Ancient Egypt

Land of the Pharaohs

Some Vocabulary• Cataracts – strong rapids

• Delta – triangle shaped area of land made of soil deposited by a river

• Pharaoh – title used by the rulers of Egypt; pharaoh means “great house”.

• Dynasty – series of rulers from the same family

• Nobles – people from rich and powerful families

• Afterlife – life after death

• Mummies – specially treated bodies wrapped in cloth

• Pyramids – huge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top.

• Trade routes – pathes followed by traders

• Hieroglyphics – the Egyptian writing system

• Papyrus – long-lasting, paper-like material made from reeds

• Sphinxes – Imaginary creatures with the bodies of lions and the heads of other animals or humans

• Obelisk – tall, four-sided pillar that is pointed on top

• Merchants – traders

• Exports – items sent out to other regions

• Imports –goods brought in from other regions

Egypt was called the

“GIFT OF THE NILE.”

Geography

played a key

role in the

development

of the

Egyptian

civilization.

Ancient Egypt: Geography• Egypt is known as “The Gift of the Nile”• The Nile River is the longest river in the

world and dominated the Egyptian world/thought

• Surrounded by desert with occasional oasis– Permits some trade – Defense from invasion

• Contributes to feeling of safety

– Dry environment preserves artifacts

• Egypt was a river valley civilization that formed along the Nile River.

• The Nile delta, triangle shaped area with soil deposited by a river, provided Egypt with 2/3s of its farm land.– The Nile flooded each year providing Egypt with

life.

The Nile flooded each year providing a

13 mile wide river valley (around the

river) which was filled with rich silt.

This rich soil was great for farming

and gave Egypt life Without the flooding they would not have survived

there..

Nile - O – Meter

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/middleeast/video/nileometer.html

Measures the water

level in the Nile River.

The Nile

delta,

triangle

shaped area

with soil

deposited

by a river,

provided

Egypt with

2/3s of its

farm land.

Irrigation

Shaduf

They built basins to collect water during the

yearly floods and to store this precious

resource long afterward. They also built a

series of canals that could be used in the dry

months to direct water from the basins to the

fields where it was needed.

People Settle in Egypt

• People started settling along the Nile 12,000 years ago, developing irrigation and canals for agriculture.

• Egypt was a perfect place for civilization to develop: a large food supply and easily defensible against enemies.

Egypt is

divided into

two parts.

-Upper Egypt

-Lower Egypt

Ancient Egypt: History

Pharaohs, Dynasties and Kingdoms

Video Clip: Introduction to Ancient Egypt

Click Here to See the Video Clip

3 Parts of Ancient Egyptian History

• Old Kingdom (2700-2150)– Hieroglyphics and religion develop

in Egypt– pyramids built

• Middle Kingdom (2040-1786)– extension of Egyptian control into

Nubia

• New Kingdom (1570-1075)– militaristic - Hebrews enslaved– mummification perfected

*Dynasties existed throughout Ancient Egypt’s history and within each dynasty.

MENES, Egypt’s First Pharaoh

• Menes united Egypt in 3100 B.C. Before him Scorpion tried, but failed.– Menes claimed the title Pharaoh, which

means “great house”– He created the first dynasty, a series of

rulers from the same family.– His dynasty lasted for 200 years, then a rival

family took over, creating a second dynasty.

Double Crown worn by

Menes to represent

the joining of the two

kingdoms.

A mural of Narmer or Menes

conquering Lower Egypt

(c.a. 3100 B.C.)

Menes (the new pharaoh)

established their capital at

the strategic site of

Memphis, just south of the

delta, and over the next

several centuries

consolidated their rule.

Probably no other dynasty

in history has been so

successful in creating an

effective yet apparently

timeless form of

government. For

thousands of years

Egyptian pharaohs were

able to convey to their

subjects a sense of

permanence and eternity

while constantly adjusting

the system to meet new

needs. (Nagle, 23)

Rule by Pharaohs

• The creation and expansion of an empire led to more trade and wealth.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Egypt

belonged to the gods. They believed that the

pharaoh had come to earth to manage Egypt

for the rest o the gods. As a result, he had

absolute power over all the land and peole in

Egypt.

Rule by Pharaohs

• Another major Egyptian Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was:

Khufu:

began building

Egyptian

monuments –> the

pyramids

Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.E.)-4th Dynasty (2613-2493 B.C.E.) --Old Kingdom-- pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

-Although the Great pyramid has such fame, little is

actually known about its builder, Khufu.

-Ironically, only a very small statue of 9 cm has been

found depicting this historic ruler.

