The Nile River and Ancient Egypt

The Nile River

• The Nile River is the longest river in the world, approximately 4,000 miles long, flowing from central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Nile is the reason that Egypt developed about 5,000 years ago.
• The floods caused by rainfall in central Africa leave fertile silt behind that Egyptians used for agriculture.

Development of Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Egypt began as two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt.
• The Nile was used for travel and trade.
• Menes, a Pharaoh, united the two regions in approximately 3,000 BCE.
• Early Egyptians relied on the natural flow of the Nile to water their fields.

Agriculture and Irrigation

• Egyptians developed irrigation systems to capture floodwaters and bring water to the fields.
• These irrigation systems worked like a system of canals.
• Early Egyptians used shadoofs to improve irrigation - shadoofs are a type of lever system that raises water from a lower level to a higher one.
• The main food crop was grain, and others included dates, figs, and grapes.

Trade and Building

• Trade flourished along the Nile River.
• Traded goods included gold, animal hides, and other goods.
• Egypt's wealth allowed them to build large stone buildings, using materials collected along the Nile.
• The Pyramids of Giza are one of the largest and most impressive examples.

A Brief Timeline of Ancient Egypt

• The Old Kingdom (2686-2125 BCE): a period of prosperity, political strength, and cultural advancement, ended when a series of civil wars began.
• The Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BCE): Pharaohs dealt with Nile floods, building canals to drain dangerous floodwaters and irrigate farmland.
• The New Kingdom (1550-1070 BCE): Pharaohs expanded Egypt's lands to Asia and Africa, considered a high point of Ancient Egyptian power and prosperity, ended due to civil wars breaking out.

Ancient Egypt's Decline

• Egyptians lost power to the Assyrians in 332 CE.
• Egypt was later conquered by the Persian Empire.
• Alexander the Great conquered Egypt.

The Kingdoms of Egypt

• The Old and New Kingdoms existed in Egypt before Menes unified Egypt.
• The kings of Upper Egypt wore red crowns.
• The kings of Lower Egypt wore white crowns.

Uniting Egypt

• The city-states of Sumer never became a single kingdom, but Egypt's two kingdoms did.
• Menes became the first Pharaoh of a united Egypt in about 3,000 BCE.
• He wore a double crown of both red and white and founded Egypt's first dynasty.

Political Order in Egypt

• Pharaohs relied on a bureaucracy, or a system of officials, that helped run the government (the head of bureaucracy = Vizier).
• Officials collected taxes from farmers, paid with surplus crops.
• The Vizier distributed crops to priests, Pharaoh, artisans, and merchants.

Egypt’s Early Rulers

• The Egyptian ruler was the King, later referred to as Pharaoh, meaning "great house".
• Egyptians were fiercely loyal to the Pharaoh, believing he was a powerful leader and god-like figure who could protect the kingdom from war and famine.
• Pharaoh appointed bureaucrats (government officials) to carry out orders and supervised construction and repair of dams and irrigation canals.
• Pharaoh owned all Egypt's land and collected grain taxes.
• Pharaoh's officials distributed land to important people.

Egyptian Beliefs About the Pharaoh

• The Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was a god and respected him greatly.
• They believed the Pharaoh was the son of the sun god Re and that he protected Egypt.
• People showed respect by bowing their heads when music (flutes and cymbals) was played during the Pharaoh's appearances.

Pharaoh's Role in Egyptian Society

• The Pharaoh was considered a god on Earth and was responsible for controlling Egypt's welfare.
• Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh participated in ceremonies to help the kingdom thrive, and that his actions could affect the fertility of the land.
• The Pharaoh was believed to fertilize the soil by riding a bull around the capital city.
• He was also the first person to harvest ripened grain, an action the Egyptians believed would ensure abundant crops.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Pharaoh

- **Advantages:**
- Lots of respect and ceremonies for you.
- Control over a large living area.
- **Disadvantages:**
- A lot of work.
- A lot of responsibility.

Ancient Egypt Vocabulary

• Nile River: The world's longest river; it gave Egyptians fresh water, and its (unpredictable) flooding left behind silt deposits that made rich and fertile soil for farming.
• Delta: A flat plain formed on the seabed where a river deposits material over many years.
• Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt. A series of rulers from the same family.
• Merchant: Merchants were middle class citizens who sold finished goods to others. They were on the same social class level as artisans, such as painters, stonecutters, and builders.
• Trade Routes: Trade (exchange of goods) over bodies of water, or a network of pathways used for transporting goods to and from one location to another.
• Trade Network: Snefru began the first trade network between Egypt and modern Lebanon. Egypt also traded with Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, and most importantly, Kush/Nubia.
• Imported Goods to Ancient Egypt: Gold, elephant tusks/ivory, incense, ebony, cedar wood, olive oil, tin, copper.
• Exported Goods from Ancient Egypt: Grain, cloth, papyrus, glass, jewelry.
• Hieroglyphics: Symbol that stands for a word, idea, or sound.

Mummification Process

• Step 1: The body is washed with oil and salted water, taken to a heated area (ibu), and a name tag is placed on the body.
• Step 2: The body is taken to a special place (wobe), where a priest cuts open the stomach and removes all the organs except the heart. The brain is removed, and other organs are kept.
• Step 3: The lungs are stored in a jar and protected by the god Hapy. The stomach is placed in a jar that has a jackal head. The intestine is placed into a jar. The liver is placed into a jar. The jar holding the liver has the head of the god Imsety.
• Additional Notes: The god Hapy protects the lungs. The stomach is placed in a jar with the jackal head of Duamutef. The intestine is placed into a jar. The liver is stored in a jar with the head of Imsety.

Great Pharaohs of Egypt

• King Menes (around 3100 BCE): He unified Upper and Lower Egypt and established his capital in Memphis.
• Khufu (2589 BC - 2566 BC): He built the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest in the complex, as his burial tomb. Constructed with sun-dried mud bricks and limestone, it was supposedly filled with precious jewels and metals.
• Hatshepsut (1507 BC - 1458 BC): She was the first female pharaoh and considered one of the most successful. Hatshepsut built many great buildings and temples, fostered trade routes, was well-liked by her people, and ruled for 21 years. Her step-son, Thutmose III, succeeded her and ruled from the age of 23 to 56.
• Tutankhamun (1341 BC - 1323 BC): He was a young king who became pharaoh at the age of ten and ruled until he was nineteen. He is known as "King Tut". While not legendary for great achievements, he was a religious pharaoh and introduced many religious reforms.
• Ramesses II (1303 BC - 1213 BC): often referred to as “Ramesses the Great,” Ramesses II was considered one of the greatest military leaders in Egyptian history. He expanded Egyptian territory significantly through military victories, conquering cities of the Hittites, Syrians, and Nubians. Known as a master builder, he oversaw the construction of numerous temples, roads, and monuments. He died at the age of ninety and was buried in the Valley of the Kings.
• Cleopatra VII (69 BC - 30 BC): Cleopatra was part Egyptian and part Macedonian. She was the last of the pharaohs to rule Egypt before Roman annexation. Her influence grew during a period of expanding Roman influence. Known for wisdom and charm, Cleopatra formed alliances with Julius Caesar. After Caesar's death, she allied with Mark Antony. Both Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated in the Battle of Actium by Octavian, and they both committed suicide. Egypt's people came under the control of the Roman Empire, making Cleopatra the last pharaoh.

Explore the significance of the Nile River in shaping Ancient Egypt's agriculture, trade, and civilization. This quiz covers the river's length, the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt, and the development of irrigation systems utilized by early Egyptians. Test your knowledge of one of history's most important rivers.