Ancient Egypt
Geography
 According to historians, “Egypt is wholly the gift of the Nile,”
While the desert protected Egypt from invasion, it limited
where people can settle.
 Farmers took advantage of the Nile Valley to grow wheat and
flax, a plant whose fibers were used for clothing.
 The Nile rises in the highlands of Ethiopia and the lakes of
central Africa.
 In ancient times, people awaited annual flood, which soaked
the land with life-giving water deposited a layer of rich silt, or
soil.
 Ancient Egypt had two distinct region, Upper Egypt and Lower
Egypt
 Upper Egypt stretched from the first cataract (waterfall) of the
Nile northward within 100 miles of the Mediterranean Sea.
 Lower Egypt covered the delta region where the Nile empties
the Mediterranean Sea.
 The Nile river served as a trade route. Merchants traveled up
and down the Nile exchanging products of Africa, the Middle
East, and the Mediterranean world.
Egyptian Religion
 Inherited from their earliest ancestors a variety of religious
belief and practices.
 Amon-Re was the chief god of the sun.
 The pharaoh were viewed as gods as well as monarch
 Osiris ruled the underworld and god of the Nile. He controlled
the annual flood that made the land fertile.
 Isis was believed to:
- Teach women to grind corn.
- Spin flax
- Weave cloth
- Care for children.
 The gods promised the faithful they would have a life after
death.
 Scholars debate that Akhenaton was trying to introduce a new
religion based on worship of a single god.
Belief in an Afterlife
 Egyptians believed that each soul would pass a test in order to
win eternal life.
 According to legend, Osiris would weigh the dead person’s
heart against the feather of truth
 The Book of the dead contained spells, charms, and formulas
for the dead to use in afterlife.
 Mummification is the preservation of the dead.
 At first, mummification was a privilege reserved for rulers and
nobles. Eventually, Egyptians won the privilege.
 Many pharaohs are buried in the desolate Valley of the Kings.
Egyptian Society
 As both a god and earthly leader, the pharaoh stood at the top
of society.
 Directly underneath were high priests and priestesses, who
served the gods and goddesses.
 Most Egyptians were peasant farmers.
 Peasant men were expected to:
- Serve the pharaoh
- Laboring to build palaces, temples and tombs.
 Peasant women were expected to:
- Working in fields
- Raising children
- Collecting water
- Preparing food.
 Trade offered new opportunities to the growing merchant
class
 Foreign conquests brought riches to Egypt, more business for
artisans.
 Under Egyptian law, women could inherit property, enter a
business deals, buy and sell goods, got to court, and obtain a
divorce.
Egyptian Learning
 The ancient Egyptians developed a form of picture writing
called Hieroglyphics. Carved on stone.
 Earliest were pictograms that depicted objects.
 Egyptians developed new forms of writing:
- Ideograms are pictures that symbolized an idea or action
- Demotic simpler form of writing for everyday use; were made
of papyrus (paper would not be invented until 100 A.D. in
China)
 Rosetta Stone, discovered by Jean Champollion in the 1800s,
contained messages in hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.
Art and Literature
 The arts of ancient Egypt included: statues, wall paintings, and
carvings on temples.
 Show everyday scenes of trade, farming, family life, and
religious ceremonies.
 Pharaohs and gods were much larger than any other human
figures.
 Some human figures have animal heads that represent special
qualities. Example: Great Sphinx
 The oldest literature of ancient Egypt includes: hymns and
prayers to gods, proverbs, and love poems.
 The Tale of Sinhue helps us see how Egyptians viewed both
themselves and the people of the surrounding desert.