Welcome to Egypt! Hi! My name is Sphinxy, your tour guide through the gift of the Nile. I ll show you all you need to know about the ancient kingdom of Egypt. (other than me) the Nile River. But before we talk about anything else, we have to talk about the most important thing in Egypt The Nile is the longest river in the world, and perhaps the most important. Though the Nile cuts through the desert, it begins in the mountains of Central Africa. The Nile flows throughout the year. In July, however, when the rainy season begins far south of Egypt, and the snows of winter melt out of the mountains, a rush of water sends the Nile into a severe flood upriver. For several months each year, the banks of the Nile in Egypt become part of the river! Luckily, the flooding is very predictable and occurs on almost the same day year to year. Even though these floods can be very destructive, they are very good for the people of Egypt. When the flood waters recede, the land is left covered with silt that allows farmers to grow incredible amounts of food. Without the floods, the people of Egypt would starve. Key question: What advantage did Egyptians farmer have over Mesopotamian farmers?
Egyptian Geography Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa, next to Asia. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Most of Egypt is part of the Sahara desert. This vast desert prevented invasion and allowed Egypt to develop a unique culture. Through the center runs the Nile River. All the people in Egypt live by the Nile. The river also divides Egypt into Upper and Lower regions. Lower Egypt is the part of Egypt within the Nile Delta. ABC-CLIO A delta is a fertile, triangularshaped region where a river empties into the sea. Upper Egypt is the region from the delta south to the First Cataract (a barrier in the river that boats cannot cross). Be careful! Upper and Lower Egypt are named because of the elevation that s why the river flows from Upper Egypt (the south) into Lower Egypt (the north). Key Questions: Why is the Nile so essential for Egyptians? What physical advantage did Egypt have over Mesopotamia when it came to protection from invaders?
Egyptian Trade People began living near the Nile at least 7000 years ago, forming their own villages and cultures. The people were separated into two main groups. The people of Lower Egypt lived in the Nile delta region, the northern part of the river near the Mediterranean Sea. Here the river spreads out and creates a triangle-shaped area of land where people can live and farm. Most people in Egypt were farmers. Egyptian farmers grew barley, wheat, vegetables, figs, and melons. The fertile soil provided by the Nile s annual floods allowed for a surplus of food (surplus means extra). Egypt was close to Mesopotamia and a number of important trade routes, such as the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. They traded with the Mesopotamians and with nomadic groups in the area. Egyptians also traded south along the Nile River with the Nubians. The Nubians provided gold, ivory, granite, and cattle in trades with Egypt. Trade on the Nile was easy! While the Nile flows north, the winds in Egypt mainly blow south. This makes the Nile perfect for boats and trade. All this trade led to cultural diffusion! For example, the Egyptians probably did not invent farming on their own, but learned it from the Mesopotamians.
Menes Unites Egypt For a long time, Egypt was divided into Lower and Upper regions of the Nile River. As a result, the two regions originally developed separate rulers, though they were culturally similar. Around 3100 BC, one strong ruler was able to unify Upper and Lower Egypt. His name was Menes (pronounced like meanies ), and he created Egypt s first dynasty. [Jon Bodsworth/The Egypt Archive]; ABC-CLIO The pottery pictured above shows an early depiction of Menes. Note the shape of his crown that s important! Menes united Egypt with both force and diplomacy. To bring the people together, and to symbolize his new rule, Menes combined the traditional crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt into a red and white double crown. Later, the kings of Egypt became known as pharaohs. The pharaohs were more than just kings, they were like gods! With the same person controlling Egyptian religion and government, Egypt became a theocracy. Religion was a very important part of their life. Key Question: Why were Egyptian pharaohs more powerful than Mesopotamian kings?
Egyptian Religion With the pharaohs as god-kings, it is clear that religion was very important in ancient Egypt. But the Egyptians also had many immortal gods. In all, there were more than 2,000 gods and goddesses. The Egyptians believed that their pharaohs were sent by the gods to help the people of Egypt by making the sun rise and the river flood. They even believed that the pharaoh continued to rule after he died! The afterlife was a big part of Egyptian religion. Egyptians believed that you could take important possessions with you to the afterlife. This meant more than money and toys, it also meant your body! So, when an Egyptian died, his friends and family would take care of the body and bury it with the important things it would need for all eternity. Mummification In order to prepare bodies for the afterlife, Egyptians would mummify the dead. Pictured above: a scene from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. [Jon Bodsworth/The Egypt Archive]; ABC-CLIO Mummification is a process of preserving a body using spices and chemicals, removing and preserving the internal organs, and wrapping the body in linen. This prevented the body from rotting, and allowed it to enjoy the afterlife.
The Pyramids Egyptians believed that their pharaohs were gods and would continue to rule from the afterlife (the afterlife is an important part of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs). As a result, Egyptian pharaohs wanted elaborate and lavish palaces both in this life and in the next. These tombs were the famous pyramids. Egyptian math, science, and architecture was very advanced in order to build these gigantic pyramids. The pyramids are some of the oldest structures on the planet still standing over 4000 years old! The Egyptians mined incredible amounts of stone to build some of the oldest These gigantic pyramids were only the tip of the iceberg most of the structure was deep below ground, where the pharaoh and his family would be buried and would rule in the afterlife. Key Question: What was the purpose of the pyramids?
Egyptian Society All people in Egypt were subjects of the pharaoh and the government. The Egyptians liked order and developed a written language, called hieroglyphics, in order to keep records and perform religious tasks. These records were important because the government would store surplus food and distribute it to the people in years of famine. In exchange, the people paid taxes and also worked on large building projects (like the pyramids) while their fields were flooded. Fittingly, Egypt s society was like a social pyramid. Pharaoh Government officials, army officers, priests Merchants, artisans Peasant farmers and laborers Women had most of the same rights as men, and all people could move up the social pyramid. At some times in Egypt s history, there were large numbers of slaves, including the Hebrews. Slaves were often captured in wars and were used for massive building projects. Egyptian hieroglyphics were complicated, so scribes and government officials who could write were highly valued. Priests were also important because of the centrality of religion.
Egyptian Achievements Ancient Egyptians were very scientific and they developed some important intellectual and technological breakthroughs. The Egyptians invented their own written language, a pictographic language known as hieroglyphics. More on hieroglyphics The Egyptian language at first used pictures to stand for concepts. Later, the pictures represented sounds like our alphabet. The Egyptian alphabet was not translated until the Rosetta Stone was discovered. [Corel]; ABC-CLIO Egyptians also invented a form of paper called papyrus using reeds that grew by the Nile. In order to make their gigantic building projects possible, the Egyptians developed numbers, mathematics, and advanced geometry. Mathematics was also useful for the extensive records that were kept about the flooding of the Nile and the position of the sun. Using this information, the ancient Egyptian solar calendar that was only a few hours off of our modern year! Not bad for people who didn t have computers, calculators, or telescopes. Along with mummification, Egyptian medical science was advanced, including techniques for surgery.
Decline of Egypt Egyptian history is divided into Kingdoms. Menes founded the first Egyptian dynasty around 2925 BCE, but he was a king and not a pharaoh. The first pharaohs ruled around 2575 BCE, which marks the beginning of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. The Old Kingdom was the time of pyramid construction and lasted about 400 years. This period was interrupted after a famine weakened the power of the pharaohs. They resumed control with the Middle Kingdom in about 1938 BCE. Around1640 BCE, the Middle Kingdom was overrun literally by chariot-riding invaders known as the Hyksos. This marked the end of the River Valley time period in Egypt. However, the pharaohs would rise again!