Ancient Egypt

1
Ancient Egypt

• The Gift of the Nile
• Walk like an Egyptian

2
Geography

• Egypt
• Nile River (Northern)
• Kush
• Nile River (Southern)
• Canaan
• NE of Egypt, near Mediterranean and along Jordan
  River
• Map of ancient Egypt and Kush
• Map of Cannan
• Environmental factors - water, topography,
  vegetation.

3
Environmental factors of Egypt and Kush

• Nile had seasonal floods in the summer
• Left behind a thin layer of fertilization
• Abundant wildlife, vegetation, papyrus (paper)
• Surrounded by deserts (Libyan, Arabian, Nubian).
  Natural barrier.
• Mediterranean - salty, but rich in fish and a
  good for transportation
• Red Sea - very salty

4
Environmental factors of Canaan

• Varied - plains, hills, valleys, mountains
• Mediterranean- fertile land, traders
• Lebanon Mountains - difficult to settle
• Sea of Galilee - fresh water, fertile land
• Dead Sea - VERY salty, nothing grows
• Jordan River - did not flood regularly, still
  people hunted, fished and farmed
• Farmers lived in coastal plains and near Jordan
  River.
• Herders (sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels),
  especially in hills.

5
Vocabulary

• Topography - shape of the land
• Vegetation - plant life, including farming
• Delta - sediment deposited at the mouth of the
  river (Nile)
• Fertilization - adding nutrients (plant food) to
  soil
• Papyrus - tough water plant used to make rope and
  paper
• Nomad - person who moves from place to place with
  no permanent home

6
Egypts kingdoms

• Old Kingdom, 2650 to 2134BCE
• Strong central government, great pyramids, Age
  of the Pyramids
• The Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
• The Great Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza
• Middle Kingdom, 2030 to 1640BCE
• Achievements in literature, art, architecture,
  Period of Reunification
• Statuette Model
• New Kingdom, 1570 to 1070BCE
• Peace, stability, increased trade, gigantic
  monuments, Egypts Golden Age
• Temple at Abu Simbel

7
Pharaohs

• Religious, military and political leader of
  ancient Egypt
• Religion very important to ancient Egyptians
• Pharaohs believed to be gods
• Owned all the land
• Afterlife that would never end
• Built tombs (pyramids) and other monuments
• Only Pharaoh allowed to wear certain clothes

8
Pharaoh Khufu

• 2551 to 2528 BCE (The Pyramid Builder)
• Cruel/harsh? Powerful/kind?
• Established pharaoh as the central ruler
• Strict control over all aspects of food supply
• Controlled government officials to carry out laws
• Declared himself as a god
• Great Pyramid at Giza - one of the Seven wonders
  of the ancient world
• 20 years to complete, thousands of workers, over
  2 million stone blocks. Complex

9
Pharaoh Senusret I

• 1971 to 1926 BCE (Patron of the Arts)
• Stable, unified Egypt. Art, literature,
  architecture flourished
• Controlled mines with gold, copper, gems -
  jewelry (turquoise, amethyst)
• The Story of Sinuhe
• Many religious temples, White Chapel
• White Chapel torn apart by other pharaohs

10
Pharaoh Hatshepsut

• 1473 to 1458 BCE (Promoter of Trade)
• First female pharaoh
• Art, architecture, trade flourished
• At first shared power with male relatives
• Wore mens clothing, beard
• Trade to African kingdom of Punt to obtain myrrh
  (embalming oil)
• Great temple at Dayr al-Bahri
• Built into cliff above Nile, 200 sphinx statues,
  detailed carvings of voyage to Punt, obelisks

11
Pharaoh Ramses II

• 1290 to 1224 BCE (Military Leader and Master
  Builder)
• One of the longest reigns (over 60 years)
• Over 100 wives, over 100 children
• Built hundreds of statues of himself, more then
  any other pharaoh
• Fearless soldier, captain at 10
• Famous battles with Hittites (Turkey), worlds
  first peace treaty
• Temple complex at Abu Simbel
• Most famous wife, Nefertari

12
Life in Ancient Egypt

• Life in the New Kingdom (1600 to 1100 BCE)
• Opet Festival
• Social Classes
• Gods
• Amon-Re King of gods combined with sun god
• Horus Protector of the pharaoh

13
Social Pyramid

• Pharaoh
• Government Officials
• Priests
• Soldiers
• Scribes
• Artisans (craftspeople)
• Peasants (farmers, temple builders)
• Slaves

