Egypt
Notable Locations
• Memphis
• Thebes
• Nile River
Pharoah’s Hat
Beginning of the
Egyptian Empire
• First settlements appeared 7,000 years ago
in the Nile Valley
• The Nile flooded every year
• The floods brought fertile soils and an
abundance of water
Growth
• Slowly, small towns formed throughout Egypt
• Towns joined together to form small kingdoms
• Kingdoms joined to form two nations
• Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt
• Upper Egypt referred to Southern Egypt
• Lower Egypt referred to Northern Egypt
Unification – 5000 years ago
• King Narmer of Upper Egypt conquered
Lower Egypt
• Memphis was the capital of his unified
kingdom
• Each ruling family was called a dynasty
• Rulers were Kings AND Gods
• Rulers were absolute rulers
• Rulers had governmental
officials to help them
• Began the tradition of
mummification and
constructing pyramids
Old Kingdom
• 150 years of civil war
• The country was split with
many local leaders
• A New king reunited the
kingdom again
• The capital was moved to
Thebes
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom
• Renewed civil war
• Invasion from the Hyksos
• Hyksos were desert people that
were more advanced than the
Egyptians
• Egypt eventually drove them
away and started the new
kingdom
• The kings were then referred to
as Pharaohs
• Egypt became an empire
• Expanded territory, power and
wealth
• Ramses III started a war that
ended Egypt’s glory
• Egypt was weakened, and ruled
by various foreign powers
Famous Pharaohs
Hatshepsut
• Female Pharaoh
• Wore men’s clothing
• Ruled for 20 years
• The economy expanded under her rule
• The arts blossomed
• She became Pharaoh when she married a pharaoh
and their son was too young to rule
• She disappeared when Thutmose III rose to power
Thutmose III
• Became pharaoh after Hatshepsut
• Military Genius
• Never lost a battle
• Expanded Egyptian territory
• Tried to erase Hatshepsut’s history
• Many obelisks were built under his rule
Tutankhamen
• The youngest Pharaoh
• His Uncle ruled for him until Tutankhamen was
considered old enough
• Died at the age of 18 under unknown
circumstances
• Uncle regained the throne afterwards
• Tutankhamen’s tomb was the most complete
tomb today
• It was untouched by grave robbers
• Nicknamed “The Great”
• One of the longest living
rulers
• Ruled for 67 years
• Lived over 80 years (Average
lifespan was 40)
• Many structures were built
under his rule
• Had many wives and 100+
children
Ramses II
Hieroglyphs