The Kingdom of Kush was one of the earliest civilizations on the Nile River. During the 25th Dynasty of Egypt in 1070 BC, an Assyrian invasion drove the Nubian pharaohs from power. They retreated to Napata and began the Kingdom of Kush. They thrived while Egypt suffered through many invasions from hostile neighbors including the Assyrians, Persians, and Greeks. In the 6th century BC, Napata was threatened so they moved further south and established their capital at Meroe. The new location was even better because it was at the crossroads of the African trade route and caravan trails from the Red Sea. The land was also fertile and rich with gold and iron ore. This made the Kush wealthy trading partners. They traded gold and iron ore with Egypt for wine, papyrus, bronze and olive oil. Egypt was their biggest trading partner. The Kush culture blended Egyptian customs and religion with their own. Meroits were excellent gold workers. They built beautiful temples, palaces, and royal baths in their capital. Like the Egyptians they buried their leaders in pyramids and tombs. There are more than 200 Kush pyramids in the Sudan. These pyramids are simpler and smoother. They are tall, slender, and magnificent. They were faced with bricks instead of stone, covered with plaster, and painted. Historians also think there may have been an ornamental sculpture topping their pyramids that was lost over time. The Kingdom of Kush had several ruling Queens. The Kings and Queens enforced the laws, but they did not make the laws. The priests made the laws. Citizens of the Kingdom of Kush had a say in who served as their leaders and women played an important role in the ruling classes. The Kush worshipped many of the same gods as Egyptians, but also had a few unique just to them. They believed the goddess Isis was the mother of all gods. The Kingdom of Kush had a written form of language similar to the Egyptians’ hieroglyphics. Not much of it remains to be seen, so most of their history has been told by outsiders. The Kingdom of Kush thrived for many centuries, but they made some mistakes with their farming practices leading to bad harvests. The Egyptian Kingdom was in a downturn as well, so trade was not good. The Kingdom of Kush collapsed in 350 AD due to starvation, a decline in their economy, and invasions from the north and south. Answer the following questions: 1.How did the Kingdom of Kush begin? 2.In the reading highlight the reasons Meroe was a great capital for the Kingdom of Kush. 3.Describe 4 customs the Kushites had in common with ancient Egyptians. 4.What belief enabled women to serve as leaders more often in the Kingdom of Kush? 5. In the reading underline how Kushite pyramids were different from Egyptian pyramids. 6. What three things led to the collapse of the Kingdom of Kush? 7.Choose one of the following to complete: Option 1: Write a short paragraph below to compare and contrast the political, commercial, and cultural relationship between Ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush. Option 2: Use the chart provided to compare and contrast the political, commercial, and cultural relationship between Ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush. Ancient Egypt Political Commercial Cultural Both Kingdom of Kush