-According to various inscriptions, Khufu probably did

lead military into the Sinai, and raids into Nubia and

Libya.

Rule by Pharaohs

• Some Major Egyptian Pharaohs:– Menes: First pharaoh– Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.): began building

Egyptian monuments– Hatshepset (or Hatshepsut): Ruler who

became pharaoh in the 1400s B.C. and worked to increase Egyptian trade

– Ramses the Great : Ruler who had one of the longest reigns in Egypt, fought the Hittites and built many monuments and temples

– Tutankhamen (or Tutankhamon): Iconic remains found in the Valley of Kings

– Cleopatra: Last Pharaoh; Romans take over

Egyptian Culture: Social Structure

• Social hierarchy:– Pharaoh– Priests and Nobles– Scribes and

Craftsmen– Soldiers– Farmers– Servants– Slaves

By 2200 BC, Egypt had 2 million people and had

established a social pyramid.

Ancient Egyptian Social Hierarchy

Social Hierarchy• Pharaoh

– Egyptian kings of a centralized state– Claimed to be gods living on earth in human form

• Bureaucrats– Because the pharaoh was an absolute ruler there

was little room for a noble class as in Mesopotamia– Instead professional military forces and an elaborate

bureaucracy of administrators and tax collectors served the central government

• Patriarchal– Vested authority over public and private affairs in

men– However, more opportunities for women than in

Mesopotamia as evidenced by Queen Hatshepsut reigning as pharaoh

• Peasants and slaves– Supplied the hard labor that made complex

agricultural society possible– Among the slaves were the Hebrews

Egypt and TRADE (During the Old Kingdom)

Although well-protected by its geography, Egypt was

not isolated. Other cultures had influenced it for

centuries. For example:

Sumerian designs are found in Egyptian art. Egyptian

pottery also reflects styles from Nubia, a region south

of Egypt.

Traders returned from Nubia with gold, ivory, slaves,

and stone.

Traders traveled to Punt, an area on the Red Sea, to

acquire incense and myrrh.

These two items were used to make perfume and medicine.

Trade with Syria provided Egypt with wood.

Ancient Egyptian Culture

Egyptian Culture: Religion

• Egyptians were polytheistic and had gods for nearly everything, including the following gods:– Anubis– Amon-Re– Osiris– Isis– Horus

Early on – in the Old Kingdom – Egyptian officials tried to give some

structure to religious beliefs.

Everyone was expected to worship the same gods, though

how they worshipped the gods might differ from one region of Egypt

to another.

Over time, certain cities became centers for

worship of certain gods and worship became

more standardized.

Temples were built all over the kingdom and

payments were collected from both the

government and worshippers.

Religion in the Old Kingdom

Some Major Egyptian Gods include:

Anubis – god of the dead

Re, or Amon-Re – the sun god

Osiris – god of the underworld

Isis – the goddess of magic

Horus – a sky god, god of the

pharaohs

AFTERLIFE

Egyptians believed

that the afterlife was a

happy place. Paintings

from

Egyptian tombs show

the afterlife as an ideal

world where all the

people are young and

healthy.

a person’s life

force

When a person died, their KA would leave their

body and become a spirit. The KA

would remain linked to the body and would

not leave its burial site. The KA had the same

needs that the person had when he or she was

living.

To fulfill the KA’s needs, people filled the

tombs with objects for the afterlife.

Objects

included

furniture,

clothing,

tools, jewelry,

and weaponsRelatives of the dead were expected to

bring food and beverages to their loved

ones’ tombs so the KA would not be hungry

or thirsty.

King Tut’s Tomb

Mummification

Egyptian Culture: Afterlife and Burial

Practices• Egyptian religion focused on

the afterlife, believing that after a person died, their Ka moved on.

• To help keep the Ka safe in the afterlife, Egyptians mummified the bodies of the dead– Only royalty and the elite could

afford mummification

Mummification

• In order to prepare a person for the long and hazardous journey before they could enjoy the pleasures of the afterlife, the body of a dead person was preserved by a process called mummification.

Only royalty and other member of Egypt’s

elite (people of wealth and

power) could afford to have

mummies made.

Peasant families buried their dead in shallow

graves at the edge of the desert. The hot dry

sand and lack of moisture preserved the

bodies naturally.

RICH vs. POOR

POOR

RICH

First, his body is taken to the tent

known as 'ibu' or the 'place of

purification'. There the embalmers

wash his body with good-smelling

palm wine and rinse it with water

from the Nile.

