Nile Civilizations
Section 3
The Nubian Kingdoms
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• The Region of Nubia
• The Growth of Kush
• Maps: Egypt and Kush
• Quick Facts: Egyptian Influences on Kushite Culture
• Later Kush
• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts
• Video: The Impact of the Egyptian Pyramids
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
The Nubian Kingdoms
Main Idea
One of ancient Africa’s most advanced civilizations, Kush
developed along the Nile south of Egypt in a region called Nubia.
Reading Focus
• What were the land and people of Nubia like?
• How did Kush grow into a major civilization?
• How did Kushite society change in its later period?
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
The Region of Nubia
Nubia located south of Egypt along the Nile
• Boundaries
– Blue Nile, White Nile flow together to form Nile
– Where rivers meet near Khartoum may have been southern
Nubian boundary
– Region stretched north to first cataract, Egypt’s southern
boundary
• Nubians depended on Nile
– Landscape made farming difficult
– Nile flows through rocky mountains in Nubia
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Nile Civilizations
The Region of Nubia
A Wealth of Resources
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Nubia had great mineral wealth
Mines produced gold, granite, precious stones
Location was also a valuable resource
Goods from central Africa to other lands flowed into Nubia
Goods traded through Nubia included animal skins, ivory, ebony, slaves
Nubia’s People
• Egyptian writings explain Nubia
• Nubians skilled potters, expert
traders and archers
• Egyptians called Nubia the Land of
the Nine Bows
• Some Egyptian rulers hired Nubian
archers as police, soldiers
Early History
• Nubia formed at same time as
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
• Nubia possessed great wealth
• Nubia and Egypt became rivals
• Egypt conquered Nubia during
Middle Kingdom
• Nubia adopted Egyptian culture
Nile Civilizations
Section 3
Compare and Contrast
How was Nubia similar to and different from
Egypt?
Answer(s): similar—both situated on the Nile,
depended on the river; different—in Egypt, the
Nile flows through rich farmland, in Nubia it flows
through rocky mountains, and farming is almost
impossible; Nubia produced valuable minerals that
could be traded
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
The Growth of Kush
Northern Nubia was controlled by Egypt during the Middle Kingdom,
while a powerful southern Nubian state called Kush began to develop.
Beginnings of Power
• Egypt’s Middle Kingdom
collapsed around 1700 BC
• Kush expanded to rule all
Nubia
– Alliance with Hyksos
– Trade increased
– Used wealth to build royal
tombs in Kerma
• New Kingdom Egyptians
conquered Kush, 1500 BC
Egyptians in Kush
• Egypt ruled 400 years
• Egyptian rulers built temples,
monuments throughout Kush
• Kush regained power after
reign of Ramses the Great
• Free of Egyptian control by
1100 BC
• Kushites weak, disorganized
after years of Egyptian control
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
The Growth of Kush
Kushites in Egypt
Piankhi
• New Kushite kingdom, 750
BC
• Described as compassionate
ruler, ruthless warrior
• Began to grow and
strengthen
• Conquered all of Egypt
• Kush’s rulers decided to
expand power to a
weakened Egypt after fall of
New Kingdom
• Piankhi led Kushites north
into Egypt
• Kushite rulers held power
only about a century
• Mid-600s BC, Assyrians
swept into Egypt, pushed
Kushite pharaohs back into
Nubia
Nile Civilizations
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Nile Civilizations
The Growth of Kush
Kushite Culture
• Kushite pharaohs, guardians of Egyptian tradition
– Had bodies mummified, buried in pyramids
– Adopted Egyptian hieroglyphics as writing system
• Did not abandon all their own customs
– Did not adopt Egyptian style of dressing
– Statues show distinctly Nubian features, clothing
– Statues show pharaohs wearing crown with two
cobras, symbol of union of Egypt and Kush
Nile Civilizations
Section 3
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Nile Civilizations
Summarize
How did the relationship between Kush and
Egypt change?
Answer(s): Egyptians drove the Hyksos out and
invaded Kush. As the New Kingdom weakened, Egyptian
power over Kush declined. After a few centuries, Kushites
pushed north into Egypt, eventually conquering all of it.
When the Assyrians swept into Egypt, the Kushites fled
back into Nubia.
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
Later Kush
There are few records for the period immediately following the Kushite
expulsion from Egypt. However in the mid-200s BC, the Kushites moved their
capital farther south along the Nile from Napata to Meroë. The scope of
change in culture was so great, some refer later Kush as a separate culture.
City of Meroë
• Near junction of
two rivers
Iron Industry
• Abundant mineral
resources nearby
Later Culture
• Abandoned some
Egyptian culture
• “Island of Meroë”
• Iron also plentiful
• Created own
writing system
• Homes of wood
from nearby forests
• Area home to many
species of wild
animals
– Most valuable
product
– Shipped in Nile
Valley
– Wealth supported
expansion
• Mysteries remain
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Role of women?
High status?
Female rulers?
Regents?
Nile Civilizations
Section 3
Decline of Meroë
• Economy strong as long as trade thrived
• Decline in trade began in 200s AD
• As economy declined, so did kingdom
• Aksum invaded, destroyed Meroë, 350 AD, Kushite civilization faded
Factors in Decline of Meroë
• Competition for goods reduced demands for Kushite exports
• Trade routes linking Meroë to outside world disturbed by raids
• Centuries of iron making took toll on Nubian forests
• Wood for forges to smelt iron no longer available
• Kushites could no longer work iron to make tools they needed
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
Analyze
How did Kushite civilization change after the
capital moved to Meroë?
Answer(s): abandoned many Egyptian traditions;
created own alphabet and writing system
Nile Civilizations
Section 3
Section 3
Nile Civilizations
Video
The Impact of the Egyptian Pyramids
Click above to play the video.