Unit 2 Chapter 4 Lesson 1 p.134-139
Nile River Valley
Civilization
Egypt: “Gift of the Nile”
Objectives
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Describe the location and geography
of the Nile River
Explain how geography affected the
political, economic, and religious
structures of the early civilization of
Egypt.
Vocabulary
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Delta- triangular piece of rich land
formed from soil deposited at the
mouth of the river
Cataracts- waterfalls
Arid- dry desert (Sahara)
Predict- tell in advance (predict
flooding)
Afterlife- life after death
Land of the Nile
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Worlds longest river
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Flows north from east-central Africa to the
Mediterranean Sea
4160 miles long
Lower Egypt
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Lies at the mouth of the Nile River at
the Mediterranean Sea
Mainly considered the Nile Delta
Lower Egypt
Upper Egypt
• South, higher land to south of Cairo
• 1st cataract (rapids) to where river fans
out
Nile Valley
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Follows the river for 600 miles
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Narrow and fertile land
Deserts and Cataracts
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Nile runs between desert cliffs in a
series of 6 cataracts (waterfalls)
Sahara Desert
• Arid or dry land
• Land near the Nile was fertile enough to
grow crops such as wheat and barley
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Heavy Rainfall caused floods
• Rivers overflowed their banks
• Deposited silt making the soil fertile for
farming
Controlling the Nile
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A. Droughts led to starvation
1. When there was not enough rainfall to
overflow the banks, the land would dry up
B. Floods led to drowning
1. people
2. crops
C. Irrigation to advance farming
1. Egyptians built ditches to bring water to their
fields
2. built dams and dikes to control flooding
3. stored water in ponds or pools
Controlling the Nile
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D. Government Control and Authority
1. Government officials supervised all aspects
of irrigation and farming
2. Egyptian leaders authority was based on
their ability to provide water for crops
3. Large harvest surpluses were stored
a. used in times of droughts
b. used to feed laborers on public works
projects
A Source of Religion
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III. A Source of Religion
A. To find order in the world around them, Egyptians
created stories to explain natural events
1. Gods or Goddesses controlled a specific part
of nature
a. Egyptians developed beliefs in many
Gods
b. Like the Sumerians, Egyptians formed a
polytheistic religion
A Source of Religion
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Ra, the sun God
1. Egyptians believed the sun was a god who
was born each day and died each night
a. this led to the Egyptians belief in the
after life
Hapi, God of the Flood
1. Egyptians held ceremonies hoping he would
reward them with good harvests
Osiris, The God of the Next World
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City Gods
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1. As a city grew more important, so did its god
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Hapi: God
of the Flood
Osiris: God of
Next World
Ra: Sun God
Toward Civilization
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A. By 3100 BC, Egyptians were developing advanced
civilizations
1. Temples to worship their Gods
2. Stone tombs to hold the bodies of rulers who
had died
a. Wrote on the temples and tombs
3. Made pottery and painted scenes of daily life
on it
4. Mined copper for tool making and gold for
decorative art
B. Farming made advances elsewhere possible
1. Surpluses were carried by donkeys into towns
to trade
Toward Civilization
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C. Trade
1. Sinai Peninsula was crossroads for traders
from Egypt and southwestern Asia
2. The Nile River served as a highway connecting
Egyptian settlements
a. Built ships to navigate the river
i. made of wood (from Lebanon)
ii. Sails helped to travel against the
rivers current
iii. All of the Nile (except the cataracts of
Nubia) could be traveled and traded on
D. Trade Leads to Cities
1. Trade centers emerged as separate cultures
and powers
a. By 3100 BC, Egypt had two kingdoms:
i. Lower Egypt
ii. Upper Egypt
Geography
ADVANTAGE
Advantage over Mesopotamian
civilizations:
Nile River very predictable in flooding.
Tigris/Euphrates Rivers very
unpredictable.
Geography
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Flooding
• Yearly flooding in July
• Rain and melted snow traveled from
central-east Africa
Navigation
• Drift North towards the delta
• Sail south with the wind
Geography
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Natural Barriers
• The desert surroundings reduced
contact with other civilizations
• The desert also provided a natural
barrier that shut out invaders
Summary
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The physical setting of the Nile River
supported permanent settlements and an
early civilization in Egypt.
The Egyptians developed agricultural
techniques, such as irrigation, along the
Nile River
It was these techniques that permitted the
Egyptians to grow surplus food.
Over time, Egyptian trade in surpluses
allowed the growth of cities
Review Questions
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What are the major features of the
Nile River?
Where were the only two locations
that the early Egyptians could grow
crops of wheat and barley?
Why is land in Northern Egypt called
Lower Egypt?
Review Answers
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What are the major features of the Nile River?
DELTA, VALLEY, and CATARACTS
Where were the only two locations that the early Egyptians
could grow crops of wheat and barley?
ON THE FERTILE LANDS OF THE NILE DELTA AND THE
NILE VALLEY
Why is land in Northern Egypt called Lower Egypt?
IT WAS LOWER IN ELEVATION THAN THE LAND IN
SOUTHERN EGYPT
How did ancient Egyptians
control the flooding waters of
the Nile?
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Used irrigation ditches, dams and
dikes. (See image on page 136).
Review
How did the unpredictability of the Nile’s
floods affect early Egyptians’ religious
beliefs?
Lead the Egyptians to believe that gods and goddesses
were responsible for events in nature
How did boats make nearly all the Nile
usable for trade?
With the addition of sails, boats were able to sail upstream
against the current and almost all the Nile could be used for
trade.
How did trade along the Nile support the
growth of Egypt?
It led to the formation of cities and kingdoms
Social Hierarchy