Ancient Egypt
Gift of the Nile
Pharaoh and Egyptian Religion
Egyptian Writing
Egyptian Contributions
Trade, Conquest and Decline
1. Egypt – Gift of the Nile
• Egypt developed along a river just like Mesopotamia.
Egyptian civilization grew in northeast Africa along the Nile
River. The Nile is the world’s longest river (4,160 mi). Most
ancient Egyptians lived near the river’s delta on the
Mediterranean Sea. The Nile flooded every year in the middle
of July leaving behind deposits of nutrient rich soil that was
good for farming.
• Two kingdoms eventually formed around the Nile – Upper
Egypt and Lower Egypt.
• Because the Nile flowed north, Upper Egypt was actually in
the south and Lower Egypt was in the north around the Nile’s
delta.
• These two kingdoms united under king Narmer in 3100 B.C.
3. Egyptian Religion
• Egyptians were polytheistic: some of their most import
gods were:
• Re – sun god
• Hapi – river god
• Horus – sky god
• Osiris – god of harvest and eternal life
• Egyptians believed in life after death, however, they
believed that the could not exist without the body so
they mummified their bodies (they even left food and
treasures for their survival in the afterlife).
• Pharaohs had their bodies placed in gigantic tombs called
pyramids. The largest pyramid is the Great Pyramid of
Khufu. Some great pharaohs also had monuments built
in their honor like the Great Sphinx at Giza.
4. Egyptian Writing:
• Ancient Egyptians wrote using hieroglyphics. This
form of writing uses pictures for words or sounds.
• Egyptians carved and painted the hieroglyphics on
monuments, pyramids and papyrus.
• Papyrus is a plant that grows around the Nile River.
Papyrus was used to make a kind of paper, in fact, we
get the word ‘paper’ from papyrus. Egyptians also
developed ink in order to write. The dry climate of
Egypt has preserved some writings.
Egyptian Contributions
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Mathematics
Number system based
on ten
Used fractions and
whole numbers
Developed geometry to
measure/survey land
Created a calendar
around the flooding
patterns of the Nile.
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Medicine
First to use splints,
bandages, and
compresses.
Skilled at sewing up
cuts
Skilled at setting broken
bones
Even had remedies for
hair loss and indigestion
Trade, Conquest, and Decline:
• The Egyptians were conquered in the 1700’s B.C. by the Hykos and they
ruled for about 150 years. It was the Hykos that taught the Egyptians how
to use horse drawn chariots. With this new technology the Egyptians
overthrew the Hykos.
• The new technology also aided the Egyptians with trade. They traded with
the African kingdom of Kush (present day Sudan) and the first female
pharaoh Hatshepsut expanded trade south to the African kingdom of Punt
(present day Somalia). The Egyptians also traded across the
Mediterranean Sea with the Phoenicians and the Greeks.
• As they traded, the Egyptians spread ideas and accomplishments (cultural
diffusion).
• Egypt declines: 1. Egypt's priest began to challenge the pharaoh for
power. 2. Egypt spent energy and a lot of money trying to maintain
control of conquered territories.
• Egypt was eventually captured by the empires of Greece and Rome.