Egyptian CivilizationWorld History I

Geography• The Nile River’s yearly flooding

allowed for excellent farming in Egypt.– The Nile was also the fastest

form of transportation.– Egypt was surrounded by

deserts and bodies of water.• This made Egypt difficult to

invade.– The area by the Nile Delta is

called Lower Egypt, and the area to the south is Upper Egypt.

The Course of Egyptian History• Egyptian History is divided into three major periods.

1.2.3.– These were periods of long-term stability, freedom from

invasion, strong leadership, and intellectual activity.– Egyptian history began around 3100 BC, when Menes

united Upper and Lower Egypt under a single dynasty.– Dynasty – family of rulers whose right to rule is passed

on within the family.

The Old Kingdom (2700-2200 BC)• The Old Kingdom was an age of prosperity.– Ruled by a monarchy with a single leader known as a

pharaoh.– Pharaohs had absolute power, but they needed help in

ruling, leading to the development of a bureaucracy.– Bureaucracy – An administrative organization with

officials and regular procedures.– Especially important was the vizier, a government official

who was in charge of the bureaucracy.

The Pyramids• The building of the pyramids took place during the

old kingdom.– They were dedicated to the dead and were part of a

larger complex of buildings.– Egyptians believed that there were two bodies – a

physical one and a spiritual one called the ka.– They believed the ka could continue living after the

physical body died.• To preserve the physical body, the Egyptians

practiced mummification, a process of slowly drying the body after death.– Pyramids were tombs for mummified pharaohs.

Images from inside Egyptian Pyramids.

Left: Chamber inside an Egyptian Pyramid.

Below: This is a layout of Egypt’s Great Pyramid at Giza.

Left: Mummy believed to belong to Pharaoh Ramses II (about 3,000 years old)

Below Left: Mask encasing King Tut’s mummy.

Below: another Egyptian mummy, identity unknown.

The Middle Kingdom (2050-1652 BC)• The Middle Kingdom was a period of stability in

which Egypt expanded.– They conquered Nubia, which was to Egypt’s south.– Traders were sent to Kush, Syria, Mesopotamia, and

Crete.• The role of the Pharaoh changed in the Middle

Kingdom.– Once seen as a god-king far removed from the people,

the Pharaoh was now a leader responsible for the peoples’ well being.

– The Pharaoh now built public works and provided for the welfare of his people.

The New Kingdom (1567-1085 BC)• The Middle Kingdom came to an end when Egypt

was taken over by the Hyksos.– Pharaohs used new weapons to drive the Hyksos out.– The New Kingdom was a period of Egyptian military

dominance.• Egypt became the most powerful state in Southwest Asia.• Religious controversy under Akhenaton led to loss of faith in

government and loss of Egyptian territory.• The new kingdom collapsed in 1085 BC, and over the next

thousand years Egypt was controlled by a variety of people.– In the first century BC, Egypt became a province in the

Roman Empire.

Society in Egypt

More about Egypt• Writing in Egypt emerged around 3000 BC.– Hieroglyphics used a combination of writing and

pictures.• Mainly used for writing on walls and in tombs.

– Record keeping was done with a simplified version called hieratic script.

• Egyptians made major strides in art and science.– They used geometry to survey land.– Developed a 365 day calendar.– Embalming led to advances in human anatomy.