Egypt

1
Egypt
2
Settling the Nile

• When From 6000 B.C. 5000 B.C., the earliest
  hunter gatherers settled villages along the Nile
  River valley.

3
A Mighty River

• Egypt warm and sunny with little rain
• The Egyptians had to rely upon the worlds
  longest river, the Nile River, for water. They
  drank from it, bathed in it, and used it farming,
  cooking, and cleaning.
• The Nile really began as two separate rivers
  the Blue Nile and the White Nile. These two meet
  and form the Nile just south of Egypt.

4
A Mighty River II

• Narrow cliffs and boulders in the Nile form wild
  rapids, called cataracts.
• Because of these cataracts, large ships can only
  use the Nile for its last 650 miles, where it
  flows through Eygpt.

5
A Sheltered Land

• From the air, the looks like the stem of a flower
  that blooms just as it reaches the Mediterranean
  Sea.
• These blooms are the branches of the Nile that
  fan out over an area of fertile soil called a
  delta.

• On both sides of the Nile, the land stretches
  into a vast desert that forms part of the Sahara,
  the largest desert in the world, to the west.
• On the eastern side, stretching to the Red Sea,
  is the Eastern Desert.

6
A Sheltered Land II

• The Red Land helped keep outside armies away
  from Egypts territory.
• The Niles dangerous cataracts blocked enemy
  boats from reaching Egypt to the south.
• To the north, the delta marshes did not offer any
  safe harbors for invaders approaching from the
  sea.
• Because of these natural barriers, Egypt was
  rarely faced with invasions and the Egyptians
  were able to grow and prosper.

7
A Sheltered Land

• The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea gave the
  Egyptians a way to trade with people outside of
  Egypt.
• Within Egypt, the Egyptians used the Nile for
  trade and transportation.

• Winds from the north pushed sailboats south, and
  the flow from the Nile carried them north.
• Because of this, Egyptians had a good
  relationship with the villages within the country.

8
The River PeopleRegular Flooding

• The Nile floods were much more dependable than
  the rivers in Mesopotamia, so the Egyptians were
  able to farm and live securely.
• From July to October, the Nile spilled over its
  banks as the heavy rains from central Africa and
  melting snows from the highlands of Africa added
  to the waters from the Nile.
• When the waters went down, they left behind a
  layer of dark, fertile mud called Kemet
  (KEH-met), which means the Black Land.

9
The River PeopleHow Did they Egyptians Use the
Nile?

• They farmed crops and grew enough food for
  themselves and the animals they raised.
• Used irrigation by digging bowl shaped holes and
  canals to carry water from the basins to fields
  beyond the rivers reach.
• Egyptians also built dikes, or earthen banks to
  strengthen basin walls.

10
The River PeopleHow Did Egyptians Use the Nile?

• Egyptians found a way to measure land, or survey.
  
• Papyrus is a reed plant that grew along the
  shores of the Nile. They used it to make baskets,
  sandals, river rafts, and later, paper.

11
The River People What were Hieroglyphics?

• They Egyptians used papyrus rolls as writing
  paper.
• Their writing was called hieroglyphics, which was
  made up of hundreds of picture symbols. Some
  objects stood for objects and idea, some stood
  for sounds, others just letters.

• Scribes would carve hieroglyphics into stone
  walls and monuments, but there was a simpler
  script for use on papyrus
• Few people in ancient Egypt could read and write.
  
• Egyptian men went to special schools to learn how
  to read and write and become scribes.

12
How Did We Decipher the Egyptian Alphabet? The
Rosetta Stone

• History Mystery, p. 42

13
United Egypt

• Surplus of food led ancient Egyptians to work as
  artisans instead of farmers.
• The advances in farming and trade created a need
  for a government in Egypt.
• The government oversaw the building of irrigation
  systems, surplus food had to be stored, and land
  ownership disputes had to be resolved.

14
A United EgyptEgypts Ruling Families

• Groups of villages formed smaller kingdoms that
  ultimately formed Upper and Lower Egypt. Lower
  Egypt was in the Nile delta while to the south
  lay Upper Egypt.
• Narmer (also known as Meneez) was credited with
  bringing these two kingdoms together in 3100 B.C.
  

15
A United Egypt

• Narmer wore a double crown to symbolize Egypts
  unity the helmet like white crown represented
  Upper Egypt, the red open crown represented Lower
  Egypt.

16
A United Egypt

• Narmers empire held together and the ruling
  power was passed down from father to son to
  grandson.
• A line of rulers from one family is called a
  dynasty.

• Over time, ancient Egypt was ruled by 31
  dynasties. Historians group Egypts dynasties
  into three main time periods the Old Kingdom,
  the Middle Kingdom, and the new Kingdom.

17
Early Egyptian Life
18
Early Egyptian Life

• Ancient Egypt had social classes.
• The pharaoh was the highest power.
• The upper class consisted of nobles, priests, and
  government officials.
• The middle class included merchants, artisans,
  shopkeepers, and scribes.
• Farmers were the largest group of people and were
  in a lower class than the middle class.

19
Early Egyptian Life

• Although men were the heads of households, women
  had more rights in Egypt than in other ancient
  civilizations
• They could own and pass on property, buy and sell
  goods, make wills, and obtain divorces.

20
Early Egyptian Life

• Few children went to school in ancient Egypt
• Children had time to play games and had toys.
• Egyptian girls learned to sew, cook, and run a
  household
• Boys learned farming or a skilled trade

21
Review

• How are U.S. children today like children of
  ancient Egypt? How are they different?
• Both can play with toys and games. However, all
  children are required by law to go to school in
  the United States. In ancient Egypt, few
  children went to school. Also, U.S. girls today
  can learn farming or a trade skill, and boys can
  learn to sew and cook.

22
Review

• What is papyrus and how did the Egyptians use
  it?
• It is a reed plant that was used to make baskets,
  sandals, river rafts, and paper.

23
Review

• What rights did women have in ancient Egypt?
• Women could own and pass on property, buy and
  sell goods, make wills, obtain divorces, and take
  part in religious ceremonies.

24
Review

• How did the geography of the Nile River valley
  lead to the growth of a civilization there?
• The Nile River valley had natural barriers for
  protection, enriched soil for farming, and the
  river and seas for trade.

25
Review

• Describe the Egyptian writing system.
• Picture symbols, called hieroglyphics, stood for
  objects, ideas, and sounds.

26
Review

• What was the significance of Narmers double
  crown?
• It symbolized the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt.