Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 World’s longest river – flows north into the Mediterranean Sea
 Hunters and gatherers moved there between 6000 B.C. and 5000 B.C.
 The river provided water for drinking, cooking, bathing and farming
 Also provided fish and supported wildlife (plants and animals)
 Divides into branches near the Mediterranean Sea
 These branches create an area of fertile soil called a delta

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 NRV is surrounded by desert
 The Western desert to the west, part of the Sahara Desert
 The Eastern desert to the east
 Deserts were useless, except for protection from invading armies
 Rare threats from outsiders resulted in the growth of Egypt
 Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea provided trading routes

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 Egyptians also experienced periodic (annual) river floods
 Floods were more manageable and gentle
 Resulted in easier and predictable farming
 Early Egyptians credited a god named Hapi for the flooding
 The flooding was actually caused by heavy Spring rains in Central
Africa and melting snows from the mountains in East Africa
 Egyptians planted wheat, barley and flax seeds in the wet, rich soil left behind from the floods

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 The Egyptian farmers were also very successful at irrigation
 Built basins to trap floodwaters and canals to carry water to fields
 Papyrus, a reed plant, was used to make baskets, sandals, and rafts
 Later papyrus was used to make paper
 Egyptians developed their own system of writing called hieroglyphics
 Form of writing made up of hundreds of picture symbols
 Hieroglyphics were carved into stone walls and monuments, however, papyrus was used for everyday purposes

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 Skilled farming led to surpluses
 Freed some people to become artisans, weaving cloth or making pottery, tools and weapons
 Initiated trading with one another and Mesopotamians
 Rise in population, farming and trading created a need for government
 Small village chiefs united to form small kingdoms
 Stronger kingdoms eventually took over forming two large kingdoms

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 Two kingdoms – 4000 B.C.
 Lower Egypt – Nile delta
 Upper Egypt – Southern region of Nile river valley
 Dynasty – line of rulers from one family
 Ancient Egypt ruled by 31 dynasties over 2,800 years

Ancient Egypt
The Nile River Valley
 Egypt’s Social Classes
 Pharaohs (Egyptian kings)
 Priests and nobles (wealthy government officials)
 Traders, artisans, and shopkeepers
 Unskilled workers and farmers (made up the largest group)
 Men were the head of the family
 Women had more rights than women of other civilizations
 Women could own property, buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain divorces

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Lasted from around 2600 B.C. to 2300 B.C.
 Kings (or pharaohs) and their families lived in grand palaces
 Pharaoh means “grand house”
 Pharaoh’s officials - key to the kingdom’s prosperity
 Oversaw construction/maintenance of the city
 For example, irrigation canals and grain storehouses
 Ensured crops were planted and harvested
 Controlled trade and collected taxes

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Egyptian’s showed great respect and honor to the pharaoh
 Two reasons:
 Believed the unity of the kingdom depended on a strong leader
 Considered the pharaoh to be the son of Re, the sun god
 Sun god was very important to bring good harvests
 Egyptian’s were very religious
 Worshipped many deities (gods and goddesses)
 Hapi, Re, Isis (loyal wife and mother), Osiris (husband)
 Believed deities controlled human activities and nature

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Life after death
 Believed life would be better in the afterlife (peace and plenty)
 Book of the Dead – a collection of spells and prayers Egyptians studied to obtain life after death
 For centuries, believed only pharaohs and an elite few could be granted life after death
 Believed the pharaoh’s spirit needed a body to make the journey to the afterlife

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Life after death, continued…….
 Embalming – process developed to protect the pharaoh’s dead body
 Mummy – the body wrapped in long strips of linen (cloth)
 Resulted in the advancement of medicine
 Used herbs and drugs to treat illnesses
 Grew skilled at sewing up cuts and setting broken bones
 Wrote first medical books on scrolls of papyrus

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Pyramids
 Tombs for pharaohs
 Built entirely of stone
 Size of several city blocks
 Held supplies the pharaoh might need in the afterlife
 Clothing, furniture, food, and jewelry
 Building a pyramid
 Most work was done by farmers during flood season
 Also had surveyors, engineers, carpenters, and stonecutters
 Resulted in advancement of mathematics and astrology

Ancient Egypt
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
 Pyramids
 Great Pyramid – built in 2540 B.C.
 Built for King Khufu
 Largest and grandest
 500 feet tall
 Contains 2 million stone blocks, each weighing 2.5 tons
 Tallest structure in the world for 4,000 years

Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian Empire
 The Middle Kingdom
 Lasted from 2050 B.C to 1670 B.C.
 New dynasty of pharaohs came to power, restoring order after
200 years of confusion and unrest
 Period of peace, stability, prosperity and achievement
 In addition, Egypt took control of more lands, added waterways and dams and built a canal from the Nile River to the Red Sea

Chapter 2
Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian Empire
 The Middle Kingdom
 Hyksos – warriors from western Asia who conquered Egypt around 1670 B.C.
 Ruled Egypt for about 150 years
 Egyptian prince, Ahmose, led uprising that drove the Hyksos out
 Ahmose’s reign began period known as the New Kingdom

Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian Empire
 The New Kingdom
 Lasted from 1550 B.C. to 1080 B.C.
 Continued to gain more land and become even more powerful