Ancient Egypt & the Nile Valley
Chapter 3 Notes
A River Valley & Its People
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One of the world’s first
civilizations developed along
the banks of the Nile
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In northeastern Africa
Nile = world’s longest river
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
A River Valley & Its People
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Rich black soil in Valley =
good for farming
5000 BCE = farmers began to
settle down in the Valley
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Grew cereal crops (wheat,
barley)
Hunted ducks & geese; fished
Early Egyptians harvested
papyrus
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Used for rope, sandals, baskets,
and paper
A River Valley & Its People
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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
A River Valley & Its People
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By 4000 BCE, Egypt had 2
large kingdoms
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Lower Egypt (in the north)
Upper Egypt (in the south)
3000 BCE = Narmer (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
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The Old Kingdom
(2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
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People saw their kings as gods
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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
The Old Kingdom
(2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
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Egyptians built
pyramids as burial
places for their
kings
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Great Pyramids in
Giza
King’s bodies were
mummified for
preservation
Pyramids as Tombs
Mummification
The Middle Kingdom
(2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
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Old Kingdom ended with violence & a new
dynasty reunited Egypt
Capital moved to Thebes
Theben kings = seized new territory &
added thousands of acres to their
civilization
Built canals and irrigation systems
The Middle Kingdom
(2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
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Local leaders began to
challenge the kings’ power,
which threatened peace
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At same time = 1st real threat
to Egypt = invasion by Hyksos
(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
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Egyptian prince named
Ahmose raised an army
& drove the Hyksos out
Ahmose & those that
came after him used
the title pharaoh
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Rebuilt Egypt &
conquered more land
The New Kingdom
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1480 BCE = Queen Hatshepsut
came to power in Egypt = 1st
female pharaoh
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After her death, her stepson
Thutmose III took over
Thutmose III created an army,
conquered neighboring Syria, and
expanded the Egyptian empire
Empire = many territories under
one ruler
Egyptian empire grew rich &
benefited from cultural diffusion
The New Kingdom
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1370 BCE = ruler named
Amenhotep = created new
religion with just 1 god
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Changed his named to
Akhenaton = “spirit of Aton”
Aton = sun-disk god = only
1 to be worshipped
Controversial, so after his
death the priests went back
to old religion
King Tut took over for him
King Tut’s Tomb
The New Kingdom
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1200s BCE =
Ramses II (Ramses
the Great)
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Built large statues of
himself, temples, and
tombs
After his death, Egypt
weakened under
attacks from invaders
& was taken over by
foreigners
Life in Ancient Egypt
Social Order
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Upper class =
kings, nobles,
priests
Middle class =
artisans, scribes,
merchants
Lower class
(majority of
Egyptians) =
farmers, poor
Lowest of the low =
slaves
Life in Ancient Egypt
Families
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In cities & upper
class = husband,
wife, children
Outside the city &
poor families = also
included
grandparents &
other relatives
Life in Ancient Egypt
Women
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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
Life in Ancient Egypt
Religion
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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 Iris
& Osiris
Anubis =
God of
Embalming
Iris = Queen
of the
Goddesses
Life in Ancient Egypt
Writing
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Used hieroglyphics (picture
symbols) for writing
Few people could read or
write
Language remained a
mystery until discovery of the
Rosetta Stone in 1799
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(Greek writing matched the
hieroglyphs on the Stone)
Life in Ancient Egypt
Science
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Developed a number
system
Used geometry to calculate
volume and area
Created a 365-day
calendar
Developed medical
expertise  used splints,
bandages, etc.