Ancient Egypt Ancient Civilizations Egypt Geography Environment On

Ancient Egypt Ancient Civilizations: Egypt

Geography & Environment

§ On which continent is Egypt located? The Geography§ Africa; in the northeastern region

§ The Geography On which river did the ancient Egyptians settle? § Nile River § WHY? ?

§ The Geography § The Nile provided a small strip of fertile land in the middle of a desert Annual flood; The “Gift of the Nile”

Gifts of the Nile -Boats · Sandals · Paper · Baskets Papyrus Drinking Water · Bathe/Swim · Entertainment (Swimming, boating, and fishing) · Water crops · Made soil good for growing crops · Make bricks for building Mud Silt Travel · Trade · War · Transportation of stones for pyramids Calendar Food -Hunting in the marshes (Birds, Reptiles, Crocodiles, and Hippos) - Fish (catfish and perch) · Accurate (Nile flooded around July 1519 th) · 365 days divided into 12 months of 30 days each · 5 extra days fell at the end of the year

Religion & Government

Egyptian Religion § Polytheism: § The worship of many gods § Worshipped 2000+ gods and goddesses

Egyptian Religion § Primary Egyptian Gods: § Re – the Sun god § Osiris – the god of the Dead § Isis – the goddess of women § Anubis – god of the underworld

Egyptian Government § Villages of Egypt ruled by 2 kingdoms; King Narmer unites them around 3000 BC § Government is a theocracy – gov’t based on religious authority

Egyptian Government § Egyptians believed that their kings, called pharaohs, WERE gods § Pharaohs were VERY POWERFUL! § Ruled religion, government & military

What is Ka? Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs possessed an eternal life force, also known as ka

§Ka allowed What is Ka? pharaohs to rule for all of eternity; therefore, their tombs were even more important than their palaces on earth

Pyramids § Pyramids: § Tombs for the Pharaohs § Built out of limestone, granite & stone

The Great Pyramid at Giza

AKA “CHEOPS” § The only surviving wonder of the ancient world, Egypt's pyramid of Cheops takes up 13 acres of land, and overlooks the neighboring pyramids belonging to this pharaoh's son and grandson. Experts speculate it took one hundred thousand laborers roughly 20 years to build the pyramid of Cheops alone

Northern Entrance

The Sphinx

Culture

Weighing of the Heart § Strong belief in the afterlife § Believed that the final judgment occurred at death § Does your heart weigh more than a feather?

Weighing of the Heart • If the soul “passed” test for purity, it would live forever in the beautiful other world

Mummification § Reserved for royals & elites § What is mummification? § A technique that involved embalming & drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying

Mummification § “First, they draw out the brains through the nostrils with an iron hook…Then with a sharp stone they make an incision in the side, and take out all the bowels…Then, having filled the belly with pure myrrh, cassia, and other perfumes, they sew it up again; and when they have done this they steep it in natron (mineral salt), leaving it under for 70 days…At the end of 70 days, they wash the corpse, and wrap the whole body in bandages of waxen cloth. ” Herodotus

Mummification § Coffins were filled with items that could be used in the afterlife such as clothing, food, cosmetics & jewelry

§ Book of hymns, Book of the Dead prayers & magic spells that were intended to guide the soul in the afterlife § Placed in the coffin

Mummification

Society

Royal Family Upper Class: Priests, Army, Gov’t Middle Class: Merchants and Artisans Lower Class: Peasant Farmers and Laborers Slaves (in later periods)

Great to be an Egyptian? § A social hierarchy did exist in Egypt; however, one was not locked into his or her social class § Possible to change status via marriage, personal success, etc. § Women had many of the same rights as men

Knowledge

Egyptian Writing § Hieroglyphic writing system § Pictures represent ideas as well as sounds § Paper-like sheets made from papyrus reeds used for writing

Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics decoded after discovery of Rosetta Stone

Egyptian Science & Technology § Invented calendar of 365 days & 12 months § Develop system of written numbers & a form of geometry § Skilled engineers & architects construct palaces, pyramids § Egyptian medicine famous in ancient world