Ancient Egypt & Nile River Valley

Nile River Valley

• Upper Egypt is the region upstream from the Mediterranean Sea, toward the river's source

• The region is called "upper" as it is upstream

• The Nile River provided rich farmland and required people to cooperate in water control

• Cataracts are rocky areas of fast-flowing water, differing from waterfalls

Development of Egyptian Civilization

• Technology aided food production through simple earthen walls that trapped floodwaters

• This irrigation allowed for surplus crops, making farming more productive

• Increased food production allowed some people to become merchants or artisans

• Not everyone needed to farm, so some engaged in other activities like handcrafts

Kingdom of Egypt

• The kingdoms of Egypt arose in the following order: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom

• Middle Kingdom pharaohs controlled the Nile's floods by building canals for drainage and irrigation

• Old Kingdom pharaohs established bureaucracies to manage a strong, organized central government

• The government was a monarchy headed by the pharaoh, with a vizier as chief administrator

• Scribes were below the vizier, carrying out directives

Egyptian Society

• The top three levels of the social pyramid were responsible for governing Egypt: pharaoh, nobles, priests, officials, and scribes

• The large size of the lowest class indicates a need for many laborers for pyramids, monuments, and fields

• Farmers and slaves were at the lowest level of the social pyramid and gave free labor

• Farmers' labor was temporary, seen as religious devotion, with a belief in reward after death

Egyptian Religion

• Preservation of the body aligned with the belief in the afterlife

• Egyptians believed the spirit needed a body to inhabit after death

• Both Sumerians and Egyptians were polytheistic, believing in many gods

• Amon-Re and Osiris were important gods representing overcoming death

• Mummification preserved the body so the spirit could inhabit it after death

Great Rulers

• Ancient Egypt had hundreds of pharaohs

Hatshepsut

• Hatshepsut was one of the few women to rule Egypt
• She became pharaoh when her husband died, leaving a young son
• She dressed as a king to gain acceptance and was known for peaceful rule
• Hatshepsut built Egypt's wealth through trade, acquiring items like wood, ivory, gold, and perfumes from Punt

Thutmose III

• Thutmose III became ruler when Hatshepsut died
• He used war to strengthen and expand the empire
• His conquests increased Egypt's wealth, power, and prestige

Ramses II

• Ramses II ruled about 150 years after Thutmose III, using war for wealth and power
• He fought the Hittites, suffering losses at the Battle of Kadesh
• He later made peace with the Hittites by agreeing to a border and built many monuments

Accomplishments and Conflicts

• Hatshepsut increased Egypt's wealth through trade

• Thutmose III conquered lands in Africa, Syria, and the Fertile Crescent

• Hatshepsut extended power through trade, while Ramses II did so through war

• Ramses made peace with the Hittites after much conflict

• The Nile River was more important because it allowed the pharaohs to rule a civilization that was flourishing

Vocabulary

• Cataract: groups of rocky rapids
• Delta: an area of sediment, soil or minerals carried by water, deposited at the mouth of a river
• Artisan: skilled workers who practice a handcraft
• Pharaoh: king
• Dynasty: ruling family
• Bureaucracy: a system of offices and officials that handle the business or government
• Mummy: body preserved by a special process
• Environmental: having to do with natural surroundings
• Devotion: dedication, loyalty