Egypt The Nile River Named after Greek word neilos Egyptians called Aur/Ar Egypt was the Gift of the Nile Flood/Inundation June- Oct. Longest river in world Egypts 5 Natural Barriers 5 Natural Barriers: 1.Red Sea (East) 2.Desert (West) 3.Mediterranean Sea (North) 4.Ethiopian Mts. (South) 5.River Cataracts First Cataract Manipulating the Nile Modern Manipulations of the Nile: The Aswan Dam abul Simbel The Egyptian Dynasties: the Pre, Old, Middle and Intermediate Eras Pre-DynasticOld Kingdom1 st Intermediate Middle Kingdom 2 nd Intermediate New Kingdom Pre-Dynastic Era Organized into confederacies called Nomes Led by Nomarchs Eventually Nomes org. into 2 large Kingdoms Lower and Upper Egypt Unification of Egypt Scorpion I and II 1 st attempts to unify Narmer/Menes Successfully unified Made Memphis capital Symbol Unification Combined red & white crowns Death in Pre-Dynastic Egypt No Afterlife or Pyramids But did Bury Dead Shallow pits Mastabas The Old Kingdom Role of Pharaoh expanded Absolute power A living God Practiced Polygamy Great Royal Daughter Ra most imp. God Era of the Pyramids Djosers Stepp Pyramid 1 st Pyramid Snefrus Red Pyramid 1 st True Pyramid 1 st Intermediate Era Remembered as time of misery & chaos Causes Econ. & Environmental Prob. Believed Pharaoh lost Maat Invaded & Ruled by outsiders Asiatic People? Middle Kingdom Egypt re-united by Pharaoh Mentuhotep II A Return to Peace Focus Trade, Agriculture, Security Made #1 God Amun-Ra Moved capital more central location Co-regency Second Intermediate Again, ruled by outsiders Hyksos Era remembered as curse, but a blessing in disguise Gained new strategies & technologies Chariot, composite bow New Kingdom Re-united by Pharaoh Kamose from Thebes Egypts Age of Empire Nubia to Euphrates Pharaoh Hatshepsut Female pharaoh depicted as man Rich Trade Land of Punt Capital Thebes Era of religious revolution Armana Revolution Akhenatens Aten New capital Tell-el-Amarna Valley of Kings and Queens Book of the Dead Exodus Ramses II Ended w/ invasion of Sea People Nubian Pharaohs of Kush Hieroglyphics Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics- Sacred Writings Different types of Hieroglyphics Symbols could represent 1.Ideograms (Symbols) 2.Phonograms (Sounds) 3.Grouped Sounds and Symbols Determinatives- symbols used to express concepts Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics- Sacred Writings Proper Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics Used for official inscriptions carved on stele and temple walls Egyptian Slang Hieratic Priestly Script - cursive script, used for less formal events Ex: Temple accounts Demotic Business Script- shorthand writing used by merchants and traders Determinates To figure out meaning of abbreviated writing used determinates. Egyptian Writing Continued Proper Egyptian Writing Hieroglyphics Used for official inscriptions carved on stele and temple walls Egyptian Slang Hieratic Priestly Script - cursive script, used for less formal events Ex: Temple accounts Demotic Business Script- shorthand writing used by merchants and traders Rosetta Stone 1799 found by Napoleons troops 3 inscriptions Hieroglyphic Demotic Greek Deciphered by Jean Francois Champollion Writing and Reading Hieroglyphics Can write and read: Left to right Right to left Columns Used same symbols for letters articulated similarly Ex: I and E Ignored vowels, shortened words using consonants Ex: Freight = FRT Problem: FRT could be Fort, Ferret, Fart? The Cursive Debate What is the cursive debate? What are the arguments for cursive? Against cursive? Should cursive continue to be taught? Religion Egyptian Religion Religion guided EVERY aspect of Egyptian life! Trends in Egyptian Mythology/Religion Polytheistic o/ 2000 Gods! Gods were Anthropomorphic Strongly influenced by tradition! NUN (Watery Chaos) ATUM SHU (Air) GEB (Earth) OSIRIS (Underworld) ISIS (Protective Goddess of living) Horus (Protector of Reigning Pharaoh) TEFNUT (Moisture) NUT (Sky) SETH (Chaos) NEPHTHYS (Protective Goddess of Dead) Anubis (God of Mummification) Egyptian Religion Continued The Horus King Pharaohs considered living form of Horus Job to maintain order (Maat) on earth by issuing laws of Gods Belief in the Afterlife Focused on afterlife more than any other ancient society. To achieve rebirth needed to unite souls with body Egyptians believed the soul had 3 parts ba the spirit or soul; move freely b/t this world & next ka the double of the person or second self akh represented the persons spirit in next world; when ba and ka united Mummification was crucial! Mummification Early Mummification Mummification as we know it today The Steps Canopic Jars HapyDuamutefQebehsenuefImsety LungsStomachIntestinesLiver Wow, What a Great Job!! Recreating the Ancient Mummification Process Mummies Around the World Bogs Bog Bodies Reconstructed Bog Bodies Yde Girl Inca Child Mummies Qilakitsoq Mummies Otzi Iceman Mummy Chinchorro Mummies Italian Catacomb Mummies Pompeii Mummies Lady Dai Japan: Sokushinbutsu Looks that Last Modern Mummification: Plastination Modern Mummification: Plastination Continued Egyptian Funeral