The Nile Valley
Chapter 2, Section 1, page 38
Chapter 2, Section 1 Objectives
• After this lesson, students will be able to:
– explain how Egyptian civilization arose in the fertile Nile
River valley and how natural borders discouraged
invasion.
– describe how Lower and Upper Egypt united into one
kingdom around 3100 B.C. that was organized into
social classes.
Settling the Nile – page 39
• Herodotus (5th century B.C.) – Egypt was the
“gift of the Nile”
• no Nile River = no Egyptian civilization
A Mighty River – page 39
• Nile River
– longest river in the world
(4,000 miles)
– begins as two different
rivers the Blue Nile and
White Nile
– flows northward to the
Mediterranean Sea
– Upper and Lower Egypt
A Mighty River – page 39
A Sheltered Land – page 39
• What made ancient
Egypt a sheltered land?
– cataracts (wild rapids
formed by boulders and
narrow cliffs) to the south
– deserts to the east and
west
– the delta to the north had
no natural harbors
– all equals a sort of natural
“fence” around Egypt that
provided protection
The River People – page 41
• regular flooding
– predictable and rarely
disastrous
– astronomy helped to predict
flood
– nilometers to measure
inundation
– provides fertile soil by
leaving deposits of silt
– Egyptians called their
land Kemet – means
“black land”
How Did the Egyptians Use the Nile? – page 41
• The Nile provided:
fish and game
drinking water
water for washing
water for agriculture
(irrigation and livestock)
– transportation (trade)
– recreation
– soil replenishment
–
–
–
–
What Were Hieroglyphics? – page 42
• papyrus – a reed plant used in papermaking and
boat building
• hieroglyphics – a system of writing developed
by the ancient Egyptians
A United Egypt – page 43
• kingdoms in Upper and
Lower Egypt (4000
B.C.)
• King Narmer, aka
Menes, credited with
uniting Upper and
Lower Egypt (c. 3100
B.C.)
– Palette of Narmer
Egypt’s Ruling Families – page 43
• dynasty – a line of rulers
that passes power from
father to son
– Egypt was ruled by 31
dynasties over around
2,800 years
– division into “kingdoms”
• Old Kingdom
• Middle Kingdom
• New Kingdom
Egypt’s Social Classes – page 45
PHAROAH
PRIESTS AND NOBLES
TRADERS, ARTISANS,
SHOPKEEPERS, AND SCRIBES
FARMERS AND HERDERS
UNSKILLED WORKERS
Egypt’s Social Classes – page 45
Egypt’s Social Classes – page 46
Egypt’s Social Classes – page 45
Egypt’s Social Classes – page 45
Family Life – page 46
• women
– had more rights than most
other early civilizations, e.g.
could obtain a divorce, own
and pass on property.
• children
– males learned trade from
father
– females taught how to run a
household from mother
– played with toys and played
board games
Chapter 2, Section 1 Questions
1. Why has Egypt been called “the gift of the Nile?”
2. What factors contribute to Egypt being described as “a
sheltered land?”
3. What did the Egyptians call their land? What does it
mean?
4. Name four of the seven things mentioned that the Nile
provided the ancient Egyptians.
5. What are hieroglyphics?
6. Who is credited with uniting Upper and Lower Egypt?
Egypt’s Old Kingdom
Chapter 2, Section 2, page 47
Chapter 2, Section 2 Objectives
• After this lesson, students will be able to:
– explain who ruled the Old Kingdom of Egypt.
– describe the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians
and the purpose of the pyramids they built.
Old Kingdom Rulers – page 48
• Old Kingdom (c. 2649 B.C.
to c. 2150 B.C.)
