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    Ancient Egypt & The Nile Valley: Chapter 3 Notes

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    Ancient Egypt developed along the fertile banks of the Nile River valley in northeast Africa. The yearly floods provided rich soil and water for farming, allowing villages to prosper. Around 3000 BCE, King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing one of the world's earliest civilizations. Egyptian society was divided into classes like royalty, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. They built cities, the pyramids, and an empire, leaving behind advancements in art, architecture, math, and science.

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    Ancient Egypt & The Nile Valley: Chapter 3 Notes

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    51 views23 pages
    Ancient Egypt developed along the fertile banks of the Nile River valley in northeast Africa. The yearly floods provided rich soil and water for farming, allowing villages to prosper. Around 3000 BCE, King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing one of the world's earliest civilizations. Egyptian society was divided into classes like royalty, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. They built cities, the pyramids, and an empire, leaving behind advancements in art, architecture, math, and science.

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    Ancient Egypt developed along the fertile banks of the Nile River valley in northeast Africa. The yearly floods provided rich soil and water for farming, allowing villages to prosper. Around 3000 BCE, King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing one of the world's earliest civilizations. Egyptian society was divided into classes like royalty, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. They built cities, the pyramids, and an empire, leaving behind advancements in art, architecture, math, and science.

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    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    51 views23 pages

    Ancient Egypt & The Nile Valley: Chapter 3 Notes

    Uploaded by

    api-296326751
    Ancient Egypt developed along the fertile banks of the Nile River valley in northeast Africa. The yearly floods provided rich soil and water for farming, allowing villages to prosper. Around 3000 BCE, King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing one of the world's earliest civilizations. Egyptian society was divided into classes like royalty, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. They built cities, the pyramids, and an empire, leaving behind advancements in art, architecture, math, and science.

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    Ancient Egypt & the Nile Valley

    Chapter 3 Notes
    A River Valley & Its People
    One of the worlds first
    civilizations developed along
    the banks of the Nile
    In northeastern Africa
    Nile = worlds longest river
    People of the Nile relied on the
    rivers yearly floods to bring
    them water
    Green Nile Valley = stark
    contrast to deserts
    surrounding it on either side
    A River Valley & Its People
    Rich black soil in Valley =
    good for farming
    5000 BCE = farmers began to
    settle down in the Valley
    Grew cereal crops (wheat,
    barley)
    Hunted ducks & geese; fished
    Early Egyptians harvested
    papyrus
    Used for rope, sandals, baskets,
    and paper
    A River Valley & Its People
    Early farming villages
    prospered --> WHY??
    Because they were
    protected from foreign
    invasions by deserts and
    cataracts (waterfalls) in the
    Nile
    Strong leaders united the
    farming villages into
    kingdoms or monarchies
    ruled by a king
    A River Valley & Its People
    By 4000 BCE, Egypt had 2
    large kingdoms
    Lower Egypt (in the north)
    Upper Egypt (in the south)
    3000 BCE = Narmer (king of
    Upper Egypt) attacked Lower
    Egypt and united the 2
    Capital = Memphis
    1st of the Egyptian dynasties

    Egyptian dynasties divided into 3

    periods: Old, Middle, New


    The Old Kingdom
    (2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
    People saw their kings as gods
    Called a theocracy = same person
    is the political AND religious leader
    King gave many responsibilities to a
    bureaucracy = groups of
    government officials
    King controlled trade & taxes
    King supervised building of canals,
    dams, grain storehouses
    The Old Kingdom
    (2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
    Egyptians built
    pyramids as burial
    places for their
    kings
    Great Pyramids in
    Giza
    Kings bodies were
    mummified for
    preservation
    Pyramids as Tombs
    Mummification
    The Middle Kingdom
    (2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
    Old Kingdom ended with violence & a new
    dynasty reunited Egypt
    Capital moved to Thebes
    Theben kings = seized new territory &
    added thousands of acres to their
    civilization
    Built canals and irrigation systems
    The Middle Kingdom
    (2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
    Local leaders began to
    challenge the kings power,
    which threatened peace
    At same time = 1st real threat
    to Egypt = invasion by Hyksos
    (people from western Asia)
    Hyksos swept through with new
    tools for war --> bronze
    weapons & horse-drawn
    chariots
    Easily conquered the Egyptians
    & set up a new dynasty (for
    about 110 years)
    The New Kingdom
    Egyptian prince named
    Ahmose raised an army
    & drove the Hyksos out
    Ahmose & those that
    came after him used
    the title pharaoh
    Rebuilt Egypt &
    conquered more land
    The New Kingdom
    1480 BCE = Queen Hatshepsut
    came to power in Egypt = 1st
    female pharaoh
    After her death, her stepson
    Thutmose III took over
    Thutmose III created an army,
    conquered neighboring Syria, and
    expanded the Egyptian empire
    Empire = many territories under
    one ruler
    Egyptian empire grew rich &
    benefited from cultural diffusion
    The New Kingdom
    1370 BCE = ruler named
    Amenhotep = created new
    religion with just 1 god
    Changed his named to
    Akhenaton = spirit of Aton
    Aton = sun-disk god = only
    1 to be worshipped
    Controversial, so after his
    death the priests went back
    to old religion
    King Tut took over for him
    King Tuts Tomb
    The New Kingdom
    1200s BCE =
    Ramses II (Ramses
    the Great)
    Built large statues of
    himself, temples, and
    tombs
    After his death, Egypt
    weakened under
    attacks from invaders
    & was taken over by
    foreigners
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Social Order
    Upper class = kings,
    nobles, priests
    Middle class =
    artisans, scribes,
    merchants
    Lower class
    (majority of
    Egyptians) =
    farmers, poor
    Lowest of the low =
    slaves
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Families
    In cities & upper
    class = husband,
    wife, children
    Outside the city &
    poor families = also
    included
    grandparents &
    other relatives
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Women
    In the beginning =
    property of their
    husbands
    By the time of the
    Egyptian Empire =
    they could own
    property and divorce
    their husbands; had
    more rights
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Religion
    Very important to early
    Egyptians
    Polytheistic = believed
    in more than one god
    Gods were often half
    human, half animal
    Believed in an afterlife
    The ankh =
    symbol of life
    burial rituals reflect this
    Some Egyptian Gods

    Ra = Sun
    God Osiris = God
    of the Dead
    King of the
    Gods
    Horus =
    Son of Iris Anubis = Iris = Queen
    & Osiris God of of the
    Embalming Goddesses
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Writing
    Used hieroglyphics (picture
    symbols) for writing
    Few people could read or
    write
    Language remained a
    mystery until discovery of the
    Rosetta Stone in 1799
    (Greek writing matched the
    hieroglyphs on the Stone)
    Life in Ancient Egypt
    Science
    Developed a number
    system
    Used geometry to calculate
    volume and area
    Created a 365-day
    calendar
    Developed medical
    expertise used splints,
    bandages, etc.

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