Preparation for Mummification

Mummies• Not known when it started in Egypt• Perfected by time of New Kingdom• How to make a mummy: 70 steps

– 1) Removal of the brain through the nostrils 2) Removal of the intestines through an incision in the side 3) Sterilization of the body and intestines 4) Treating, cleaning, dehydrating the intestines 5) Packing the body with natron (a natural dehydrating agent) and leaving for 40 days 6) Removal of the natron agent 7) Packing the limbs with clay or sand 8) Packing the body with linen (soaked in resin), myrrh and cinnamon 9) Treating the body with ointments and finally wrapping with a fine linen gauze, not less than 1000 square yards .

Canopic Jars made of alabaster for storage of heart,

stomach, intestines and liver which were also treated

Inner coffinMummy

Second inner

coffin lid

Second inner

coffin

Video Clip on the Mummification Process

Click Here To See the Video Clip

The Judgment

• The Egyptians viewed the heart as the seat of intellect and emotion.

• Before entering the pleasures of eternity, the dead person had to pass a test in which Anubis, the god of the dead, weighed the person’s heart against Ma’at, the goddess of justice and truth, who was represented by a feather.

The Judgment

• If the deceased’s good deeds outweighed the bad, then his heart would be as light as the feather (heavy hearts bore the burden of guilt and evil), and Osiris would welcome the newcomer to the next world.

• If the deceased fell short in his judgment, his body would be eaten by a monster that was part crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus.

Osiris• Patron of the underworld, the

dead, and past pharaohs• Cult of Osiris demanded

observance of high moral standards– As lord of the underworld,

Osiris had the power to determine who deserved the blessing of immortality and who did not

Egyptian Daily Life

• Cosmetics, cleanliness (bathe 3 times a day), shaved bodies, wigs

• main food is beer and bread– Grow many crops: emmer, barley, flax,

lentils, onion, beans, and millet

• common building made of sun-dried mud bricks - up to three stories in height

• Four social classes - slaves on the bottom

• Most common job … farming

Daily Life of Workers

The poor worked long hours for goods that they could exchange in the marketplace for the products they needed.

Agriculture was a major trade and many workers were farmers.

Boys learned a trade from their fathers, and girls were taught to care for the home and family by their mothers.

Women and girls wore straight, sheath-like dresses of rough, unbleached linen.

Men and boys wore short cloth kilts. Their homes were usually one-story made out of sun-

dried brick. There would be a basement and four rooms. They had little furniture. Stairs led to the flat rooftop so that the family could enjoy the cool night air after the sun went down.

Daily Life of the Wealthy Men were busy all day as merchants, trading along the Nile

River. Others supervised the daily workings of gigantic farms.

Many of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Egypt were priests.

Boys were taught to read and write. Women could own land, run businesses, testify in court, and

bring charges against men. Women oversaw the running of the households and gave

the servants instructions for daily menus and child care. Children were allowed much playtime. Girls practiced

singing and dancing. Boys wrestled and played army. Women and girls wore straight dresses of beautiful lined and

a lot of jewelry. At parties, they wore cones of incense on their heads that melted slowly giving off a pleasant smell.

Men and boys wore linen kilts Both men and women wore eye make-up made from black

ashes. Their homes were brick and wood, containing many rooms,

including a walled garden and a shrine for a favorite god.

Some Important New Kingdom (1570-1075 B.C.)

Pharaohs

Hatshepset or Hatshepsut (1479-1458

B.C.E.)• Queen Hatshepsut was the first great woman in

recorded history: the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Catherine the Great and Elizabeth I.

Hatshepsut• Her rise to power went against all the conventions

of her time. She was the first wife and Queen of Thutmose II and on his death proclaimed herself Pharaoh, denying the old king's son, her nephew, his inheritance.

• To support her cause she claimed the God Amun-Ra spoke, saying "welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the King, taking possession of the Two Lands."

• She dressed as a king, even wearing a false beard and the Egyptian people seem to have accepted this unprecedented behavior.

Hatshepsut• She remained in power for twenty years and

during this time the Egyptian economy flourished, she expanded trading relations and built magnificent temples as well as restoring many others.

• Eventually her nephew, Thutmose III, grew into a man and took his rightful place as pharaoh. The circumstances of this event are unknown and what became of Hatshepsut is a mystery.

• Thutmose III has become known as “the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt.”

Queen Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el Bahri

Etchings from Dier el Bahri

‘The Parade' and 'The Army' are etchings made from drawings done at

Deir el Bahri. ‘The Army' represents a trading expedition to the Land of

Punt (thought to be somewhere on the coast of Somalia) and shows Nehsi

the Nubian general.

King Tutankhamen (or Tutankhamun)

- Ruled c.1333 BC – 1323 BC • Nickname = “King Tut”

• An 18th dynasty pharaoh who inherited the throne at a young age (probably 8 or 9).  

