The Nile River The Nile River Valley Two

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The Nile River

The Nile River

The Nile River Valley � Two other civilizations developed in 5000 B. C. :

The Nile River Valley � Two other civilizations developed in 5000 B. C. : › Egypt developed along the Nile River valley in northeastern Africa. › Kush emerged in the far southern part of the Nile River valley.

Valley Civilization � � The Nile River valley had very fertile land. People created

Valley Civilization � � The Nile River valley had very fertile land. People created permanent settlements, farmed the land, and built villages along the banks of the Nile. › These people were the earliest Egyptians and Kushites. � The early Egyptians lived in the northern region of the Nile River Valley. Their land was called Kemet, meaning black land, after the dark rich soil. › This region was later called Egypt. � � Ruins include the enormous stone Sphinx Archaeologists study the pyramids and

SPHINX

SPHINX

THE GIFT OF THE RIVER � � � Egypt has a hot, dry climate.

THE GIFT OF THE RIVER � � � Egypt has a hot, dry climate. Egyptians depended on the Nile for drinking, bathing, and water supply for crops. The Nile River is the world’s longest river! › It flows north. � The Nile is two separate rivers: the Blue Nile and the White Nile. › The Blue Nile begins in the snowy mountains of eastern Africa. › The White Nile starts in the tropics of Central Africa. › Join south of Egypt to form the Nile River. � Steep cliffs and large boulders form dangerous, fast moving waters, called cataracts.

A Protected Land � � � � The Nile looks like the root of

A Protected Land � � � � The Nile looks like the root of a plant. Shortly before the Nile reaches the Mediterranean Sea, t splits into many branches that resembles a plant’s bloom. The waterways form a fan-shaped area of fertile marshland called a delta. The change in landscape can be so sudden in the Nile Valley that one can stand with one foot in fertile soil and one foot in sand. To the west of the Nile River is the Libyan Desert, which forms part of the Sahara. To the east of the river lies the Eastern Desert that extends to the Red Sea. These deserts are called the “Red Land” because of the

Protected land cont. � The Nile’s dangerous cataracts prevented enemy ships from attacking Egypt

Protected land cont. � The Nile’s dangerous cataracts prevented enemy ships from attacking Egypt in the south. � The delta marshes in the north stopped invaders who sailed from the Mediterranean Sea. � The Egyptians rarely faced the danger of invasion. � Egyptian civilization developed peacefully.

BRAIN BREAK

BRAIN BREAK

Predictable Floods � The Nile floods were more predictable and less destructive. › Each

Predictable Floods � The Nile floods were more predictable and less destructive. › Each late spring, heavy tropical rains in Central Africa and melting mountain snow in eastern Africa added water to the Nile causing the river to flow around mid-summer. � When the waters returned to their normal level in late fall, thick deposits of fertile soil remained.

EGYPTIAN FARMING � � � Farmers grew enough food to feed themselves and the

EGYPTIAN FARMING � � � Farmers grew enough food to feed themselves and the animals they raised. During the dry season, farmers irrigated their crops by scooping out basins in the earth to store river water. They dug canals that extended from the basins to the fields, which allowed water to flow to their crops. Farmers created a shadoof, a bucket attached to a long pole that lifts water from the Nile and empties it into basins. Many still used this method today. Farmers used geometry to help recalculate where one field began and the other ended when the fields flooded the

SHADOOF

SHADOOF

Egyptian Writing Egyptians gathered a reed plant that grew in the wild along the

Egyptian Writing Egyptians gathered a reed plant that grew in the wild along the Nile called papyrus, to weave rope, sandals, baskets, and river rafts. � Papyrus was later used to make paper. � › Egyptians cut strips from the stalks of the papyrus plant and soaked them in water. › They laid the strips side by side and pounded them together. › They were set out to dry, forming a large sheet of papyrus. � The Egyptians created their own writing system. › First, it was made up of thousands of picture symbols that represented objects and idea. › Later, they created symbols that represented sounds, similar to our letters of the alphabet. › The combination of pictures and sound symbols created their writing system known as hieroglyphics. Some Egyptian men attended special schools to prepare for careers as scribes in government or business. � The Egyptians wrote on the papyrus paper they created. �

Uniting Egypt � Egyptian farmers were able to grow surpluses, which allowed them to

Uniting Egypt � Egyptian farmers were able to grow surpluses, which allowed them to leave farming to work in other occupations. � Artisans, merchants, and traders began to play an important role in Egypt’s economy. � Egyptian caravans began carrying goods all over Egypt and outside Egypt’s borders.

Forming Kingdoms A government was necessary to oversee the construction and repair of irrigation

Forming Kingdoms A government was necessary to oversee the construction and repair of irrigation ditches and dams, develop a process for storing and distributing grain during famines, and settle conflicts over land ownership. � Groups of villages merged to form small kingdoms, each ruled by a king. � Egypt was made up of two large kingdoms: Upper Egypt, located in the south-central part of the Nile River Valley, and Lower Egypt, located along the Nile River’s north delta. �

Narmer aka Menes, was a king of Upper Egypt. � About 3100 B. C,

Narmer aka Menes, was a king of Upper Egypt. � About 3100 B. C, he led his armies from the valley into the delta, conquered Lower Egypt, and married one of LE’s princesses. � › This unified the kingdoms, and all of Egypt was ruled by one king for the first time. Narmer established a new capital at Memphis, a city on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt, where he governed both parts from. � Narmer’s kingdom lasted long after his death. � The right to rule was passed on from father to son to grandson. � › This line of rulers from one family is called a dynasty. When one dynasty died out, another took its place. � From about 3100 B. C. to 332 B. C. , a series of 30 dynasties ruled Egypt and were organized into three time periods: the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. � Throughout these time periods, Egypt was united under one �