Egypt A warm and sunny land that received

very little rainfall.

THE NILE RIVER

Egyptians used this for water. Irrigation Bathing Farming (irrigation) Cooking Cleaning

The Worlds longest river

THE NILE 4000 miles long

It begins as 2 separate rivers 1. THE BLUE NILE has its source in the

mountains of Eastern Africa. The WHITE NILE starts in the marshes in

central Africa. The two meet and form the Nile just south

of Egypt.

NILE

Cataracts

Narrow cliffs and boulders in the Nile form wild rapids called cataracts.

Ships can only use the last 650 miles where it flows through Egypt.

Delta

The edge of the nile that opens up into the Mediterranean Sea. The land is very fertile. This is a Delta.

Sahara Desert

Largest desert in the world.

The Egyptians called the deserts that RED LAND because of their burning heat.

This was a way to keep enemies away from Egypt's territory.

Natural protection for the Egyptians

To the far north the Niles Cataracts blocked enemies from reaching by boat.

In the North the Delta marshes offered no harbors for invaders approaching from the sea.

The Seas help connect Egypt to the outside world

The Mediterranean Sea bordered Egypt to the North.

The Red sea lay beyond the desert to the East.

These bodies of water gave the Egyptians a way to trade with people outside of Egypt.

The Nile Floods

Was more predictable than those from the Tigris and the Euphrates.

The spring rains and mountain melting snow made the Nile overflow. It left a thick black fertile soil called KEMET. “The BLACK LAND”

Using the flood to benefit the Egyptians

They dug basins to trap the water during the flood.

Then they dug trenches from these basins to irrigate their fields.

They planted barley, wheat, flax seeds.

Shadoof

A bucket attached to a long pole to lift water from the Nile to the basin.

Egyptians used GEOMETRY

The used this to measure and survey their land. To put fields in rows.

Papyrus

A reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile.

First was used for basket weaving, sandals, and river rafts.

The best know thing it made was paper for writing.

Hieroglyphics

This is a system of writing using hundreds of picture symbols.

Some pictures represented things, others were for sounds much like our alphabet.

Surplus

An extra amount of something.

Since they had a surplus of food, some people became artisans instead of farmers.

Artisans wove cloth, made pottery, carved statues, or shaped copper into weapons or tools.

Why Egypt needed a government

The surplus of grain had to be stored and passed out in time of need.

Irrigation systems had to be built and maintained.

Disputes over land ownership had to be settled.

Earliest Rulers

Were village chiefs.

Over time a few strong chiefs united villages into small kingdoms.

LOWER EGYPT and Upper Egypt

Is North in the Nile Delta.

UPPER EGYPT is south

Narmer

Is also known as Menes King of upper Egypt led his armies

north and took control of Lower Egypt.

Narmer ruled Memphis a city he built to border the 2 kingdoms.

THE DOUBLE CROWN

To symbolize the kingdoms unity Narmer wore a double crown.

The WHITE represented Upper Egypt. The Red represented Lower Egypt

Dynasty

The passing down of power from father to son to grandson.

The 3 main Kingdoms in Egypt

The OLD KINGDOM THE MIDDLE KINGDOM THE NEW KINGDOM

The Social Pyramid

Top were Kings and his family Next were small upper class of priests,

army commanders, and nobles. Next: larger base of skilled middle class

people, such as artisans, traders, shopkeepers.

The bottom: Unskilled workers and farmers.

How the Social Classes lived

Upper class lived in cities on large estates, elegant homes made of wood and mud bricks,

Middle Class people who ran businesses or produced goods. Lived in smaller homes dressed simple.

Classes continued

Lower class Lived in one room huts, worked on the land of the wealthy.