• His reign was short-lived and upon his death he quickly faded into the sands of Egypt.   

• Once forgotten, King Tut now the most famous of all the kings found in the Valley of the Kings and remains one of Egypt’s greatest icons. 

• A pharaoh who accomplished little in his life. He did not expand Egypt’s borders nor enjoy triumphant victories like the many pharaohs before him

• He died in mid-January, 1343 B.C. It is thought that he was murdered by an official because his skull was bashed in and only a person of great importance could get near enough to harm him.

• Why is he so famous? This answer can be attributed to the discovery of his tomb and his elaborate treasure.

Tutankhamun

Tut’s Tomb Tut’s Scarab

Tutankhamun• King Tut’s tomb was a major discovery of the 19th century. It

was discovered November 4, 1922 in the Valley of the Kings by Howard Carter. Up until the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, it was believed that all royal tombs had been robbed and drained of their treasure.

• For the first time, a tomb, which was almost intact, had been discovered and remained hidden from robbers for thousands of years. The tomb revealed an elaborate lifestyle that many people could only dream about as well as providing clues and insight into King Tut’s life and how he lived.

 

Video Clip: King Tut (2007)

Click Here to See the Video Clip

Curse of the Mummy??

Click on this picture to read about the “Curse” of King Tut

Video Clip: King Tut????

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Rameses II The Pharaoh Who Made a Name for Himself

(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.

Rameses II

Each time a new pharaoh came to power,

each neighboring civilization sent an army or

two to test the new pharaoh.

The neighbors hoped that perhaps this time they

could steal a piece of Egypt for themselves.

Rameses II When Rameses II became pharaoh, the neighbors sent warriors to see what would

happen. Rameses II was a brave man, a

good husband, and a loving father. But

he was a terrible general.

Some people remember him today because

he was such a poor general. Luckily, he

had great helpers.

Rameses II Some remember Rameses as the Pharaoh who had 111 sons, 51 daughters, and

many wives. Others recognize his name because he ordered

the construction of the temple of Abu Simbel, the huge temple that

is 180 feet long, 90 feet high, and decorated with four 60 foot high

statues of

Rameses II.

Rameses II

But in ancient Egypt, people knew his name

because Rameses ordered his name

chiseled on everything.

He even had his name put on statues that

were not statues of himself. He did this to

bolster people’s confidence in his

leadership abilities.

Rameses II Today, his name is still found in Egypt on

ancient buildings. But it was not

his chiseling that kept Egypt safe. Egypt was

strong enough to survive his 60-year rule.

Egypt was an ancient world power.

Her reputation, supported by capable leaders in

the military, kept Egypt safe.

After the New Kingdom

Invasion of the Invasion of the “Sea Peoples” “Sea Peoples” around 1200 B.C.around 1200 B.C.

Egyptian Drawings of Two Different Tribes of

Sea People

The days of Egyptian empire were ended, and the New Kingdom expired with the end of the twentieth dynasty in 1085

B.C. For the next thousand years, despite periodic revivals of strength, Egypt was dominated by Libyans, Nubians,

Persians, and Macedonians.

Cleopatra VII

(b. 69 B.C.-d. 30 B.C.)The LAST Pharaoh of Egypt

Click the picture above to learn more about Cleopatra

Some Achievements of

Ancient Egypt

Achievements• Pyramids There were about 80 along the banks of the Nile River. The largest is the Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu in about

2600 B.C. It stands about 481 feet high and covers 13 acres. The pyramids functioned as huge burial tombs for the

Egyptians’ dead pharaohs and queens.

• Ship-building They used the Nile River like a highway to transport people and

goods to foreign lands. The first ships were made out of bundles of papyrus reeds tied

together to make a canoe-like vessel. As the ship trade flourished, the hulls of the ships were made

of cedar, and oars and sails were added for greater speed.

• Hieroglyphics These were pictures and symbols that served as one of the first

written languages in the world.

• Calendar Calendars were developed in 4241 B.C. with 365 days in a

year. It was based on the flooding of the Nile River. New Years was on June 1, not January 1!

The Pyramids

The Pyramids• Pyramids were created is giant

tombs for pharaohs.• The ancient Egyptian monuments are the

earliest forms of engineering, the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

• In addition to the Pyramids, temples were created that had sphinxes and obelisks.

The Pyramids• Pyramids

– Symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and divine stature; royal tombs

– Pyramid of Khufu involved the precise cutting and fitting of 2,300,000 limestone blocks with an average weight of 2.5 tons

– Estimated construction of the Khufu pyramid required 84,000 laborers working 80 days per year for 20 years

The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Khufu

at Giza. 

