pyramids on the nile
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Pyramids on the Nile. Chapter 2 Section 2. I The Geography of Egypt. The Nile is the longest river in the world Brings water to many nations. A. The Gift of the Nile. Nile river overflowed every yr. in July & left behind fertile black mud Peasants would ploy flields before it dried out - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Pyramids on the Nile
Chapter 2 Section 2
I The Geography of Egypt• The Nile is the
longest river in the world– Brings water to many
nations
A. The Gift of the Nile• Nile river overflowed every yr. in July & left
behind fertile black mud– Peasants would ploy flields before it dried out
• Used irrigation ditches – Floodplantharvest; floodplantharvest
• Egyptians worshipped the river as a god who gave life
• Herodotus the father of history calls Egypt the “gift of the Nile”
B. Upper & Lower Egypt• Lower Egyptians only knew
the lower part of the Nile– Territory ended near cataract
where their boats could not pass
– Cataract= waterfall or long stretch of rapids
• Nile provided reliable trans.– River current flows N– Going S they used a sail
because the wind always blew N to S
• Nile helped unify Egypt's villages & promote trade
C. Environmental Challenges• Nile flooding occurred at the same time unlike
the unpredictable Tigris & Euphrates• Dangers of Egypt’s society:– Flood water too low ppl would starve – Flood water to high water would flood village
• Deserts o both sides of Nile acted as natural barriers for Egypt– Egyptians forced to stay next to their life line, the
Nile, which limited interaction with others but shut out invaders
II Egypt Unites into a Kingdom• Each villiage had its own
rituals, gods, and chieftains• King Menes united all of
EgyptCreates this crown to show
unity• Menes creates 1st Egyptian
dynasty• 3rd Dynasty begins the Old
Kingdom
A. Pharaohs Rule as Gods• Role of King in Egypt diff. from that in
Mesopotamia– Mesopotamia= kings represented gods– Egypt= kings were gods
• Egyptian kings became known as Pharaoh's– Pharaoh center of rel., gov’t, & army
• Egypt was theocracy= gov’t in which the ruler is a divine figure– Pharaoh causes sun to rise, Bile to flood, promote
truth & justice
B. Builders of the Pyramids• Pharoah had eternal spirit called
Ka who continued to govern after his death– Ks had needs & pleasures like the
living Pharaoh did• Pyramid= the Pharoahs resting
place after death• Old Kingdom was great age of
pyramid building– Before use of wheel
• Pyramids evidence of the strength of Egyptian gov’t, economy, and leadership needed to build them
III Egyptian CultureA. Religion & Life• Egyptians were polytheistic– Ra=sun god; Horus=god of light
(over 2000)• Egyptians, unlike
Mesopotamians, believed in an after life– Osiris weighs heart against a
scale…heavy with sin person eaten, lighter than feather went to afterlife
• Egyptians preserved dead person’s body by mummification– Mummification=embalming
and drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying
• Placed in tomb filled with items the person could use in afterlife
B. Life in Egyptian SocietyKing, Queen & Roya
l fam.Upper Class= gov’t
officials, priests, wealthy land owners
Middle Class= Merchants & artisans
Lower Class (largest class)= peasant farmers & unskilled laborers
• Eventually Egyptians begin to use slavery– Slaves captured from foreign wars
• Lower & middle classes could attain higher status by marriage or job success– Highest position requires ability to read and write
• Women had many rights that men had– Wealthy/middle class women could own & trade
property– Propose marriage & seek divorce
C. Egyptian Writing• Pictographs earliest versions
but eventually developed hieroglyphics– Hieroglyphics comes from Greek
word meaning “sacred carving”• Earliest form used picture to
represent idea• First written on clay tablets like
Mesopotamia but developed papyrus– Papyrus= paper like sheet made
by pressing papyrus reeds
D. Egyptian Science & Technology• Practical needs led to
incentions– System of written numbers for
countring adding and subtracting to collect taxes
– Early geometry to survey property boundaries
• 1st to use columns
• Egyptians developed calandar to keep track of floods & farming– Bright star Sirius appeared just
before the flood– 365 says before rising of Sirius &
flood– Calandar so close it was only 6
hrs off from true solar year• Knew how to check heart rate
by feeling for pulse• Splints for broken arms
IV Chariot Riders Invade• Power of Pharaohs decline making end of the
Old Kingdom– Eventually regain control during the Middle
Kingdom• Middle Kingdom end with invasion of Asian
nomadic chariot rider known as Hyskos• Egypt fell to Hyskos same time Mesopotamia
falling but unlike Mesopotamia ,Egypt rises again during the New Kingdom