Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
• Where was this?
– Ancient Egypt was located in modern Egypt along
the Nile River.
– There were two places in Ancient Egypt.
– The Black Land
– The Red Land
– The Black land was next to the Nile, very fertile,
and supplied food.
– The Red Land was located away from the river was
dry, but also had natural resources they used.
Ancient Egypt
When did Ancient Egypt exist?
• 3500 BC – 600 AD
• http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/time/explore/
main.html
Characteristics of Ancient Egypt
• Religion
• They were polytheistic –
worshipped many gods.
• Also, they built temples out of
stone in honor of their gods.
• Amen (Amon) - Later Amen-ra
was the father of all the gods.
• He is represented in art by a
man or a sun.
• His sacred animals are a goose
and a ram.
Characteristics of
Ancient Egypt
• Mummification
• Then they started
embalming people
and wrapping them http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/02/ancientin cloth strips which egyptians-pyramid-stones-video_n_5248092.html
would preserve their
bodies.
• Pyramids were built
to house the bodies
of Pharaohs and their
queens.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unc
overing-secrets-of-the-sphinx-5053442/?no-ist
Book of the Dead
Collection of spells, hymns, and prayers intended to secure a
safe passage to the underworld for the deceased
Characteristics of Ancient Egypt
• Daily Life
• It revolved around the Nile which had yearly
floods which brought fertile soil.
• People made their homes out of mud-bricks
• Most people worked as field hands, farmers,
craftsmen, and scribes.
• The river brought harvest and wealth to them.
Characteristics of Ancient Egypt
• Writing
• They believed it was important to
communicate information about religion and
government.
• They used something called hieroglyphics – a
writing system using picture symbols.
• Wrote on papyrus (kind of like paper)
• This helped preserve their culture.
Economics
• Egyptians were farmers
along the Nile which
was very fertile
creating a surplus of
food.
• Specialization of labor
–
–
–
–
–
Bread and beer making
Harvesting papyrus
Sailing merchant vessels
Herding animals
Making goods
The Nile Floodplain
Characteristics of Ancient Egypt
• Pharaoh
• The leader of Ancient Egypt was known an
Pharaoh.
• He owned all the land and was responsible for
laws, collecting taxes, and defense.
• He was also their spiritual leader who built
temples and performed rituals to honor gods.
2
Social Structure
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, and fabrics for
pharaohs and nobles, and provided for other needs
PEASANT FARMERS AND SLAVES
Worked in the fields and served the pharaoh