Pyramids on the Nile

Geography of Egypt The Nile river flows from south to north for

over 4100 miles Egypt's first settlements were along the

riverbanks in a narrow strip following the fertile soil. The change from soil to desert was so abrupt that one could see it.

The Nile flooded every July, and when the water receded in October, it left VERY fertile soil.

Geographical Challenges Unlike the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians’

Nile was regular as a clock. Problems were still present: If the waters were too low one year, the

amount of silt was reduced and thousands starved

If water was a few feet higher than usual, homes and crops would be destroyed

The desert on both sides of the Nile hindered travel and interaction with other people – trade was limited

Upper & Lower Egypt Halfway up the Nile is a

waterfall/rapids area called a cataract, which renders the river impassible. It also creates Upper and Lower Egypt

The river was navigated both with and against the current by the Egyptians with wide-sailed ships – this allowed Egypt to become a kingdom, instead of the city states of Mesopotamia.

Egypt Unites a Kingdom

By 3200BC, Egypt was divided into 2 distinct kingdoms – Upper and Lower Egypt. King Narmer was responsible for uniting the two kingdoms.

To symbolize this unification, Narmer combined the white crown of Upper Egypt with the Red crown of Lower Egypt into one.

He established his capital, Memphis, at the spot where Upper & Lower Egypt met. He became the first in 2600 years of 31 dynasties

Pharaohs Rule as Gods In Mesopotamia, rulers are representatives

of the Gods. In Egypt, the rulers ARE gods and are descendants of them. This rule of religion is called a theocracy.

The Pharaoh was responsible for the well being of the kingdom. Since they were gods, they were responsible for the sun rising, the Nile flooding, and the crops growing, along with truth and justice.

Pyramid Building

Egyptians believed that since a pharaoh was basically a god, he ruled after death as well. His spirit, or ka, wandered the earth and partook in the same earthly pleasures as the king did while he was alive. Since the kings ruled forever, their tombs had to be palaces – kings of the Old Kingdom built pyramids to rest in.

Egyptian Culture The early Egyptians

were polytheistic, with the main gods being Re, the god of the sun and Osiris, the god of life, death, and fertility. The most important goddess was Isis, who represented the ideal mother and wife.

Osiris

Isis

Afterlife Due to the fact that their life was

not nearly as harsh as the Mesopotamians thanks to the regularity of the Nile, the Egyptians had a positive view of the afterlife. They believed that life continued after death

The ka roamed the earth, and needed someplace to return to at night, hence the process of mummification and sarcophagi in tombs. If a tomb was destroyed the person was doomed to walk the earth forever.

To get into the underworld, your heart was weighed against a feather by Anubis, the god of the underworld. If your heart was too heavy with misdeeds, he would eat it and your soul as well. If the feather was heavier, you could pass to the underworld.

One of the main functions of Anubis was to release the human body at death from the uncleanness that possessed it. He washed the body, embalmed it, perfumed it with myrrh, wrapped it with clean linen and received it at the door of the tomb – to the Egyptians he was "Lord of the Cleansing Room."

Mummification – how’d they do it? Greek historian Herodotus explains it thusly:

First, they draw out the brains through a nostril with an iron hook… Then, with a sharp stone they make an incision in the side, and take out all of the bowels… Then, having filled the belly with pure myrrah, cassia, and other perfumes, they sew it up again; and when they have done this steep it in natron [a mineral salt], leaving it under for 70 days… At the end of 70 days, they wash the corpse, and wrap the whole body in bandages of waxen cloth.

Life in Egyptian Society Classes were not lucked in

position – you could move up through marriage, and even some slaves could win advancement as a reward for exemplary work. Reading and writing were mandatory for moving up, though.

Women held many of the same rights as men – own and trade property, propose marriage, or seek divorce. If divorce was granted, she got 1/3 of the property.

Pharaoh and Royal Family

Upper Class: Landowners and Gov’t Officials

Middle Class: Merchants and Artesian Workers

Lower Class: Farmers and laborers

Hieroglyphics Pictures originally

stood for an idea, but as time passed on, symbols took their places, and they started to stand for sounds and ideas.

They were first written on stone & clay, but as time went on the discovery of papyrus made it easier to write letters.

Science and Technology in Ancient Egypt They created a calendar to help keep track of the

time between floods. This was based on the number of days between the risings of Sirius, or the Dog Star. It was 365 days, divided into 12 months of 30 days each, with an additional 5 days for holidays and feasts. It fell short of the true solar year by only 6 hours.

Also, numbers were used, though there was no concept of zero.

Their medicine was excellent for the time, with knowledge of how to take a pulse, splint broken limbs, and how to perform surgery.

Invaders Control Egypt The Old Kingdom’s power declined around

2180 BC, with a period of contention until the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC) restored order. They improved trade and irrigation.

In 1640 the Hyksos, or “rulers of foreign lands” invaded from Palestine and ruled Egypt from 1630-1523 BC.

After this period the New Kingdom arose, which will be discussed later, in Chapter 4.