Project Sample

ANCIENT EGYPTBy

Ms. Fockler

GEOGRAPHY North Africa Located around the Nile river Flood plains = year-long agriculture 2 distinct regions: upper and lower

Egypt

VIDEO INTRODUCTION egypt video

SIGNIFICANT POINTS IN HISTORY The Old Kingdom The New Kingdom

THE OLD KINGDOM (3150 – 2150 BCE)* Menes unites

Upper and Lower Egypt in 3150 BCE

Becomes the first Pharaoh of a unified Egypt

First capital at Memphis

Lots of innovation in arts and scienceThe Double Crown of Unified Egypt

*see your sample slide content worksheets

THE NEW KINGDOM (1550 - 1000 BCE) Time of a strong empire, powerful

pharaohs, and expansion This could be called Egypt’s “Golden

Age”

A CLOSER LOOK:RAMSES II (RULED 1279 - 1213 BCE)

Conquered many territories for Egypt

Made the first written peace treaty

Was the most famous and powerful Pharaoh in all of Egyptian history

GOVERNMENT Had rulers that were

like kings, but were considered gods on earth. They were called Pharaohs.

Pharaohs appointed advisors to help run the different branches of the government - called a bureaucracy

Allowed the Pharaoh to keep tight control on his peopleThe anointing of the Pharaoh by Horus and

Thoth, gods of the pharaoh and of wisdom

ECONOMY The Economy was strictly controlled by

the government Temples gathered and distributed grain Egyptians used a money-barter system,

where a certain amount of grain equaled a certain amount of copper or silver. Workers got paid in grain.

Coinage (money) did not evolve until the 5th century BCE

SOCIETY Egyptian society was

very divided Most people were

farmers, but the government owned the land AND the farmer’s crops.

Farmers also had to pay taxes and work on the government’s construction projects

SOCIETY, CONT Artists and craftsmen had higher

status than farmers, but were still controlled by the government

Scribes and officials were members of the upper class

Priests, physicians (doctors), and engineers were also part of the upper classes

The highest class in Egypt was the nobility, or the Pharaoh’s family

SOCIETY, CONT Egyptian law viewed

everyone, except slaves, as equal under the law

This meant that men and women could own and sell property, marry and divorce, receive inheritance, etc

Ancient Egyptian women had a lot more freedom than women in other ancient societies.

SLAVERY We know there was slavery in Egypt, but

no one knows exactly how it worked Maybe you can study it in college and

find out for us?

THE LEGAL SYSTEM The Pharaoh was the head of justice in

the kingdom – he was responsible for law and order

Egyptians relied on agreements and resolving conflicts instead of abiding by a set of strict laws.

Serious cases, like murder, were referred to the Great Kenbet, or a council that the Pharaoh or his advisors oversaw.

Court scribes wrote down everything that happened in the cases – like ours do today!

JUSTICE Punishments for breaking a law/causing

harm were fines, beatings, facial mutations, or exile.

Punishment for serious crimes, like robbery or murder, was often execution.

ART & ARCHITECTURE Egypt is famous for its pyramids Most famous: the pyramids at Giza

Built between 2300-2200 BCEBuilt for Pharaoh KhufuHoused the remains of the Pharaohs for the

afterlife

PYRAMID AT GIZA

EGYPTIAN RELIGION* Polytheistic meaning many gods Each god looked over a certain part of life or

death Examples:

*See sample slide worksheet #2

Ra, god of the sun

Anubis, god of embalming

Osiris, god of the dead

Isis, goddess of magic and wife of Osiris

BELIEFS ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE

The body had to be preserved for the soul to return to every evening. This led to…

Mummies! Internal organs removed Body embalmed in oils and wrapped in cloth

AFTERLIFE

Once you died, your soul travelled to the hall of Two Truths

Heart vs the Feather of Truth Weighs more fed to the Eater of the Dead Weighs less pass into the afterlife

CONTRIBUTIONS – TECHNOLOGY Science and Math

Geometry and Engineering: used in building the pyramids

Great medical practices thanks to their knowledge of the body from mummies

Developed a 365 day calendar

CONTRIBUTIONS - WRITING

WritingHieroglyphics:

symbols for certain words and sounds

Written on papyrus scrolls

Used formal and informal writing

Example at right is formal

WRITING – THE ROSETTA STONE

The Rosetta Stone helped scholars decipher the Egyptian language, which no one was able to understand until the mid-1800s

That’s over 2000 years of not knowing what the Egyptians wrote!

COLLAPSE OF EGYPT Overrun by different invaders Finally fully under foreign control by the

Persians in the 700 - 600s BCE Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in

332 BCE and started a new dynasty of rulers

Alexander the Great

THE END! Questions? Let’s review your notes

PRIMARY SOURCE TIME! Read a portion of Ramses II’s peace

treaty Consider the following:

Why is this a primary source?What is the document telling us?Who is involved?Why is this important?