bathing
Farming
Cooking
Cleaning
Fish
Plants
Fed and watered animals
Nile was precious to the people- made a song, “Hail O Nile, who comes from the earth, who comes to give life to the people of Egypt.”

5. Settling the Nile-A Mighty River
World’s longest river
Flows north from the mountains in the heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
4000 miles long (a little longer that the distance across the US from Georgia to California)
Begins as two rivers-Blue Nile (mountains of east Africa) and White Nile (marshes in central Africa)
Two rivers meet and form the Nile just south of Egypt.
At the meeting point cataracts are formed and because of this large ships can only use the 650 miles of the river where it flows through Egypt.

6. A Sheltered Land-Nile River and Delta
What does the Nile look like- long stem of a flower
2 branches look like the blossom of the flower- called DELTA

7. Nile Surrounded by desert (west-Sahara)(east-Eastern Desert)
Ancient Egyptians called deserts “the Red Land” because of burning heat.
Desert could not support farming or human life but did KEEP OUTSIDE ARMIES AWAY
In the south -Nile’s dangerous cataracts did keep enemy boats from reaching Egypt
In the north-delta marshes offered no harbors for invaders from the sea.
Natural barriers-desert, cataracts, marshes

8. Nile
The natural barriers protected Egypt and they were able to grow and prosper
The Red Sea to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the north gave the Egyptians a way to trade with outsiders
Within Egypt the Nile was used for trade and transportation. Winds from the north pushed sailboats south and water flow brought them back north
Egyptians had frequent, friendly contact with one another

9. Nile-The River People Regular Flooding How Egyptians Use the Nile
Floods were consistent and gentle so the Egyptians were able to farm and live securely
How Egyptians Use the Nile
From July to Oct. the Nile would spill over leaving a dark, fertile silt. Because of this they called their land “Kemet”- the Black Land
The soil made for great farming-wheat, barley, flax

10. Nile
(Technology)
Used irrigation-dug basins to trap flood water, then canals to carry water from basins to fields-dikes to strengthen the basin walls
Shadoof-bucket attached to a pole used to lift water from the Nile to the basins(still used today)
Geometry to survey or measure land
Papyrus-a reed plant that grew along the river used to make baskets, sandals, rafts. Later they used it for paper
Cut and soaked strips, pounded flat, dries and joined together to make paper

12. What Were Hieroglyphics?
Complex Egyptian system of writing
Began with picture symbols later symbols stood for sounds
Combination of picture symbols that stood for objects or ideas and symbols for sounds(like our alphabet)-created Heiroglyphics
Some people could read and write but they still had scribes. Scribes wrote/carved onto stone and paper

17. The Rise of Government
Due to technology and growth in population, wealth and land ownership, Egypt needed government to direct.
Earliest rulers were village chiefs.
A few strong chiefs united groups of villages to form kingdoms-stronger overpowered weaker
Egypt became 2 large kingdoms
Nile delta was LOWER Egypt
South upriver was Upper Egypt

18. Govt. Continued
About 3100 BC, Narmer (king of Upper Egypt), led his armies and took over Lower Egypt. This made a united Egypt-one

19. Egypt’s Ruling Families
Narmer ruled from Memphis
Wore a double crown-helmet like, white-Upper Egypt, open red-Lower Egypt
First in a long dynasty of kings
Egypt had 31 dynasties lasting about 2,800 years. The dynasties are divided into 3 main (times periods)kingdoms
Old Kingdom-earliest
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom

20. Early Egyptian Life
Egyptian society was divided into social groups based on wealth and power.
King and family

22. Social classes
Upper class-nobles, priests, other wealthy government officials
Lived in cities and on large estates on the Nile
Elegant homes made of wood and mud brick
Large gardens, ponds, servants
Wore white linen and heavy makeup and jewelry
Middle class
Skilled Middle
Business people, tradesman, craftsman, artisans
Lived in smaller homes, dressed simply

23. Social classes Unskilled (Lower) Class
Farmers- largest group of Egyptians-rented land and paid with crops, lived in villages in one room huts with palm leaf roofs, ate simply-bread,beer, veg., fruit
Unskilled workers-did physical labor, lived in crowded city neighborhoods, small mud-brick homes with dirt floors, courtyard for animals, flat top roofs where families talked, played, slept. Women worked on rooftops drying fruit, making bread and weaving cloth

24. Family Life Father was head of family
Women had more rights than earlier civilizations
Own and pass on property
Buy and sell goods
Make wills
Obtain divorces
Upper class women were in charge of temples and could perform religious ceremonies

25. Family Only a few children went to school
Mothers taught daughters, sewing, cooking, running household
Boys learned farming, skilled trades from fathers
Children enjoyed recreation time
Board games, dolls, spinning tops, stuffed leather balls

26. Review
The deserts on either side of the Nile Valley, along with the Nile cataracts and delta marshes, protected Egypt from invaders
He Egyptians became successful farmers using the Nile River’s floods and irrigation
About 3100 BC, Narmer united Lower and Upper Egypt
Egypt’s society was divided into upper-class priests and nobles, middle-class artisans and merchants and lower-class workers and farmers

27. Quiz Where did Egyptian civilization begin?
Why is the Nile River important to Egyptian society?
Explain the development of a system of writing in Egypt.
Explain the structure of Egyptian society.
How did government arise in Egypt?