• pharaohs
– all powerful kings in ancient
Egypt
– considered a living god, and the
earthly link to the gods
– had to carry out certain
ceremonies and rituals
– his word was law and he was
obeyed without question
Egypt’s Religion – page 49
• extremely complex
• polytheistic - worshipped
many deities (gods and
goddesses)
– Re, the sun god, was
chief among them
• controlled forces of nature
and human activities
• some were associated with
animals
Life After Death – page 49
• ideas about a “soul”
• belief in a hopeful life after death
• Book of the Dead – collection of spells and prayers that
Egyptians studied to obtain life after death
• concept of judgment
Life After Death – page 49
• embalming and
mummification
– process to ensure the spirit
makes it to the Next World
– embalming – process
developed by the ancient
Egyptians of preserving a
person’s body after death
– mummification process
mummy – body that has
been embalmed and
wrapped in linen
Mummification Activity
After receiving your materials,
you should have the following:
• an apple quarter
• a measure of desiccant
• an empty solo cup
3. Pour the rest of
your desiccant on
top of the apple,
covering it
completely.
• a marker
• saran wrap
• a rubber band
Write the following on the
outside of your cup:
• group names
• desiccant/mixture used
• starting apple weight
4. Place the saran wrap on top of the
cup and secure it with a rubber band.
Bob, Sue, Jim
2. Lay your apple
quarter on its side
with a cut side flat
on the desiccant.
1. Pour just enough
of your desiccant in
the cup to cover the
bottom.
Salt/Epsom Salt
73 grams
What’s Inside? Activity
•
•
•
•
•
Can you tell what the item is made of?
Can you tell if there is more than one item?
Is it heavy or light?
Does it sound like it is large or small?
Is there anything else you can tell about it?
The Pyramids – page 50
• pyramid – huge stone structure built by the
ancient Egyptians to serve as a tomb
– offers protection and stores supplies for the journey to the afterlife
c. 2550 B.C.
c. 2630 B.C. c. 2600 B.C.
c. 2520 B.C.
c. 2600 B.C.
c. 2600 B.C.
c. 2490 B.C.
c. 2250 B.C.
The Pyramids – page 50
• early pit graves
• mastaba – large, mud
brick rectangular building
used to bury early kings
The Pyramids – page 50
• step pyramids
– King Djoser (reigned 2630
B.C. – 2611 B.C.)
– built by architect Imhotep
– first monumental royal tomb
and one of the oldest stone
buildings in Egypt
The Pyramids – page 50
• smooth-sided pyramids
– 90+ royal pyramids built
(including step pyramids)
How Was a Pyramid Built? – page 50
• massive amounts of labor
– laborers (farmers)
– skilled workers
– support
• no iron or wheels
• blocks of limestone were
quarried, moved on
boats/sleds/logs
• earthen ramps were used to
get the blocks up and in place
• average weight of blocks: 2.5
tons (5000 lbs.)
The Great Pyramid – page
• The Great Pyramid
– King Khufu, a.k.a. Cheops,
(ruled 2551 B.C. – 2528
B.C.)
– 500 feet tall
– 2 million blocks at an
average of 2.5 tons each
– the only Wonder of the
Ancient World that remains
standing
Extra Credit Assignment – 1st Nine Weeks
• Assignment: Construct, paint, and decorate an Egyptian
style obelisk, using materials described in the detail
worksheet, and turn in a photographic journal of the
process.
• Due date: No later than Friday, October 2, 2009.
• Points value: 20 points added to any test grade or
distributed to any number of the four test grades for this
nine weeks.
Chapter 2, Section 2 Questions
1. What were the god-kings of ancient Egypt called?
2. The collection of spells and prayers dealing with
the afterlife is known as the _____.
3. What is embalming?
4. Briefly describe the process of ancient Egyptian
embalming and mummification.
5. Who built the Great Pyramid?
6. How did the construction of pyramids lead to
advances in science and mathematics?
The Egyptian Empire
Chapter 2, Section 3, page 59
Chapter 2, Section 3 Objectives
• After this lesson, students will be able to:
– describe the culture and peace Egypt experienced
during the Middle Kingdom.
– describe the growth of Egypt during the New Kingdom
and the great monuments constructed during that
period.
