Leadership
in
Class System in Ancient Egypt
PHARAOH
Earthly leader; considered a god
HIGH PRIESTS AND PRIESTESSES
Served gods and goddesses
NOBLES
Fought pharaoh’s wars
MERCHANTS, SCRIBES, AND ARTISANS
Made furniture, jewelry & fabrics for
pharaohs & nobles, & provided for other needs
PEASANT FARMERS AND SLAVES
Worked in the fields and served the pharaoh
Advances in Learning
Developed a form of picture
writing called hieroglyphics.
Doctors diagnosed and cured
illnesses, performed surgery, and
developed medicines still used
today.
Developed 12-month calendar on
which modern calendar is based.
Astronomers mapped
constellations and charted
movement of the
planets.
Developed practical geometry.
Skilled in design and engineering.
Advances in the Arts
Statues, paintings, and writings
tell us about ancient Egyptian
values and attitudes.
Developed painting style that
remained unchanged for
thousands of years.
Wrote hymns and prayers to the
gods, proverbs, love poems,
stories of victory in battle, and folk
tales.
Built pyramids and other great
buildings, such as temple of
Ramses II.
• Early Dynastic (2920-2575)- unification of upper and low
Egypt into a single Kingdom by Pharaoh Narmer
• Old Kingdom- (2575-2134 BC)- development of despotic
Pharonic dynasties- construction of Pyramids
• 1st Intermediate- (2134-2040 BC)- Chaos and disunity
• Middle Kingdom- (2040-1640 BC)- reestablishment of
Kingdom with Thebes as political center- beginning of
powerful cult of Amun
• 2nd Intermediate- (1640-1530 BC)- Hyksos invasion
• New Kingdom- (1530-1070 BC)- Imperial period
(Valley of the Kings)
• Late Period- (1070-332 BC)- decline of Kingdom;
conquest by Alexander the Great
OLD
KINGDOM
Pharaohs organized a
strong central state,
were absolute rulers,
and were considered
gods.
Egyptians built
pyramids at Giza.
Power struggles, crop
failures, and cost of
pyramids contributed
to the collapse of the
Old Kingdom.
MIDDLE
KINGDOM
Large drainage project
created arable
farmland.
Traders had contacts
with Middle East and
Crete.
Corruption and
rebellions were
common.
Hyksos invaded &
occupied the delta
region.
NEW
KINGDOM
Powerful pharaohs
created a large
empire
that reached the
Euphrates River.
Hatshepsut
encouraged trade.
Ramses II expanded
Egyptian rule to
Syria.
Egyptian power
declined.
Pharaohs
a sampling
King Menes
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<NARMER>
1st dynasty (of 30 dynasties)
King of Upper Egypt
United Upper & Lower Egypt
Combined two crowns
– White crown for Upper Egypt
– Red crown for Lower Egypt
+
=
C 3100 BC
ZOSER
<DJOSER>
c. 2650 BC
• 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom
• Responsible for world's 1st
known monumental stone building:
Steppe Pyramid at Saqqara
• Little known about Djoser, but
– Steppe Pyramid suggests that Egypt politically
stable-- successful economy
• Architect Imhotep,
– a priest and advisor
– first architect known by name in history
Khufu
<Cheops>
2551-2528
• Created largest pyramid at Giza
• 4th Dynasty
• Full name, Khnum-Khufwy, means
‘[the god] Khnum protect me.’
• Believed he was protected by higher power
• Gave him confidence/foresight to build
the Great Pyramid.
• Khufu’s father, King Sneferu, taught him the art of
pyramid building.
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut rules Egypt
“his majesty herself”
Married to Thutmose II
Regent for Thutmose III
Ruled 20 years on her own
Temple at Deir-el Bahri
Established trade routes to
Punt to make Egypt rich
1490-1469
Thutmose III
1490-1436
• Destroyed evidence of his
stepmother/ aunt
• Great military leader
• “Napoleon of Ancient
Egypt”
• 54 years of rule,
• Captured over 350 cities
• Buried in
Valley of the Kings
Amenhotep IV/ Akhenaten
• Changed Ancient Egyptian
Religion to Monotheism
• Took name Akhenaten,
means “Servant to Aten”
• Aten, god & disk of the sun
• Married to Nefertiti
• Father of Tutankhamun
• Considered heretic king
1353-1335
NEFERTITI
"And the Heiress, Great in the Palace, Fair of Face,
Adorned with the Double Plumes, Mistress of
Happiness, Endowed with Favors, at hearing whose
voice the King rejoices, the Chief Wife of the King, his
beloved, the Lady of the Two Lands, NeferneferuatenNefertiti, May she live for Ever and Always"
Nefertiti was active in the religious and
cultural changes initiated by her husband
~Some maintain she initiated the new religion
~She also had the position as a priest(ess)
Tutankhamun
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1333-1323
Known as the “Boy King”
Married one of his half sisters
Helped restore Egyptian polytheism
Took throne @ Nine
Died ~ 19 due to a head injury
Buried in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62)
Ramses II
1290-1224
• Known as
– Ramses the Great
• 200 wives
• 96 sons
• 60 daughters
• Lived for 96 years
• Originally buried in the Valley of the Kings
– but was moved to avoid looting
At time of Ramses III the world was going
through great upheavals.
Two principle wives plus many minor wives
Tiye, caused his destruction.
Plot to kill him with the aim of placing her son,
prince Pentaweret, on the throne.
She <and others> stirred rebellion used
magic wax images and poison as weapons.
Conspiracy failed, traitors arrested but not before Ramses was
mortally wounded.
Fourteen officials sat in judgment and all the accused
condemned to commit suicide.
Ramses died before the trial was completed.
The Last Great Pharaoh - Ramses III
1187-56 BC
Thank You