Pyramids on the Nile

1
Pyramids on the Nile
2
Geography of Egypt

• Nile River
• 4,100 miles
• Longest in World
• Gift of Nile
• Yearly flooding
• July
• Rains
• Snow melting

3
Niles Gifts

• After floods
• Plow
• Plant
• Harvest
• Everything revolved around Nile
• Worshiped Nile

4
Upper vs. Lower Egypt

• Lower Nile
• Last 750 miles
• Only part known for a while
• Ended at cataract
• Delta
• Northern

• Upper Egypt
• South of 1st cataract
• Southern

5
Transportation

• North bound boats drift
• South bound boats raise sails
• Winds blow North to South

6
Environmental Challenges

• Floods unpredictable
• Problem
• Too little water not enough silt (thousands
  die)
• Too much water villages flooding destruction
• Desert
• Natural barriers
• No invaders

7
Movement of Goods Ideas

• 3200 B.C. had contact w/ Mesopotamia
• Caravans trade
• 2000 B.C. trading to Upper Egypt
• Gold
• Ivory
• Cattle
• Granite Blocks

8
Land of Multiplicity

• Multicultural
• Multiethnic
• Influences from Fertile Crescent Africa
• 3000 year history

9
Egypt Unites into Kingdom

• 5000 B.C. lived in villages
• Each had their own gods
• Each had their own rituals
• Chieftains
• 3200 B.C. 2 different kingdoms
• Upper Egypt
• Lower Egypt

10
United Kingdom cont.

• 3100 B.C.
• Menes unites 2 Kingdoms
• From Upper Egypt
• 1st Dynasty
• Establish capital near 2 meeting points
• 2,600 years w/ 31 dynasties
• 1st two dynasties shady
• 3rd dynasties had better record keeping
• 2660-2180 B.C. Old Kingdom (3rd dynasty)

11
Pharaohs rule as gods

• Pharaoh was god
• Responsible for well-being of people
• Nile to flood
• Sun to raise
• Promote truth justice
• Theocracy
• Divine ruler
• Head of government religion
• Mesopotamia king was reprehensive of gods

12
Builders of Pyramids

• Pharaohs rule after death
• Ka eternal spirit
• Tombs more important than palaces

13
Old Kingdom Golden Age

• Built w/o wheel
• Supply of rock
• Granite
• Limestone
• Quarried 400 miles up river
• Weighed between 2 ½ - 15 tons
• 2 million stones stacked _at_ height of 481
• 13 acres

14
What did this Represent?

• Economic strength
• Massive public works project
• Leadership
• Government organization

15
Religion

• Polytheistic
• Worship many gods
• Ra sun god
• Horus god of light
• Isis goddess, ideal mother women
• 2,000 gods goddess
• After life
• Judged on deeds after they die
• Osiris god of death judged
• Heart had to be light
• Meant no sin
• Devourer of souls to the impure hearts
• Why were Egyptians happier than Fertile Crescent?

16
Social Classes
17
Social Classes

• Could move up in social classes
• Marriage
• Success in jobs
• To be high
• Read
• Write
• Careers
• Army
• Royal treasury
• Priesthood
• Kings court
• Women
• Own/trade land
• Propose marriage/divorce
• Divorce entitled 1/3 of couples property

18
Egyptian Writing

• Started as drawing
• Moved to hieroglyphics
• Picture stood for idea
• Picture then stood for sounds
• 1st written on stone
• Moved on papyrus
• Reeds dried
• Glued strips together
• Make paper

19
Science Technology

• Collected taxes
• System of written s
• Counting
• () (-)
• Early form of geometry
• Survey
• Reset property boundaries after floods
• Math
• Help architects
• Engineers
• Stone columns

20
Science cont.

• Medicine
• Feel for pulse
• Splints
• Calendar
• Time between floods
• Growing season
• Used star Sirius
• 12 months/30 days
• 5 days for holidays feasting
• W/in 6 hours of solar year

21
Chariots Invade Egypt

• Power of pharaohs decline
• 2180 B.C.
• End of Old Kingdom
• 1st Intermediate period
• Weakness
• Turmoil
• Middle Kingdom 2080-1640 B.C.
• Improve trade transportation
• Canal dug from Nile to Red Sea
• Dikes built
• Capture flood waters
• Irrigation
• 1,000s acres of new farmlands by draining swamps
  in Lower Egypt

22

• 1640 B.C.
• Asian nomads
• Cross Isthmus of Suez on Chariots
• Hyksos, Rulers of Uplands
• Ruled 1640-1570 B.C.
• 2nd intermediate period