The Middle Kingdom – page 60
• Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 B.C. to c. 1670 B.C.)
– golden age of stability, prosperity, and achievement
– Egypt conquered new lands
• tribute – forced payments made by one group or nation to
another to show obedience or to obtain protection
– the arts and literature blossomed
– Valley of the Kings begins to be the new burial place for
pharaohs
– Hyksos – people of western Asia, who conquered
the Egyptians and ended the Middle Kingdom period
The New Kingdom – page 61
• Ahmose – king who
drove the Hyksos from
Egypt and established
the New Kingdom period
• New Kingdom (c. 1550
B.C. to 1080 B.C.)
A Woman Ruler – page 62
• Hatshepsut
– married to her half brother,
Thutmose II
– served as a regent to her
stepson Thutmose III
– had herself crowned
pharaoh
– dressed as a man on
occasion
– concentrated on building
the economy through
trade
Expanding the Empire – page 62
• Thutmose III
– attempted to erase the
memory of Hatshepsut
– aggressive wars of
conquest
– regained control of Nubia
– power and wealth
A Religious Reformer – page 64
• Amenhotep IV
– Egyptian priests had too
much power
– attempted to reestablish
power by giving Egypt a
new religion
– declared there was only
one god, Aton, the sun disk
– changed name to
Akhenaton, means “Spirit
of Aton”
– changes didn’t stick
The Boy King – page 65
• Tutankhamen
– around 9 years old when he
took the throne
– restored the old gods
– died after about 9 years on
the throne (murdered?)
– most well known because
of the excavation of his
tomb
Film – King Tut’s Final Secrets
The End of the New Kingdom – page 65
• Ramses II
– one of the greatest of the
New Kingdom pharaohs
– groomed by his father Seti I
for leadership
– military efforts
• Battle of Kadesh
– first recorded peace treaty
in history
– ambitious builder
• Temple at Abū Simbel
Why Were Temples Built? – page 67
• houses for the gods
• rituals and offerings
• “banks”
Egypt’s Decline and Fall – page 67
• Why?
– internal divisions
– outside invasion
• Libyans
• “Sea Peoples” of the
Aegean
• Kushites (Nubia)
• Assyrians
• and so on…
Chapter 2, Section 3 Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Why has the Middle Kingdom been described as a “golden age of
stability, prosperity and achievement?”
What are forced payments made from one group to another to
show obedience called?
Who were the Hyksos? What did they do that was important?
What female ruler focused on building the economy through trade?
What did Amenhotep IV try to do during his reign?
True or False: Tutankhamen is best known for his lengthy reign.
Name the temple that Ramses II had constructed that had to be
moved in the 1960s to avoid being covered by water.
The Civilization of Kush
Chapter 2, Section 4, page 68
Chapter 2, Section 4 Objectives
• After this lesson, students will be able to:
– discuss how the Nubians settled to the south of Egypt
and built a civilization based on farming and trade.
– explain how Kush emerged as a leading power after it
learned iron-making skills.
Nubia – page 69
• Nubia (later known as
Kush)
– south of Egypt along
the Nile River
– probably settled by
herders c. 2000 B.C.
The Kingdom of Kerma – page 69
• Kerma
– close ties with Egypt
– trade meant wealth
• cattle, gold, ivory, slaves,
mercenary services, animal
skins, incense
• Egyptian invasion
– cultural diffusion
The Rise of Kush – page 70
• Kush
– sees opportunity when
Egypt was weakened
– Kashta and Piye
– 728 B.C. Piye founded
dynasty that rules both
Kush and Egypt
A New Capital – page 71
• Kushite rule ended by the
Assyrians
• Meroë
– trade
– iron making center
– Egyptian influences
Chapter 2, Section 4 Questions
1. Nubia lay (direction) of Egypt.
2. What kinds of items were traded between Nubia
and Egypt?
3. True or False. Piye established a dynasty that
ruled over both Nubia and Egypt.
4. True or False. Meroë became a trade and iron
making center.