Ancient Egypt OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NILE RIVER TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.
Early Kingdom Around 3100 BC, King Menes, the ruler of Upper Egypt, conquered the Nile Delta and Lower Egypt to unite Egypt. He established his capital at Thinis. Rulers were called pharaohs. They were believed to be both man and god. By 2650 BC, the pharaohs moved the capital to Memphis. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Societal Structure Pharaoh levied taxes, regulated agriculture, and exercised control over the water system. Nobility, priests, and governors supervised the execution of the laws in various districts. Majority of the farmers were free and possessed cattle and their own equipment. Strict class stratification did not exist. Women had almost equal rights as men in Egypt.
Skills and Learning Egyptians produced textiles, jewelry, papyrus, glass, and metal objects of gold, silver, and copper for trade. Scribes taught children in writing, mathematics, mechanics, medicine, astronomy, and politics. Developed a twelve month calendar of thirty days each. Egyptian form of writing was called hieroglyphs (pictures were used to represent complete words or concepts). Recorded records on papyrus, stone, brick and clay tablets.
Art Many paintings and sculptures have been found in temples and tombs. The first pyramid was built in 3000 BC by Imhotep, who was an adviser and architect of the pharaoh. The Great Pyramid of Khufu was build in 2600 BC. Pyramids were an expression of the Egyptian attitude toward life, death, and life after death. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Industry and Trade Majority of citizens worked in agriculture, by raising wheat, barley, vegetables, grapes, cattle, and fowl. Farming depended on the yearly floods of the Nile. Eventually an irrigation system was used. Other citizens mined copper, worked stone and made bricks, produced cloth, glass, bronze, and pottery. For the most part, Egypt traded with nearby regions such as Nubia, Syria and Crete. Used barter system for trade.
Religion Polytheistic Tombs were often filled with furnishings and riches for the afterlife. Mummification of kings, queens, nobles, and the rich. Gods included Horus, Ra, and Amen as the sun gods, Osiris as the Nile, and Isis the goddess of motherhood and fertility. Gods were represented as animal or part-animal forms. For Egyptians, death was not the end but one of the transformations in life s natural cycle. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY- SA
Middle Kingdom Old Kingdom ended around 2300 BC, with the death of Pharaoh Pepi II. Around 2000 BC, order was reestablished and a strong central authority returned. Capital was moved from Memphis to Thebes, which was more centrally located. A canal was built to connect the Nile and the Red Sea. In culture, priorities shifted from art to science. Mathematics and practical activities, like construction and mining, increased.
New Kingdom Hyksos conquered the Egyptians and ruled for about 200 years. Ahmose I overthrew the Hyksos rulers and reunited Egypt. He replaced mercenaries with a Egyptian army and helped revive the bureaucracy. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Thutmose III and Amenhotep III Hatshepsut, served as Queen while Thutmose III was young. When Thutmose III became of ruling age, he ruled solely. Starting in 1482 BC, Thutmose III expanded the empire into Canaan, Phoenicia, and Syria. Amenhotep III expanded the empire to its greatest size around 1380 BC, by pushing the borders southward and eastward. He expanded trade to the Hittites, Phoenicians, and other tribes of Syria and Crete.
Akhenaten and Monotheism Akhenaten built a temple to Aten and established Aten as the sole god. He forbade worship of other gods and reduced the priestly power and wealth. Moved the capital from Thebes to Akhenaton and gave up territories that he considered nonbeneficial. Akhenaten sponsored schools, expanded the sciences, literary work, and fine arts.
Decline of New Kingdom Akhenaten failed to defend boarders and let valuable territories be taken away. After his death, Tutankhamen became the pharaoh of Egypt around 1361 BC. King Tut reestablished polytheism and gave the priest back their old power. Invaders took much of the territory of Egypt during this time. About 1170 BC, Rameses II briefly took back much of the Egyptian lands and increased Egyptian power. But after his death, his successors relied on mercenaries which led to the end of the New Kingdom in 1085 BC.
Assignment Document based Activity 13,14.