Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt The Nile River Valley

Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt

The Nile River Valley Geography A. The earliest Egyptians moved into the Nile River valley from less fertile areas. They farmed and built villages along the riverbanks. B. The Nile River is the longest river in the world, about 4, 000 miles long. C. Egyptians used the Nile River for many things. They used river water to drink, clean, farm, and cook. They ate fish from the river.

Nile Delta • D. The Nile Valley is a narrow, green valley in Egypt. The northern end of the valley is a fertile area of land called a delta.

Geography Continued E. The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, lies west of the Nile Valley. The Eastern Desert lies to the east of the valley. F. Egypt has several natural borders to protect it. The deserts, the dangerous rapids of the Nile, and marshes in the delta kept enemies from entering Egypt. G. The Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east allowed trade with other peoples. Within Egypt, people traveled on the Nile to trade with each other.

The River People (pages 41– 42) • • A. Floods along the Nile were predictable and were not devastating. Each spring the Nile would flood and leave a dark, fertile mud along its banks. B. Farmers learned about the waters of the Nile. They used the soil left behind by the floods to grow wheat, barley, and flax seeds. C. Farmers learned about irrigation. They dug basins to trap floodwaters, dug canals to channel water to the fields, and built dikes to strengthen the basin walls. D. Papyrus, a reed plant that grew along the Nile, was used to make baskets, sandals, and river rafts. Later, it was used to make paper. E. The Egyptian system of writing was called hieroglyphics. This system consisted of thousands of picture symbols. F. Some Egyptian men learned to read and write. They attended schools to learn to be scribes

A United Egypt (pages 43– 44) • • • A. Because the people in Egypt had surplus food, some people became artisans instead of farmers. Artisans wove cloth, made pottery, carved statues, and crafted weapons and tools. B. Egyptians traded with each other and with others in Mesopotamia. C. A few strong chiefs united groups of villages into kingdoms. Eventually, the strongest kingdoms overpowered the weaker ones. In this way, two large kingdoms emerged—Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.

United Continued • D. Narmer united the two Kingdoms. He ruled from the city of Memphis, and his kingdom lasted long after his death. Narmer’s descendants passed the ruling power on from father to son to grandson, forming a dynasty. • E. Ancient Egypt was ruled by 31 dynasties that historians have grouped into three time periods—Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom.

Early Egyptian Life (pages 45– 46) • • • A. Ancient Egypt had social classes. The pharaoh was the highest power. The upper class consisted of nobles, priests, and government officials. The middle class included merchants, artisans, shopkeepers, and scribes. Farmers were the largest group of people and were in a lower class than the middle class. Unskilled workers were the lowest class of people in ancient Egypt. B. Although men were the heads of households, women had more rights in Egypt than in other ancient civilizations. They could own and pass on property, buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain divorces. C. Few children went to school in ancient Egypt. Children had time to play games and had toys. D. Egyptian girls learned to sew, cook, and run a household. Boys learned farming or a skilled trade.

Chapter 2 -2 • Pharaohs and Kingdoms emerge

Egypt’s Old Kingdom Rulers (page 48) • • A. The Old Kingdom lasted from about 2600 B. C. until about 2300 B. C. B. Pharaohs were all-powerful Egyptian kings who guided every activity in Egypt. C. Pharaohs appointed officials to carry out their commands. D. Egyptian people served pharaohs because they believed the kingdom depended on one strong leader. They also believed the pharaohs were the sons of Re, the sun god. They thought pharaohs were gods on Earth

Egypt’s Religion (pages 49– 50) Religion • • • A. Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses, or deities. These deities controlled every human activity and all natural forces. B. The major god was Re, the sun god. Another major god was Hapi, who ruled the Nile River. Isis was the most important goddess. C. Egyptians believed in life after death. The Book of the Dead contained a collection of spells that Egyptians believed they needed to enter the afterlife. For many centuries, Egyptians believed only pharaohs and a few elite people could have life after death.

