EGYPTWhere were the Egyptians located? What were their religious

beliefs? What were their contributions?

Map of Egypt and Nubia

Map of Egypt and Nubia

1= Nile River2= Nile River Delta3= Red Sea4= Med. SeaE= EgyptN= Nubia

1

2

3

4

E

N

Geography of Egyptian Civilization

Located in northeastern Africa along the Nile River Delta*, Mediterranean Sea and Red SeaDelta: a landform at the mouth of a

river that flows into a larger body of water

Origins of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptian civilization dates back to between 5000-330

BCE

Egypt was first unified around 3000 BCE under King Menes After Menes, the Egyptian Pharaohs (Kings) were viewed as

divine or godlike

Egypt went on to occupy lands that stretched from Nubia to the Euphrates River Nubia was colonized and later conquered due to their rich

supplies of gold and ivory

Ancient Egypt ends with the conquest of Alexander the Great (c. 332)

Contributions of Ancient Egypt

Construction of pyramidsPyramids were built as a

funerary/monument to the pharaohs and the royal court

The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed near Cairo for the Pharaoh Khufu

Contributions of Ancient Egypt

Religious traditions of ancient Egypt (Egyptian Mythology)Polytheistic religious beliefs with a

brief history of monotheism The Pharaoh was divine—not only

a king but also a godThe pharaoh was the physical

embodiment of Horus (falcon/hawk-like god) the son of Re (the sun god)

Contributions of Ancient Egypt

Belief in the after-life Egyptians believe that each person had

a ka (life-force) that left the body after death

They also believe each person had a ba (spiritual characteristics unique to each person) that was attached to the body

Mummification was created to preserve the body—the ba would go out at night into the after-life but would always need to return to the physical body

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MQ5dL9cQX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwiYnzfLUwI

Contributions of Ancient Egypt

Creation of HieroglyphicsHieroglyphs were the form of

writing use in ancient EgyptEuropean historians were unable to

decipher hieroglyphics until 1799 when one of Napoleon's soldiers found the Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta stone contained a text written in three different languages (Hieroglyphics, Greek, and Demotic)