ERQ 6.16
Below is a document describing the relationship between Egypt and Kush. Write an extended response
explaining the relationship between the two civilizations.
* Cite evidence from the passage that explains why Egypt would have been interested in Kush from an
economic standpoint.
* Use prior knowledge about these cultures and your understanding of cultural diffusion to provide
insight as to what ideas these two groups might have shared.
On the periphery of history in antiquity, there was a land known as Kush. Overshadowed by
Egypt, to the north, it was a place of uncharted breadth and depth far up the Nile, a mystery
verging on myth. One thing the Egyptians did know and recorded — Kush had gold.
Scholars have come to learn that there was more to the culture of Kush than was previously
suspected. From deciphered Egyptian documents and modern archaeological research, it is
now known that for five centuries in the second millennium B.C., the kingdom of Kush
flourished with the political and military prowess to maintain some control over a wide
territory in Africa.
Archaeologists are now finding some answers — at least intriguing insights — emerging in
advance of rising Nile waters behind a new dam in northern Sudan. Hurried excavations
are uncovering ancient settlements, cemeteries and gold-processing centers in regions
previously unexplored.
MODEL
The relationship between the two civilizations of Egypt and Kush were affected by many things, cultural
diffusion, economic trade of gold and other needed items, military and political prowess.
Many cultural ideas were shared between the two through cultural diffusion. In Kush (Nubia), rulers in
the south encouraged an Egyptian-style culture. They built temples to honor Nubian and Egyptian gods.
The desert in Nubia was dotted with hundreds of pyramids, similar to those in Egypt, just much smaller.
These pyramids had the same use for the Kushites as the Egyptians, as tombs for their kings or pharaohs.
Kushites were similar to Ancient Egypt in many aspects including government, culture, and religion. The
Kush people adopted many Egyptian gods, used copper and bronze, and used Egyptian some
hieroglyphics in their written language. The ruling class of Kush likely considered themselves Egyptian in
many ways.
Egypt depended on trade too with Kush(Nubia) to obtain useful resources and luxury goods. Kush had
tremendous natural wealth. They had gold mines and ivory and iron ore. Kush also had cattle, incense,
giraffes, leopards, and enslaved people to trade with Egypt. Other kingdoms wanted to conquer Kush and
keep the wealth for themselves. Kush did not allow this to happen and because of this, there were constant
struggles for power over this economically rich area. Egyptian papyrus was a valuable good in itself, as
was the gold that Egypt mined from its desert. Both would grow very rich off of each other's trade. Egypt
and Kush came together as partners in trade and rivals in war and the relationship between the two were
dependent on cultural diffusion, economic trade and struggle for military and political power.