Ancient Egypt Geography Describe Advantages Disadvantages Impact on

Ancient Egypt

Geography Describe: Advantages? Disadvantages? Impact on culture, security?

Unification of Egypt (Proto-Dynastic Period: 3100 - 2700 Menes ( or Narmer) Upper and Lower Egypt c. 3100 (Memphis) Centralized state. Divine kingship Associated with Horus (hawk - sky god) Power of pharaohs greatest here and in Old Kingdom

Old Kingdom 2660 - 2160 Pyramids of Giza (Gizeh) 500 ft. high / barges, sledges / laborers / architects. . . WHY? Absolutism Ma’at: justice, royal fiat. Justice system: “A good beating. . . to find the truth” (71) No lawyers – represent yourself – No codified laws – Presumed guilty

Pharoah Defend frontiers, reward friends, punish enemies, maintain unity of two kingdoms, “Great is a king who has great counselors” “No one should act contrary to justice” He is “master of time” who has “signed a lease with eternity” through building a pyramid Marries sister in Old Kingdom (or foreign princesses) People revere Pharaoh. On their behalf, Pharaoh honors gods

Social System King: biggest landowner, lands in every nome Priesthood: untaxed land from pharoah, Scribes: useful / powerful Remaining land in private hands Peasants = serfs (surplus production: taxes & dues of 1/5 crop)

Old Kingdom, cont. “Provider state”: large irrigation & building projects Trade with Nubia for gold, ivory, ebony Nubian mercenaries (2300)Egyptian Harkhuf explores Nubia

Rosetta Stone Top: hieroglyphics Middle: hieratic translation Bottom: Greek translation Why is this cool?

Religion (left) Isis and Osiris myth Pilgrimage to Temple at Abydos: mourners for Osiris process to tomb stopped by enemies of Horus – fight – win – god restored to life - boats go to Luxor – crowds follow. During flood season

Middle Kingdom 2000 - 1640 Thebes Nobles more powerful Administration open to any scribe Pharaoh: responsible for good government and justice. Value helping the unfortunate, being honest.

Second Intermediary Period 1786 1575 Internal Disintegration Semitic Hyksos invade, control north / Nubians control south Bronze swords, horsedrawn war chariots - Avaris Worship of Seth Ahmose(1575 -50)defeats and drives them into the Levant. Founds 18 th Dynasty – New Kingdom

New Kingdom (Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Deir al-Bahri)

Hatshepsut, Daughter of Re, Lady of the Two Lands 1473 -58 Widow of Thutmose II, rules as pharoah, not regent for son. Inherits empire. Son controls army. Keep army busy: trade mission to Punt for incense, etc. “Opens” Egypt – justifies reign – builds obelisks and temples Thutmose III wipes out her name and image

Extent and Expansion of Empire South to 4 th cataract– controlled Nubia and its gold mines. Stepson Thutmose III – control of Palestine, Syria – Battle of Megiddo 1456 Princes of Levant as hostages. Amunhotep III – controls empire as sphere of influence with puppet kings, lure of gold, diplomacy. Vice-roy for Nubia

Akhenaten: 1367 -50 Nefertiti Monotheism –Aten in place of Amon. Why? His advisers are soldiers, “new men” foreigners, not priests. Capital at Akhetaten. Naturalistic art of Armarna age Religious persecution of Amun-worshippers Abandons empire

credits Slide 1: Thutmosis III (image from wysinger. homestead. com) Slide 2: from someone's website, but to me this is definitely a British map, perhaps from before the 1950 s. Lovely detail of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent Slide 3: Narmer Palette (image from www. arthistory. sbc. edu) Pyramids Slide 6: www. shunya. net (Egyptian scribes) Slide 5: Nubian jar with cobras (and giraffes? ) from university of Michigan Rosetta Stone Isis and Osiris Hyksos Invaders (from Egypt Ancienne)