Ancient Egyptians OBJECTIVE Analyze the cultural achievements of

Ancient Egyptians OBJECTIVE: Analyze the cultural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

Environment • Nile River – flows north – longest in world – flooding provides silt • predictable – farming • wheat • barley – irrigation – travel & trade

Environment • Nile River – worshipped by Egyptians as god who gave them life • East – land of living – sunrise – cities, temples • West – land of dead – sunset – tombs

Environment • Deserts – lack of rain – Arabian • east of Nile – Libyan • west of Nile – both are part of Sahara – Villages & cities built along Nile River • first farming villages about 5000 BCE

Quick Write • What are some geographical similarities between Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Egypt Unites Pschent • Menes (Narmer) – King who united Upper & Lower Egypt into one kingdom – Double crown around 3000 BCE – Capital at Memphis Deshret of Lower Egypt Hedjet of Upper Egypt

Ptolemy VI

Pharaohs: God Kings • Theocracy – government in which rule is based on religious authority • Pharaohs – fully responsible for kingdom • • religion military run government promote justice & truth – believed to make sun rise

Pharaohs: God Kings • Ka – eternal life force of king – continued after death – needs & pleasures must continue to be met

Pharaohs: God Kings • Pyramids – final resting place – represent economic strength, technology & leadership of Egyptian civilization

Religion • Polytheistic – more than 2000 gods & goddesses – believed in afterlife • Anubis – weighed each dead person’s heart • all classes prepared for burials • upper classes had great tombs – filled with clothes, gems, tools, art

Ancient Egyptians Part II OBJECTIVE: Analyze the cultural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

Pyramids • built by peasants • Giza – completed about 2556 BCE

Pyramid of Khufu • an almost perfect square (deviation. 05%) • Orientation is exactly North, South, East, West • 2, 300, 000 blocks, almost 500 ft high • 20 years to build • Average block weighs 2. 5 tons – Some weigh 9 tons!

Social Classes 1. king, queen, family 2. wealthy landowners, gov’t officials, priests, army commanders 3. artisans & merchants 4. peasant farmers & laborers – largest 5. slaves from war

Writing • Hieroglyphics – “sacred carving” – started with pictures – grew to resemble an alphabet – first on stone & clay • later papyrus

Writing • The Rosetta Stone – discovered by Napoleon’s troops • 1799

Calendar • Features: – – – 365 days 12 months 30 days each 5 holidays tracked: • flooding • planting • harvesting

Artwork

Art

History • Old Kingdom – 2660 -2160 BCE – ends with decline of pharaohs influence • civil wars

History • Middle Kingdom – 2060 -1750 BCE – strong pharaohs • restored order – improved irrigation, trade, transportation with canal from Nile to Red Sea – Hyksos invade • from Palestine • rule from 1630 -1523 BCE

History • New Kingdom – 1550 -1070 BCE – Ahmose I expelled the invading Hyksos and reunited Egypt – Known as the Empire period

History • New Kingdom – Militaristic & imperialistic nature – incorporated chariot, bronze, horses – development of a professional army – became a slave based economy fueled by war and expansion

History • Ramses II – 1279 -1213 BCE – greatest New Kingdom ruler – military leader of Egypt – expanded into southern Turkey – built many monuments to himself – last gasp of Egyptian power