The Nile River
Chapter 5, Lesson 1
The Nile River
► While
Mesopotamia had civilizations rise and fall,
two other Civilizations flourished in northeastern
Africa.
 Egypt in the northern part of the Nile River
valley.
 Kush in the Southern part of the Nile River
valley.
► Each culture was unique but they did influence
each other throughout their long history.
Valley Civilization
► The
Nile River valley was ideal for human
settlement because it had fertile land.
 As early as 5000 B.C., Hunter-Gatherer groups
from dry places in Africa and Southwest Asia
began to move there.
 The settlements were permanent villages and
farmed along the Nile River banks.
 These people were the earliest Egyptians and
Kushites.
Valley Civilization
► The
Egyptians in the northern region of the
Nile River valley called their land Kemet
(“black land”).
 Named so because of its dark, rich soil.
 It will eventually be renamed Egypt.
 Most are most familiar with Egypt and still
marvel at its remains today.
 The remains include Pyramids, The Sphinx, and
Mummies who were buried in tombs with
riches.
Valley Civilization
► These
structures survived this long because Egypt
has a hot and dry climate.
► Egypt received very little rainfall.
 Relied on the Nile River for bathing and
drinking.
► The river was also necessary for growing crops.
 Egyptians believed that the Nile was the “creator
of all good.”
 It is the world’s longest river flowing 4,000 miles
from Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
 It is sometimes referred to as the “lifeblood” of
Egypt.
Valley Civilization
► At
the source, the Nile is two separate
rivers.
 The Blue Nile – Begins in the snowy mountain
of Africa.
 The White Nile – Begins in the tropics of central
Africa.
► The
two rivers join south of Egypt and
become one.
 At that location are steep cliffs and boulders.
 It forms cataracts (fast-moving waters) which
make traveling by ship difficult.
A Protected Land
► As
with many rivers, the Nile’s flow
throughout the centuries carved out a
valley.
 Shortly before the Nile reaches the
Mediterranean Sea it splits into many braches.
 They are marshlands called a delta.
A Protected Land
The Nile Valley and delta also contrast strongly to the
barren deserts on either side of the river.
 The change can be so sudden that you can have
one foot on fertile soil and the other in barren sand.
► The Nile borders the largest deserts in the world.
 To the west is the Libyan desert, part of the
Sahara.
 To the east is the Eastern desert that extends to
the Red Sea.
 Called these deserts the Red Land because of their
scorching heat.
► It was not favorable to humans or animals but it did
keep Egypt isolated from outside invaders
►
A Protected Land
►
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Other physical features protected Egypt as well.
 The south had the cataracts, which prevented enemy
ships from sailing into the Nile.
 The North had the delta marshes which prevented
invaders who sailed from the Mediterranean Sea.
These features gave Egypt an advantage the Mesopotamians
did not have.
 As a result they developed peacefully.
They weren’t completely cut off though.
 Trader routes existed through the Mediterranean and Red
Sea.
They took advantage of the region’s wind pattern so they
could travel and trade.
 River flowed naturally north but the wind could push
sailboats south.
People of the River
► The
Egyptians did not face the same
flooding issues as Mesopotamia.
 The flooding was seasonal and consistent from
year to year and did not give them any
challenge.
Predictable Floods
► These
floods typically happen in late
springs.
 Heavy tropical rains in central Africa and
melting snow in eastern Africa added water to
the Nile.
 The Egyptians took advantage of this because
after the water returned to its normal level, the
banks were filled with fertile soil.
How did Egyptians Farm?
► They
planted wheat, barley, and flax seeds while
the soil was still wet.
 This led to them having enough food for
themselves and the animals they raised.
► During dry seasons, they used irrigation.
 Scooped out basins (bowl-shaped holes) to
store river water and then used canals into the
fields.
How did Egyptians Farm?
►
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They eventually developed new tools to make farming
easier.
 Shadoof – A bucket attached to a pole that lifts water
from the Nile and empties into a basin.
 It is still used today.
When the floods would wash away boundary markers,
Egyptians used geometry to recalculate where one field
ended and another began.
Egyptians gathered papyrus (a reed plant that grew wild
along the Nile).
 Used to weave rope, sandals, baskets, and river rafts.
 Later used to make paper by soaking them in water and
pounding them together and set out to dry and
eventually could be written on.
How did the Egyptians Write?
► Like
Mesopotamia, they developed their
own writing system.
 It was made up of thousands of pictures
symbols that represented objects and ideas.
 For example, a house may be represented as a
house.
 Later they created symbols that represented
sounds, similar to our alphabet.
 This combination of pictures and sounds were
known as hieroglyphics.
How did the Egyptians Write?
► Few
ancient Egyptians knew to read or write
hieroglyphics.
 Some men went to special schools to learn to
prepare a career as a scribe.
 They did not write on clay tablets and instead
used a special script that they wrote or painted
on papyrus.
 They were also the ones to carve hieroglyphs
on walls and monuments.
Uniting Egypt
► Since
Egypt was protected they were able
to grow surpluses (extra amounts) of food.
► Surplus would work on other occupations.
 Artisans, Merchants and Traders began to play
an important role in Egypt’s Economy.
► Soon
it would lead to trading with Nubia to
the south, Mesopotamia to the northeast,
and other places bordering Egypt.
 As they traded they learned about ways of life
and governments of other societies.
Forming Kingdoms
► The
need for organized government became
increasingly important as farming and trade
increased.
 Government was necessary to oversee the
construction and repair of irrigation ditches and
dams.
 It was also needed to develop and distribute
grain during famines.
 They also settled disputes over land ownership.
Forming Kingdoms
► Soon,
groups of villages would merge to become
small kingdoms.
 Weaker kingdoms eventually taken over and
controlled by stronger ones.
► By 4,000 B.C. Egypt was made up of two large
kingdoms.
 Upper Egypt – Located in the south central part
of the Nile River valley.
 Lower Egypt – Located along the Nile River’s
north delta.
Who Was Narmer?
► Narmer
was the king of Upper Egypt.
 Led an army and conquered Lower Egypt
around 3100 BC.
 He married one of Lower Egypt’s princesses,
which unified the kingdoms and made Egypt
ruled by one ruler together for the first time.
 He established a new capital in Memphis, a city
that bordered both Upper and Lower Egypt, and
governed both from their
► Memphis
began to flourish as a center of
government and culture along the Nile.
Who Was Narmer?
► His
Kingdom lasted long after his death.
 The right to rule was past along to son and then,
grandson. This is known as a dynasty.
 When one dynasty dies out another takes its
place.
► From 3100 B.C. to 322 B.C, 30 dynasties ruled
Egypt.
 These dynasties are organized into three time
periods: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and the
New Kingdom.
 Throughout these three periods Egypt was usually
united under a single ruler and enjoyed a stable
government.