New Technologies used on the Pyramids

Ramps and stone-cutting

required to build pyramids

The Pyramid of Meydum The Bent Pyramid

The Great Pyramids of GizaThe Great Pyramids of Giza

The three large pyramids at Giza: From left to right, Menkaure, Khafre, Khufu. The far

pyramid is the "Great Pyramid" and the largest structure on the site. The middle one

may look larger, but only because it is built on higher ground.

The Giza complex as it looked in 1904

from Eduard Spelterini's balloon.

Video Clip about the Great Pyramid

Click Here to See the Video Clip

Hieroglyphicshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqyjoaPUXAI&feature=related

Egyptian Achievements: Hieroglyphs

• Egyptians created hieroglyphics, which means “to teach”, as a form of writing.

– The Egyptians had over 600 symbols.

– 3300 B.C. the Egyptians developed papyrus, which is a paper-like material made from reeds

Hieroglyphs• Hieroglyphs

– Pictures that were used to write the ancient Egyptian language

– Originally used to keep records of the king’s possessions. Scribes could easily make these records by drawing a picture of a cow or a boat followed by a number.

• As the language became more complex, more pictures were needed. Eventually the language consisted of more than 750 individual signs.

The Rosetta Stone• Today we are able to translate Hieroglyphics into

English because of the discovery of Rosetta Stone.

Hieroglyphs

Greek

Demotic

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Video Clip: The Rosetta Stone

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The Book of the Dead

Many texts are still available today,

including the famous The Book of the

Dead, which is about the afterlife.

Art and WritingEgyptian scribes wrote and recorded just about everything , except the steps to mummification

Egyptian Achievements: Art

• Much art and many paintings have been discovered in recent years.

• Egyptians were also stoneworkers and developed jewelry.

Other New Technologies

• Papyrus– The raw material came from the

plant Cyperus papyrus which grew along the banks of the Nile

– Used not only in the production of paper but also used in the manufacture of boats, rope and baskets

• Shipbuilding– Wooden boats– Multiple-oars– Sails– Rope trusses to strengthen hulls

AncientKush

Ancient Kush

• The Kingdom of Kush started in Nubia, south of Egypt. – Today Nubia is a

desert, but thousands of years ago it was very fertile.

Ancient Kush

– Kush and Egypt became trading partners, creating a trade network of imports and exports.

– Kush exported the following items:• Gold• Slaves• Ebony• Ivory• Copper• Stone

Ancient Kush

• Egypt conquered Kush around 1500 B.C. and ruled them for over 400 years.

• When the Egyptian empire declined, the Kushites began to invade Egypt.

• Piankhi completed the invasion of Egypt before he did in 716 B.C.

Ancient Kush

• Kush did not remain in power long and turned to agriculture and trade in place of conquest.

• Kush developed the first iron industry, leading to improvements in tools, weapons, and more.

• The trade network expanded to Greece, India, and China.

Ancient Kush

• Kush combined many other cultures into their own culture.

• The Kushite developed Meroitic as their written language.

• Women had more rights in Kush than in many of the ancient civilizations.

• The Kush disappeared completely by 500 A.D.

Mesopotamia and Egypt

Mesopotamia Egypt

Agriculture +“Land between the rivers” (Tigris and Euphrates forms Fertile Crescent

+Artificial irrigation

+”Gift of the Nile”

+Artificial irrigation

Specialization +Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather, brick making, stonecutting, masonry

+Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather production, stonecutting, masonry

Cities -Numerous, densely populated city-states (Ur and Babylon)

-Fewer cities with high centralization (Memphis and Thebes)

Social Hierarchy -Noble class

-Patriarchal

+Slaves

-Absolute authority of the pharaoh made a noble class unnecessary (had bureaucrats instead)

-Patriarchal, but the presence of Queen Hatsheput may indicate greater opportunities for women

+Slaves

Mesopotamia and Egypt

Mesopotamia Egypt

Religion and Education -Polytheism

-No afterlife

-Polytheism, but brief period of monotheism under Akhentan

-Afterlife and judgment (mummification)

New Technologies -Superior in metallurgy -Papyrus, shipbuilding, pyramids

Economic exchange -Trade by land and water -Trade principally by water along the Nile

-Trade more important because Egypt lacked natural resources beside the Nile

Art and Writing -Cuneiform -Hieroglyphs (more pictorial than cuneiform)

Farewell Students

and Beware

the Curse of

the Mummy!

Goodbye Video Clip: “It’s The Mummy”

Click Here to See the Video Clip