Lesson 3 - The Pyramid Builders

The Old Kingdom

The First DynastyBegan around 2925 B.C.

Dynasty – a line of rulers from the same family

The order in which members of a royal family inherit a throne is called the succession

More than 30 dynasties ruled ancient Egypt

How historians divide Egyptian dynasties:

The Old Kingdom – 2575 B.C.

The Middle Kingdom – 2130 B.C.

The New Kingdom

Pharaohs RuleThe king of Egypt

Ruled from the capital city of Memphis

Ancient Egyptians thought the pharaoh was a child of the gods and a god himself.

Because the pharaoh was thought to be a god, government and religion were not separate in ancient Egypt.

Khufu’s Great Pyramid

Pyramids began when kings wanted more permanent burial monuments.

2630 B.C. King Djoser built a step pyramidThe oldest-known large stone structure in the world.

The Great PyramidKhufu wanted a monument that would show the world how great he was.

Each side was about 760ft. long and the core was built from 2.3 million blocks of stone.

Took nearly 20 years to build

An estimated 20,000 Egyptians worked on it

A city called Giza was built for the pyramid workers and the people who fed, clothed, and housed them

King Djoser Step Pyramid

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Inside of a Tomb

Today Show - Inside of a Pyramid

Middle KingdomBegan losing their power to local rulers of the provinces

InvasionsHyksos invaded Egypt from the northeast

Able to conquer by using better weapons and horse-drawn chariots, which were new to Egyptians

After about 100 years, the Egyptians drove out the Hyksos and began the New Kingdom

Exit Slip

What is another name for the king of Egypt?

Who built the first step pyramid?A. Djoser B. KhufuC. Hyksos D. Hatshepsut

List ONE fact about the Great Pyramid.

True or False: The Hyksos were able to conquer the Egyptians using better weapons and horse-drawn carriages.