ANCIENT EGYPT and the NILE VALLEY

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ANCIENT EGYPT and the NILE VALLEY
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ANCIENT EGYPT QUICK FACTS

• SECOND CIVILIZATION in history
• Located in NORTHERN AFRICA.
• Bordered by the MEDITERRANEAN and the RED SEA.
• First consisted of TWO SOCIETIES UPPER and LOWER
  EGYPT.

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UNIFICATION OF EGYPT

• Pharaoh MENES unified UPPER and LOWER EGYPT in
  approximately 3200 BCE.
• 30 DYNASTIES (succession of Pharaohs from the
  same family) ruled over EGYPT over 3000 years.

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HOW EGYPTIAN SOCIETY DEVELOPED

• Developed around 3000 BCE along the BANKS OF THE
  NILE.
• The RIVER flooded every year, making the SOIL
  along its BANKS very fertile.
• AGRICULTURE and PLANNED HARVESTS allowed the
  civilization to grow.

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Check it out!

• Dr. David Neiman Teaches Us About The Nile!

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IMPORTANCE OF THE NILE

• People living along the NILE decided to COOPERATE
  and POOL THEIR RESOURCES to better take advantage
  of the FERTILE SOIL.
• A SOLE AUTHORITY, the PHARAOH, emerged to manage
  the NILE RIVER VALLEY.

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Check it out!

• Dr. David Neiman Teaches Us About IRRIGATION

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A SACRED RIVER

• Without the Nile, all of Egypt would have been a
  desert with infertile soil. The Egyptians were
  devoted to the river
• "With you to behold, generation after generation
  of your children sprout and thrive but men salute
  you like a king strong by your own law, when you
  swell during flood season and reach across Upper
  and Lower Egypt. All eyes gaze upon each drop of
  your water, O you who bring so many good things.
• When your waters rise, offerings are made and
  bulls sacrificed to you many victims are
  immolated in your name, birds are fattened, lions
  hunted in the desert and bonfires are lit for
  you. Offerings are made to each of the other
  gods, as is done for you, O great Nile, along
  with the best incense, oxen, herds, birds and
  fires.
• And so may you make things green, may you make
  things green, may you make things green, O great
  Nile, you giver of life to man and to beast!

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REFLECTION!

• What did the Egyptians do to draw favours from
  the Nile?
• Did the Nile appear to have divine powers?
  Explain your answer.

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POWER AND SOCIAL HIERARCHY
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THE PHARAOH

• PHARAOH is the top of the EGYPTIAN SOCIAL
  HIERARCHY.
• Assisted by his FAMILY and ENTOURAGE.
• Guess what? There were a few FEMALE PHAROAHS!
• KING
• Pharaoh REPRESENTED THE GODS ON EARTH.
• Held ABSOLUTE POWER
• Reigned over the UNIFIED EGYPT
• INHERITED his POWER.

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• HIGH PRIEST
• Egyptians believed he was the SON of the SUN GOD.
• Highest RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY.
• GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY
• Managed the IRRIGATION OF THE NILE.
• In charge of TRADE, CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLES,
  PUBLIC WORKS, JUSTICE and the ARMY.
• Delegated his MOST IMPORTANT TASKS to his VIZIER.

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NOBLES and DIGNITARIES

• NOBLES
• Helped the PHARAOH make DECISIONS.
• MEMBERS of the Pharaohs FAMILY.

• DIGNITARIES
• HIGH OFFICIALS and HIGH PRIESTS.
• Included HIGH-RANKING MILITARY OFFICIALS during
  times of WAR.
• Very RICH and INFLUENTIAL.

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SCRIBES/MERCHANTS/CRAFTSPEOPLE/PRIESTS and
SOLDIERS

• SCRIBES
• PRIVILEGED POSITION
• Often lived in TEMPLES or the ROYAL PALACE
• ESSENTIAL MEMBERS of society.
• Kept RECORDS
• Collected and calculated TAXES.
• Transcribed LAWS and RULES
• Wrote PRAYERS and HYMNS.
• PRIESTS
• Worked in TEMPLES
• Performed RELIGIOUS DUTIES

• CRAFTSPEOPLE
• Made goods for TRADE.
• Made items DESIRED BY THE RICH.
• Ex CLOTHING, FURNITURE, JEWELRY.
• MERCHANTS
• SOLD the items made by the CRAFTSPEOPLE and
  ARTISANS.
• SOLDIERS
• Acted as ARMY and POLICE

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PEASANTS

• Represented the MAJORITY of EGYPTIANS.
• Very important to the EGYPTIAN ECONOMY.
• Lived in DIFFICULT CONDITIONS.
• Had to pay HIGH TAXES
• Worked in IRRIGATION CHANNELS and in the FIELDS.

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SLAVES

• BOTTOM of Ancient Egyptian SOCIAL HIERARCHY.
• Usually PRISONERS OF WAR.
• Worked in COAL MINES
• Were HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS
• Work VARIED depending on OWNERSHIP.

