ANCIENT EGYPTIANSBY: GLADIS MENDOZA

BEGINNING OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

• One of six civilizations globally to arise independently

• Located in northeastern Africa along the lower reaches of the Nile River

• Formed with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in 3150 BC

• Ruled by the first pharaoh of Ancient Egypt named Narmer

EGYPTIAN ASTRONOMY

• Predicting annual floods of the Nile River was the driving force behind the development of Egyptian astronomy

• Egyptian astronomy begins in the discovery of stone circles at Nabta Playa. The stone circles were essential in marking the time and predicting the coming floods

• Due to their expertise in astronomy they were aware that the year was about 365 days and divided into 12 months

• Egyptian astronomers used sundials to tell the time, dividing the days into 24 hours

• There is little doubt that Egyptians buildings were based upon the stars

• It is possible that the Egyptian astronomy served a navigational purpose

THE GREAT PYRAMIDS OF GIZA

• The Great Pyramid of Giza is full with astronomical evidence.

• Within the pyramid is a southern facing airshafts that point to the star Sirius, with its significance in marking the start of the Egyptian year

• The north-facing air shafts point to the circumpolar stars, called ‘The Immortals’ by Egyptians, because they never set.

• Egyptians built their monuments to reflect the cardinal directions and important times of year.

AGRICULTURE• Most ancient Egyptians were farmers living in small villages near the Nile River

• Agriculture formed the economic base of the Egyptian state

• There main crops were wheat and barley

• The annual flooding of the Nile River provided the Egyptians with necessary irrigation and fertilization

• They harvested their crops before the season of high temperatures and drought returned

• Annual floods provided a single crop-season over two thirds of the floodplain

• Annual amount of grain produced was approximately between 1.5 and 2.5 million tons

• Egyptians had an elaborate system of trade with surrounding regions

DECLINE OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION• Its hard to pinpoint the exact reason for the fall of the Egyptian civilization

• Drought conditions helped caused the collapse of a number of ancient civilizations from the eastern Mediterranean to India around 2200 B.C., one the civilizations could have been Egypt

• Climate change and dry season can also account for the collapse of the Egyptian civilization

• The below normal Nile floods caused widespread starvation and death among the common people.

REFERENCES

• http://www.starteachastronomy.com/egyptian.html

• https://explorable.com/egyptian-astronomy

• http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/Narmer.html

• http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-egypt

• http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2011/02/26/why-did-ancient-egypt-decline/

PHOTO CREDITS

• http://antikforever.com/Egypte/Dyn/Images/Dynastie%2018-20/amenhotep_II01.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Egyptian_funerary_stela.jpg

• http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/pics/sowing.jpg

• http://www.ancient-egypt.org/_Media/narmer-macehead-icon_med.png

• https://explorable.com/images/ramesses-II-valley-of-the-kings.jpg