Chapter 2, Section 1: The Nile Valley

I. Settling the NileA. A Mighty River

a. Egypt = warm and sunny, received little rainfall

b. Egyptians relied on the Nile River (drank, bathed, used for farming, provided food)

c. Believed that the Nile was a precious gift

d. Longest river in the world (4000 miles)

e. Wild rapids (cataracts) keep ships from using all but the last 650 miles

I. Settling the Nile

B. A Sheltered Landa. Nile Valley = fertileb. most fertile land = Nile Deltac. Desert on either side, the ancient

Egyptians called the deserts the “red lands”d. Egypt was surrounded by natural barriers, and wasn’t attacked often

II. The River People

A. Regular Floodinga. Nile flooded regularly and was dependableb. “Black land” = fertile land by the Nile River

B. How Did the Egyptians Use the Nile?a. Floods led to successful farmingb. Used irrigation and canal system to move water where they

needed itc. Shadoof = bucket attached to long pole, to lift water from

the Nile to the basin, many Egyptian farmers still use these today

d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-4pUJ5fNgw

d. Egyptians developed geometry to survey lande. Papyrus, a reed plant that grew along the Nile was an important resourcef. Used papyrus to make baskets, sandals, rafts and paper

C. What were Hieroglyphics?

a. System of writing that is made up of hundreds of picture symbols

b. Some symbols stood for objects and ideas while others stood for sounds

c. Scribes carved hieroglyphs into stone walls and monuments but wrote on papyrus for everyday purposes

d. Few people could read and writee. Scribes did the reading and writing, kept records,

worked for rulers, priests and traders

III. A Untied Egypt

A. The Rise of Governmenta. Earliest rulers were village chiefsb. Over time chiefs led groups of villages which

eventually became kingdomsc. By 4000 BCE, Egypt was made up of 2 large

kingdoms: Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt

B. Egypt’s Ruling Families

a. Around 3100 BCE the two kingdoms became oneb. Narmer united the kingdoms and ruled from Memphis

at the center of Egyptc. He wore a double crownd. Ruling power was passed from father to son creating a

dynastye. Egypt was ruled by 31 dynasties together lasting over

2800 yearsf. 3 main time periods: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom

and New Kingdom

IV. Early Egyptian Life

A. Egypt’s Social Classes

Pharaoh

Priests and Nobles

Traders, Artisans, Scribes, shopkeepers

Farmers and Herders

Unskilled Workers Slaves

A. Egypt’s Social Classesa. Upper class made up of nobles, priests and other

wealthy Egyptiansb. Upper class was wealthy, had large homes along

river, and servants to wait on themc. Middle class included people who ran businesses and

made goodsd. Middle class lived in smaller homes and dressed

more simplye. Farmers made up largest group of early Egyptians,

lived in villages, ate simplyf. Many that lived in the city were unskilled workers

B. Family Lifea. Father was head of family, but women

had more rights than females in other ancient civilizations

b. women could own and pass on propertyc. upper class women were in charge of

templesd. few Egyptians went to school, instead

were taught in the home