Ancient Egypt
(and a little bit about the rest of Africa)
Chapter 3
Africa
• After the last Ice Age, most of the land that is
now the Sahara Desert was lush, with a
number of rivers and lakes.
• Many small villages around the area
• Climate change (desiccation) drove humans to
hospitable areas…such as the Nile Valley
Early Nile River Valley
• One of the world’s first
civilizations developed along the
banks of the Nile
– In northeastern Africa
– Nile = world’s longest river
– Flows North into the Med
• People of the Nile relied on the
river’s yearly floods to bring
them water
• Green Nile Valley = stark contrast
to deserts surrounding it on
either side
Early Nile River Valley
• Rich black soil in Valley = good for
farming – silt from Nile
• 5000 BCE = farmers began to settle
down in the Valley
– Grew cereal crops (wheat, barley)
– Hunted ducks & geese; fished
• Early Nile Valley people harvested
papyrus
– Used for rope, sandals, baskets, and
paper
Early Nile River Valley
Early farming villages
prospered --> WHY??
Because they were protected
from foreign invasions by
deserts and cataracts
(waterfalls) in the Nile
Strong leaders united the
farming villages into
kingdoms or monarchies
ruled by a king
The Beginning of Kingdoms
• “Ancient Egypt” refers to area from delta to
the first cataract
• “Nubia” (Kush) refers to area between first
and sixth cataracts
• Egypt’s floodplain was much larger
• Increased population density leads both to
create states and early governments
• As histories diverge, Nubia and Egypt remain
intertwined – trade and war
The Beginning of Kingdoms
By 4000 BCE, Egypt had 2 large
kingdoms
Lower Egypt (in the north)
Upper Egypt (in the south)
3000 BCE = Menes (king of Upper
Egypt) attacked Lower Egypt and
united the 2
Capital = Memphis
1st of the Egyptian dynasties
Egyptian dynasties divided into 3
periods: Old, Middle, New
The Old Kingdom
(2660 BCE to 2160 BCE)
• Kings seen as gods
– Called a theocracy = same person is
the political AND religious leader
– King gave many responsibilities to a
bureaucracy = groups of government
officials
– King controlled trade & taxes
– King supervised building of canals,
dams, grain storehouses – why are
storehouses important? How does
control of them symbolize importance
of the leader?
The Old Kingdom
(2660 BCE to 2160 BCE)
• Egyptians built
pyramids as burial
places for their kings
– Great Pyramids in Giza
– Seasonal labor
– King’s bodies were
mummified for
preservation – why?
Pyramids as Tombs
Mummification
The Middle Kingdom
• Local leaders began to
challenge the kings’ power,
which threatened peace
– 1st real threat to Egypt = invasion
by Hyksos (nomadic people from
western Asia)
– Hyksos swept through with new
tools for war --> bronze weapons
& horse-drawn chariots
– Easily conquered the Egyptians &
set up a new dynasty (for about
110 years)
The New Kingdom
(1550-1070 BCE)
Egyptian prince named
Ahmose raised an army &
drove the Hyksos out
Ahmose & those that
came after him used the
title pharaoh
Rebuilt Egypt & conquered
more land
The New Kingdom
1550-1070 BCE
• First female pharaoh – Hatshepsut
(1473-1458 BCE)
• Akhenaton – (1353-1335 BCE) brief
period of monotheism
• King Tut
• Larger army…conquered lands into
the Middle East creating a true
Empire.
• Wealthy period
• No longer built pyramids…burial in
the Valley of the Kings
King Tut’s Tomb
The New Kingdom
1200s BCE = Ramses II
(Ramses the Great)
Built large statues of
himself, temples, and
tombs
After his death, Egypt
weakened under
attacks from invaders
and resistance from
within Nubia and SW
Asia
Life in Ancient Egypt
Social Order
•
•
•
•
Far fewer “nobles” than in Mesopotamia
Many more “bureaucrats”
Professional military
Far more possibility for advancement
Life in Ancient Egypt
Families
In cities & upper class
= husband, wife,
children
Outside the city &
poor families = also
included
grandparents & other
relatives
Life in Ancient Egypt
Women
• In the beginning = property of
their husbands
• By the time of the Egyptian
Empire = they could own
property and divorce their
husbands; had more rights,
despite a still generally
patriarchal society
• Royal woman influenced policy
– regents, Hatshepsut
Life in Ancient Egypt
Religion
The ankh =
symbol of life
• Very important to early
Egyptians
• Polytheistic = believed in
more than one god
• Gods were often half
human, half animal
• Believed in an afterlife –
burial rituals reflect this
Some Egyptian Gods
Ra = Sun
God
Osiris = God
of the Dead
King of the
Gods
Horus =
Son of Isis
& Osiris
Anubis =
God of
Embalming
Isis = Queen
of the
Goddesses
Life in Ancient Egypt
Writing
• Used hieroglyphics (picture
symbols) for writing
• Few people could read or write –
scribes and priests
• Language remained a mystery
until discovery of the Rosetta
Stone in 1799
– (Greek writing matched the
hieroglyphs on the Stone)
Life in Ancient Egypt
Science
Developed a number system
Used geometry to calculate
volume and area
Created a 365-day calendar
Developed medical expertise
 used splints, bandages,
surgery, etc.
Life in Ancient Egypt
Economics
• Slower to adopt metal tools and weapons
• High cost of copper and tin made bronze
unavailable to most in society (even more so in
Nubia…but they discovered iron metallurgy
independently)
• Much trade – few natural resources except the
Nile
– Exported textiles and ornamental pieces
– Imported wood
Interactions
• Mesopotamia
• Nubia
• Sub-Saharan Africa –
Bantu-speakers
– Bantu migrations from westcentral Africa – like those of
Indo-Europeans – slow process of spreading
– Used canoes
– Had agriculture – population pressure might have
lead to migrations…brought this throughout Africa