Unit 3 pp
- 1. Unit 3 Egypt
- 2. Unit 3 Key Terms • 1. cataracts 9. bureaucrat • 2. delta 10. embalming • 3. shadoof 11. pyramid • 4. papyrus 12. incense • 5. hieroglyphics 13. envoy • 6. dynasty 14. savanna • 7. theocracy 15. textile • 8. pharaoh
- 3. The Nile River Valley • By 5000 B.C., hunters and gatherers moved into the Nile River valley. • These people became the earliest Egyptians. • Egyptians relied on the Nile River for water, fishing, farming, cooking, and cleaning. • Large ships cannot sail through the cataracts (rapids formed where rivers meet).
- 5. • Deserts lie on both sides of the Nile River valley. • Egypt rarely faced threats and as a result, Egyptian civilization grew and prospered. • Within Egypt, people used the Nile for trade and transportation. • Egyptian villages had friendly contact with one another.
- 6. People of the River • The Egyptians became successful farmers. • They grew enough food to feed themselves and their animals.
- 7. • Egyptians developed their own system of writing called hieroglyphics. • It was made up of thousands of picture and sound symbols.
- 9. Uniting Egypt • Skillful farming led to more food than was needed, or a surplus. • This freed some people to work as artisans instead of farmers. • Over time, a government formed in Egypt. • By 4000 B.C., Egypt was made up of two large kingdoms. • Lower Egypt was in the north in the Nile delta. • Upper Egypt was in the south along the Nile River.
- 10. • About 3100 B.C., Narmer was king of Upper Egypt. • He led his armies north and took control of Lower Egypt. • His kingdom stayed together long after his death and his family passed power from father to son to grandson (dynasty). • Ancient Egypt would be ruled by 30 dynasties over a period of about 2800 years.
- 11. Egypt’s Early Rulers • The Old Kingdom began in Egypt around 2600 B.C. and lasted about 400 years. • During this time, the Egyptians built cities and expanded trade. • Their kings, or pharaohs, set up a government. • Egypt was a theocracy (pharaoh was both the political and religious leader).
- 12. • The pharaoh had total power. • His orders were obeyed without question. • Egyptians believed their pharaoh was the son of Re, the Egyptian sun god. • They believed he protected the people during hard times.
- 14. Religion in Egypt • Religion affected every part of Egyptian life. • Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses and believed that the gods controlled nature. • Egyptians believed that life after death was better than the present life. • They thought that the dead made a long journey. At the end, they reached a place of peace.
- 15. • For centuries, Egyptians believed that if the pharaoh’s soul reached the afterlife, he would continue to protect Egypt. • To live in the afterlife, the pharaoh’s soul needed a body. • Eventually, Egyptians believed all people could reach the afterlife. • They developed a process called embalming to protect the body. • It involved removing organs from the dead body and then drying and wrapping the body in cloth.
- 16. Pyramid Tombs • Egyptians built pyramids, or large triangle-shaped tombs, to hold the bodies of the pharaohs. • Pyramids protected the bodies from floods, wild animals, and grave robbers. • They also held the things the pharaoh might need in the afterlife, such as clothing, furniture, and jewelry.
- 17. • Thousands of people worked for many years to build a pyramid. • Farmers, surveyors, engineers, carpenters, stonecutters, and enslaved people all worked on pyramids.
- 19. Daily Life • Every Egyptian had a place in society. • The pharaoh and his family were at the very top. • The upper class lived in cities and on large estates along the Nile. Servants waited on them. • The middle class ran businesses or made goods. They lived in smaller homes. • Egypt’s lower class was its largest class. Most farmers lived in one- room mud homes. • Unskilled workers lived in small homes with dirt floors.
- 20. A Golden Age • The Middle Kingdom lasted from about 2055 B.C. to 1650 B.C. • It was a time of power, wealth, and achievement for Egypt. • During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt took control of new lands. • The Middle Kingdom ended when nobles tried to take power from the pharaohs. • This fight weakened Egypt, making it easy to conquer.
- 21. • Outsiders, known as the Hyksos, invaded from western Asia and ruled Egypt for about 100 years. • Around 1550 B.C., an Egyptian prince named Ahmose fromed an army and drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.
- 22. Building an Empire • Ahmose’s rule began an era known as the New Kingdom. • About 1473 B.C., a queen named Hatshepsut came to power. • First she ruled with her husband. After he died, she made herself pharaoh and ruled for her young nephew. • She became the first woman to rule Egypt by herself. • She used trade to expand the empire.
- 23. • New Kingdom rulers also sent envoys, or representatives, to other rulers. • This was the first time in history that a group of nations worked together in this way.
- 24. • When Hatshepsut died, her nephew, Thutmose II became pharaoh. • He expanded the empire through war and took gold, copper, ivory, and other goods from conquered peoples.
- 25. Two Unusual Pharaohs • About 1370 B.C., Amenhotep IV came to the throne. • Started a new religion and told people to worship only one god, called Aton. • He changed his name to Akhenaton. • When he died his son-in-law, Tutankhamen (10 years old), took over.
- 26. • Tutankhamen quickly restored the old religion. • He died 9 years later. • The boy king and his riches fascinated people living in the modern world and he became known around the world as “King Tut”.
- 27. Recovery and Decline • The most successful leader during the New Kingdom was Ramses II. • He regained lost lands for Egypt, signed peace treaties, and built many temples. • After Ramses II, Egypt’s power faded. • They were attacked by groups with more and better weapons.
- 28. The Nubians • Egypt was not the only civilization along the Nile River. • The Nublians lived along the Nile River south of Egypt. • Nubia later became known as Kush. • Today this area is the country of Sudan. • The first Nubians were cattle herders.
- 29. The Kushite Kingdom • By 850 B.C., the Nubians had formed the kingdom of Kush. • In time, Kush became strong enough to stand up to Egypt. • Kush’s rule over Egypt was short. • In 671 B.C., the Assyrians invaded Egypt driving out the Kushites.