2400 BCE800 BCE 2300 BC pharaohs lost control

2400 BCE-800 BCE

*2300 BC – pharaohs lost control of Egypt as nobles battled each other for power; led to 200 years of confusion *New dynasty came to power and led from Thebes (south of Memphis) * Order restored during new time called Middle Kingdom – golden age of stability, prosperity and achievement *

*Soldiers captured Nubia and attacked modern day Syria *Conquered people sent tribute to Egyptian pharaoh *Pharaohs added more waterways and dams *Increased amount of land farmed and built canal btw Nile and Red Sea *The Drive for More Land

*Painters covered walls of tombs and temples with colorful scenes of deities and daily life *Sculptors created large wall carvings and statues of pharaohs showing them as ordinary people, not godlike figures *Poets wrote love songs and tributes to pharaohs *New form of architecture – tombs cut into cliffs west of Nile River – the Valley of the Kings *

* Hyksos – people from western Asia who attacked Egypt. Mighty warriors; crossed desert in horsedrawn chariots and used weapons made of bronze and iron. * Egyptians were no match for them, they ruled Egypt for 120 years * Egyptian prince Ahmose led an uprising that drove Hyksos our of Egypt

*Ahmose’s reign began the New Kingdom when Egypt reached the height of its ancient glory. *

* Queen Hatshepsut ruled with her husband, then nephew and then made herself pharaoh – one of few woman to rule Egypt * She focused on trade along east coast of Africa – exchanged beads, metal, tools and weapons for gold, ivory, ebony and incense * Great need for wood; few trees in the Nile so Egyptian traders went to eastern Mediterranean where the Phoenicians were famous for their wooden furniture * Trading brought great wealth to Egypt – Hatshepsut used some of wealth to build monuments. One of greatest projects was huge temple and tomb in Valley of Kings *

* Thutmose III (Hatshepsut’s nephew) became pharaoh * Armies expanded Egypt’s borders north to Euphrates River in Mesopotamia and moved south to regain control of Nubia * Empire grew rich from trade and tribute; Egypt claimed gold, copper, ivory and other valuables * Enslaved many prisoners of war who rebuilt Thebes, filling the city with beautiful palaces, temples and monuments, * Slavery became common; they did have rights to own land, marry and eventually be granted freedom

* Amanhotep IV came to throne in 1370 BC; tried to lead Egypt in new direction with help of wife, Nefertiti * Amanhotep realized priests were gaining power at expense of pharaoh * Introduced new religion in which only one god, Aton, was to be * * worshiped As priests resisted change, he removed many from their positions, seized their lands, closed temples Changed his name to Akhenaton, “Spirit of Aton” and ruled from a new city * The people refused to accept Aton as only god. * He became so devoted to religion that he neglected duties as pharaoh- Egypt lost most of its land in western Asia *

*Tutankhamen (“King Tut” took over the throne when his father- in- law (Akhenaton)- died at 19 *was only ten years old and relied on help from palace officials and priest who convinced him to restore old religion *

* British archaeologist, Howard Carter, found his tomb in AD 1922 which contained the king’s mummy and treasures including gold mask. This is unique as most royal tombs were looted *Ramses II was one of most effective pharaohs * Reigned for 66 years * Egyptian armies regained lands and Ramses launched ambitious building program (new temples) *

*Most magnificent was Karnak at Thebes *Temples did not hold services, most Egyptians prayed at home *Temples were houses for the gods and goddesses *Priests and priestesses performed daily temple rituals * Washing statues of deities and bringing them food *Temples served as banks – used to store valuable items *

* Power began to decline after Ramses II * Groups from eastern Mediterranean attacked Egypt by sea, using strong iron weapons * Egyptians had similar arms, but had to pay a lot for it because they did not have iron ore * 1150 BC – Egyptians only controlled the Nile delta * Came under rule of one outside group after another * Conquered by Libyans * Then conquered by Kush * Then taken over by Assyrians *