Hapi

Isis

Ra(Re)

Religion • • • D. To protect the pharaoh’s body after death, Egyptians developed an embalming process. During the process, the body’s organs were removed. The body was treated with spices and oils and then wrapped with strips of linen. The wrapped body was called a mummy. E. Egyptian doctors used herbs and drugs to treat illnesses. They also set broken bones and stitched cuts. Egyptian doctors were the first doctors to specialize in different areas of medicine, and they wrote the world’s first medical book

The Pyramids (pages 50– 52

What mathematical advances did the Egyptians make while working on the pyramids? • They invented the base-10 number system and created fractions.

Pyramids • A. Egyptians built pyramids • to protect the bodies of dead pharaohs. The pyramids also contained items the pharaohs might need in • the afterlife. • B. A pyramid took thousands of people and years of labor to build. Egyptians used astronomy and mathematics to create the pyramids.

Pyramids C. To build a pyramid, Egyptians first selected a site. Then, they searched for stone. The artisans cut the stone into blocks, and other workers tied the stone to sleds and pulled them to the Nile. At the river, workers loaded the stones onto barges and floated them to the site. There, the blocks were unloaded and dragged or pushed up ramps. D. While studying the skies to create pyramids, Egyptians created the 365 -day calendar that became the basis for our calendar today. • E. The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt. It was built for • King Khufu and is located near the city of Cairo. • •

Middle Kingdom

Middle Kingdom The Middle Kingdom (pages 60– 61) • A. Pharaohs lost control of Egypt in about 2300 B. C. At that time, a new dynasty of pharaohs created a capital at Thebes. This began the Middle Kingdom, a time of stability, prosperity, and achievement. • B. Egypt took control of other lands and forced conquered people to send tribute, or forced payments. In this way, Egypt increased its riches

Middle Kingdom • C. During the Middle Kingdom, the arts, literature, and architecture blossomed. • D. The Middle Kingdom ended when the Hyksos attacked and conquered Egypt. The Hyksos ruled until around 1550 B. C. , when the Egyptian prince • Ahmose led a revolt to drive the Hykos out of Egypt

The New Kingdom (pages 61– 62) • A. During the New Kingdom period, Egypt grew richer and more powerful. • B. Hatshepsut was the first woman to rule Egypt. • C. Trade grew during Hatshepsut’s reign. Traders exchanged beads, tools, and weapons for ivory, wood, leopard skins, and incense. Trade made Egypt wealthier.

The New Kingdom • D. Thutmose III became pharaoh after Hatshepsut’s death. Thutmose conquered more lands, and Egypt grew richer from tributes. • E. Slavery became common in Thutmose’s reign. Slaves had some rights. They could own land, marry, and eventually obtain freedom.

2 rulers • A. Amenhotep IV came to power in 1370 B. C. • B. Amenhotep felt priests were gaining too much power. He introduced a new religion with only one god. Priests who did not follow the new religion were removed from power. • C. Most Egyptians refused to accept the new religion. • D. Amenhotep became so devoted to his new religion that he neglected his other duties. He did not act when the Hittites attacked Egypt. As a result, Egypt’s empire greatly diminished. • E. Tutankhamen, now called King Tut, was a boy ruler who took power after Akhenaton(Amenhotep) died. He ruled for only nine years before his death. In A. D. 1922, a British archaeologist found King Tut’s grave. • •

End Of the New Kingdom • • A. Ramses II was one of the most effective pharaohs of the New Kingdom. B. During Ramses’s rule, many temples were built throughout Egypt. C. Temples were used for services. Most Egyptians prayed at home because they believed the temples were houses for the gods and goddesses. D. After Ramses’s rule, the Egypt’s rule began to decline. Egypt was attacked by neighboring groups and eventually controlled only the Nile delta. Beginning in the 900 s B. C. , Egypt was ruled by the Libyans, then the people of Kush, and finally the Assyrians.