Ch 3 Early African Societies Egypt Nubia The

Ch. 3 Early African Societies (Egypt, Nubia, & The Bantu) 3, 100 – 900 BCE

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Nile Delta Annual Nile Flooding 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

Emergence of Agriculture § The Sahara desert was once fertile grassland. § Climate change leads people to flee to the Nile. § Nile =Longest river with a huge flood plain. Predictable yearly floods create rich soil. § Egypt and Nubia are called the “Gifts of the Nile”

Weird Fact § Upper Nile is south / Lower Nile is north

Early Egypt § First villages ~4, 000 BCE § Develops like Mesopotamia § Ag. surplus § Centralization § Specialization of labor § Trade § 1 st government focuses on community projects over defense (due to geography)

Discussion § How did geography impact the development of early civilizations?

Early Government § Pharaohs were divine absolute rulers § Gods on Earth. Owned all land in the kingdom.

Old Kingdom (3, 100 -2, 100 BCE) § Pharaoh Menes unifies Egypt § Time of incredibly powerful Pharaoh's. Built the pyramids as symbols of divine authority § Trade with Nubians to the south § Egypt wanted gold, ivory, precious stones, furs, etc. § Nubians want trade routes and independence.

Middle Kingdom (2, 040 -1, 640 BCE) § Ag. Surplus grows making towns and wealthy people more independent of pharaoh. § Less Centralization § The nomadic Hyksos come from Mesopotamia and take control of Egypt using horses and chariots.

New Kingdom (1, 550 -1, 070 BCE) § § § Adopt new weapons & kick out Hykos. Country and pop. grow. Bureaucracy is created to help the Pharaoh rule. § Military dept § Agriculture dept § Tax dept § Etc… § Expand borders to create a buffer zone.

Egyptian Society § § Accumulation of wealth = classes Peasants & slaves do most work Pharaoh is ultimate ruler Unlike mesop. No noble families. Upper class comes from military and bureaucracy. § Egypt offers social mobility to talented and educated.

Patriarchy § Men rule the home and the government. § Some women have power as queen if their son is too young to rule. § Hatshepsut popular queen § Some pharaohs share power with wives § In Nubia women became powerful priestesses

Discussion § Does the reign of Queen Hatshepsut demonstrate Egyptian patriarchy?

Egyptian Culture § Hieroglyphics were symbolic and pictographic forms of writing. § Education = good jobs.

Egyptian Culture § Life is like the crop cycle. Life, death, rebirth. § Mummification was common for upper classes to preserve the body for their return. § Pharaohs were often buried with murdered attendants. § Experimented with many different gods, occasionally monotheistic.

Legend of Osiris

Discussion § The Egyptians and Mesopotamians had very different notions of death how do their stories (Epic of Gligamesh & the story of Osiris) illustrate this difference?

The Bantu § Bantu is a language group from Sub-Saharan Africa. § The develop independently from Egypt and Mesop. § Developed agriculture by growing yams and palm oil.

Bantu Migration § The Bantu’s surpluses allow pop. growth. Land shortages lead to exploration. § 2 advantages § Canoes allow fast travel § Agricultural surpluses allow pop. To overwhelm locals § The development of iron weapons allow them to clear land defeat rivals

§ § § Venn diagram Mini report on key developments Thesis practice Put together osiris Primarry doc § https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NBG Vcn. FAmrg