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EGYPTIAN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

• Many GODS were honored in Egypt the EGYPTIANS
  were POLYTHEISTIC, meaning they believed in MANY
  GODS.

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AMUN-RA King of the Gods

• The GOD OF THE RISING SUN.
• The SUN was worshipped in ANCIENT EGYPT as much
  as the NILE.
• WORSHIPPED at the TEMPLE AT KARNAK.

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ANUBIS God of Mummification

• Looked after all the MUMMIES and the EMBALMING
  PROCESS.
• INVENTED MUMMIFICATION.
• Had a HUMAN BODY with the head of a JACKAL. EARS
  were POINTY.
• Sometimes EMBALMERS wore ANUBIS MASKS while they
  WORKED.

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OSIRIS God of the Dead and Resurrection

• EGYPTIANS believed that OSIRIS was the FIRST
  PHARAOH.
• Taught the EGYPTIANS to FARM.
• Turned DESERTS into FERTILE LANDS.
• CHIEF GOD of the UNDERWORLD.
• IMAGE seen on MUMMIES BANDAGES.

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ISIS Goddess of Nature and Magic

• Mother of HORUS by OSIRIS.
• Patron of SLAVES, ARTISANS, SINNERS and the
  DOWNTRODDEN.
• DAUGHTER of the GODS of the EARTH and SKY.

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SETH God of Chaos

• Most EVIL of all the EGYPTIAN GODS.
• Associated with CHAOS, CONFUSION and BAD WEATHER.
• MURDERED his BROTHER, OSIRIS.
• Appeared with a FORKED TAIL and HOOVES, a SNOUT
  and a SCARY HEAD.
• Sometimes took the SHAPE of other MONSTROUS
  ANIMALS.

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HORUS God of Pharaohs

• The SON of ISIS and OSIRIS.
• DIVINE PROTECTOR of PHARAOHS.
• Linked to WAR.
• EYE TORN OUT by his uncle SETH and healed by
  THOTH. HORUS gave his HEALED EYE to his DEAD
  FATHER and tried to REVIVE HIM.
• Symbol of HEALING and POWER.

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BES God of Family and Health

• Protected the HOME and FAMILIES.
• WORSHIPPED by PREGNANT WOMEN and WOMEN WHO WANTED
  TO BECOME PREGNANT.
• IMAGE painted in BEDROOMS to ensure a GOOD
  NIGHTS REST and SAFETY FROM NIGHTMARES.

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KHNUM God of the Nile

• God of the RIVER and of INUNDATION.
• Associated with the NILE RIVER and ANCIENT
  EGYPTIAN SURVIVAL due to the importance of the
  rivers LIFE-GIVING FLOODS.

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MAAT Goddess of Truth

• Made sure that the SEASONS CHANGED and the STARS
  MOVED.
• Ensured HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS between the GODS
  and HUMANKIND.
• Associated with FEATHERS and the WEIGHING OF THE
  SOULS.

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THOTH God of Wisdom

• In charge of WRITING and SCRIBES.
• Usually PORTRAYED as a MAN with the HEAD OF AN
  IBIS BIRD, but occasionally DEPICTED as a FULL
  BIRD or BABOON.
• In his TEMPLES, IBIS BIRDS were BRED and
  MUMMIFIED in his HONOR.
• Worshipped at HERMOPOLIS (where there is a
  CEMETARY for MUMMIFIED BABOONS.)

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PTAH The CREATOR GOD

• Created the WORLD and the OTHER GODS out of
  PRECIOUS METALS.
• PATRON of CRAFTSMANSHIP.
• WORSHIPPED in MEMPHIS.
• Married to SEKHMET.

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HATHOR Goddess of Love and Music

• VERY-LOVED goddess.
• Associated with LOVE, MUSIC, FESTIVALS, FEASTING
  and HAPPINESS.
• Associated with COWS.

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EGYPTIAN KNOWLEDGE

• Egypt does not appear to have SPREAD ITS
  KNOWLEDGE very broadly.
• ADOPTED a great deal from OTHER CULTURES.
• MERCHANTS travelling brought NEW KNOWLEDGE TO
  EGYPT.
• From MESOPOTAMIANS WRITING, MATHEMATICAL
  CONCEPTS, USE OF WHEEL and BRONZE CASTING.

• MEDICINE
• TREATMENT of some ILLNESSES
• REPAIRING of BROKEN BONES
• BASIC KNOWLEDGE of SURGERY (used on live bodies
  and during MUMMIFICATION processes)
• MATHEMATICS
• Development of the DECIMAL SYSTEM
• Calculation of the VOLUME of a CYLINDER and
  PYRAMID.

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• ASTRONOMY
• Knowledge of STARS and their MOVEMENT
• Knowledge of the SOLAR CYCLE.
• Division of the YEAR into 12 MONTHS of 30 DAYS
  (with the addition of 5 DAYS to make 365 days.)

• ARCHITECTURE
• Construction of HUGE PYRAMIDS
• Building of many PALACES and TEMPLES