14
Life in Social Classes

• Very rigid - difficult to move up
• Family important
• Men head of household, job
• Women managed home, raised kids
• Women could own land, businesses, jobs

15
Government Officials

• Assist pharaoh, advise
• Mostly family members, upper class
• Vizier. Very powerful. Advised pharaoh.
  Supervised other officials. Judge.
• Treasurer. Managed money. Collect taxes.
• Military General.
• Fine homes, lots of socializing, lavish parties,
  food, music and dancing

16
Priests

• Pharaoh considered highest ranking priest
• Religious ceremonies, healings, oversee temples
  (take care of a god), burial process
• Women could be priests
• Gods lived in statues in sanctuaries
• Only purified priests (diet, baths, shaving,
  special clothes)
• Oversaw embalming

17
Religious Beliefs

• Afterlife. A life that continued after death
• Gods. Hundreds. Controlled all aspects of life.
• Horus
• Anibus
• Amon-Re
• The Book of the Dead. Hymns, prayers, magic
  spells
• Weighing of the heart. Against the feather of
  truth.
• Mummfication..

18
Mummification

• Needed bodies in afterlife
• Embalming - process of mummification
• Remove body organs (brain, lungs, liver) and
  packed in canopic jars
• Body, organs dried in natron (salt)
• After 70 days wash and oil body
• Wrap body in linen. Decorate linen. Sometimes a
  death mask.
• Final step - spread resin over body
• Placed in a wooden box, then a sarcophagus - a
  large stone coffin.
• Needed items were included - food, furniture,
  pets
• Even poor would do simple embalming.

19
Scribes

• Similar to scribes in Mesopotamia
• Only men. Boys sent to school. Started at age 5,
  took 12 years.
• Hieroglyphs - writing system based on symbols.
  1000s of symbols
• Wrote on papyrus, wood, stone.
• Record keeping. Census - count of the population.
  Taxes. Food supply. Soldiers.
• Pens - reeds. Red/Black ink
• Rosetta Stone. Translation (Greek, hieroglyphs,
  cursive Egyptian).

20
Artisans

• Carpenters, jewelers, leatherworkers,
  metalworkers, painters, potters, sculpters,
  weavers.
• Mostly men
• Stone carvers were highly skilled. Tombs,
  pyramids, statues.
• Difficult job. Days off rare. Were not respected
  by upper class.

21
Peasants

• Mostly farmers, worked on monuments, drafted in
  the army when needed.
• Farming revolved around the seasons of the Nile
• Flood season June-Sept. Worked on projects
• Planting season Oct- Feb. Sowed fields by hand.
  Wheat and barley mostly (bread / beer). Used cows
  to pull plow. Hand planting.
• Harvest season March. Sickles to cut crops.
• Simple life/houses. Slept on mats.
• Had to pay taxes, even in time of famine.
• Very difficult, hard work.

22
Kush

• Nubia - area around Sudan (from a word that means
  gold - nub)
• Like Egypt relied on Nile
• Important from 2000 to 350 BCE
• Kushites
• Friendly and war relationship with Egypt

23
Kush in the New Kingdom

• Famous for its gold mines
• Big trading hub
• Famous trading with Hatshepsut
• Traded gold, ivory, leather, timber, slaves
• Egypt ruled Kush from 1600-1100 BCE
• Kush had to pay tribute (taxes) to Egypt
• Kush became Egyptianized - language, gods
• Famous archers fought for Egypt
• When Egypt collapsed, its rule ended

24
Kush Conquers Egypt

• In 730 BCE, Kush conquered Egypt
• Kushs powerful King Piye declared himself
  pharaoh
• His family ruled for 100 years. Called the black
  pharaohs
• Added to Egypt. Built temples in both lands
• Temple at Jebel Barkal - modeled after Ramses
  Abu Simbel
• In 671 the Assyrians invaded Egypt and drove out
  the Kushites.

25
Meroe

• Capital of Kush
• In 590 BCE, Egypt destroyed Napata (current
  capital), so they made Meroe
• 300 miles further south
• Major trading center - India, Rome, China
• Famous for Iron.
• Learned its importance from Assyrians
• Thrived for over 1000 years

26
African Roots

• After Kush split from Egypt, did not imitate
  Egypts styles
• African lion-god
• Native language called Meroitic
• Art flourished - pottery, cloth, gold, silver
• Kandakes - queen mothers. Powerful leaders
• Queen Amanirenas - defended against the Romans in
  24 BCE
• Rome signed a peace treaty with Kush
• In 350 BC, Kush finally fell to invaders from
  Ethiopia