Lesson 12 Ancient Egypt PDF

The Rise and Fall of Egyptian Civilization  Pyramids on the Nile Using mathematical knowledge and engineering skills, Egyptians build magnificent monuments to honor dead rulers.  Objectives Explain how the Egyptian civilization was formed, and ho...

The Rise and Fall of Egyptian Civilization  Pyramids on the Nile Using mathematical knowledge and engineering skills, Egyptians build magnificent monuments to honor dead rulers.  Objectives Explain how the Egyptian civilization was formed, and how it flourished with emphasis on their development in river valleys as the geographic context of their emergence; Assess how the Egyptian civilization organized their government and other societal institutions; Compare and contrast the different social classes in Egyptian society; Discuss the role played by religion on the kind of political system that developed in the Egyptian civilization; Identify the various achievements, contributions, and legacies of Egyptian civilization with focus on their inventions and technology; and Explain how the Egyptian civilization fell.  Formation of Egyptian Civilization Nestled along the life-giving Nile River, Ancient Egypt thrived due to the predictable flooding that deposited nutrient-rich silt on the land. This natural irrigation turned the arid landscape into fertile grounds, setting the stage for agricultural prosperity. Around 3100 BCE, King Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt, inaugurating a unified kingdom under centralized rule.  Flourishing of Egyptian Civilization Egypt’s settlements arose along the Nile on a narrow strip of land made fertile by the river. The change from fertile soil to desert—from the Black Land to the Red Land—was so abrupt that a person could stand with one foot in each. Yearly flooding brings water and fertile black mud—silt (inundation of the Nile. Farmers build irrigation system for wheat and barley crops. Egyptian’s worship Nile as a god. The stable food supply allowed population growth. The irrigation systems enhanced farming. With the creation of food surplus, trade routes expanded particularly for gold, papyrus, grains. Architecture (pyramids, temples) The Annual Flooding of the Nile  Environmental Challenges Compared to the unpredictable Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile was as regular as clockwork. Even so, life in Egypt had its risks. – The level of floodwaters would affect the amount of fresh silt and water for crops was which can disastrous consequences ( too little people would starve; too much would led to unwanted destruction) – The vast and forbidding deserts on either side of the Nile acted as natural barriers between Egypt and other lands. They forced Egyptians to live on a very small portion of the land and reduced interaction with other peoples.  Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt Ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile from the mouth well into the interior of Africa. River travel was common, but it ended at the point in the Nile where boulders turn the river into churning rapids called a cataract. This made it impossible for riverboats to pass this spot, known as the First Cataract, to continue upstream south to the interior of Africa. Between the First Cataract and the Mediterranean lay two very different regions. The river area south of First Cataract is elevated, becomes Upper Egypt The river area north, including Nile delta, becomes Lower Egypt  Egypt Unites into a Kingdom Egyptians lived in farming villages as far back as 5000 B.C. Each village had its own rituals, gods, and chieftain. By 3200 B.C., the villages of Egypt were under the rule of two separate kingdoms. Some evidence points to a king called Scorpion. More solid evidence points to a king named Narmer/Mernar/Menes. A carved piece of slate known as the Narmer Palette shows Narmer wearing the crown of Lower Egypt on one side and the crown of Upper Egypt on the other side. Some scholars believe the palette celebrates the unification of Egypt around 3000 B.C. Narmer created a double crown from the red and white crowns. It symbolized a united kingdom. He shrewdly settled his capital, Memphis, near the spot where Upper and Lower Egypt met, and established the first Egyptian dynasty. Eventually, the history of ancient Egypt would consist of 31 dynasties, spanning 2,600 years.  Narmer’s Palette A carved piece of slate that shows Narmer wearing the crown of Lower Egypt on one side and the crown of Upper Egypt on the other side. Some scholars believe this artifact celebrates the unification of Egypt around 3000 B.C.  Organization of Government In early Egyptian society, the kings called “pharaohs” (great house), controlled religion, government, army. He was in charge of the well-being of kingdom. The pharaoh as the divine ruler, considered a god-king. The government based on religious authority—theocracy. The government had centralized control with officials (viziers, scribes) managing regions. Hierarchical bureaucracy existed to collect taxes and manage resources. The pharaohs were expected to keeps the irrigation works in order, directs the army, keeps peace and issued laws, controlled trade and the economy, feeds the people in case of famine and controls and owned the Egypt’s mines, quarries, and trading fleets that sailed to foreign lands.  Builders of the Pyramids The ancient Egyptians believed that their pharaoh continued to rule even after death through an eternal life force called ka. This belief made their tombs more crucial than their palaces, with pyramids serving as grand resting places. These pyramids, built with immense stone blocks weighing up to 15 tons, showcased remarkable engineering and the Egyptians' economic and technological prowess. The construction of pyramids like the Great Pyramid of Giza highlighted their ability to organize large-scale public works projects. This not only underscored their advanced architectural skills but also demonstrated their sophisticated leadership and governmental structures. Building the Pyramids The pyramids at Giza  Religion and Life The pharaoh was considered an intermediary between gods and people. The pharaoh was seen as a living god. Religious institutions controlled much of the land and wealth. Temples served as centers for both religious and economic activities. Divine kingship provided political legitimacy. Egyptian religion was polytheistic. They believed in life after death, where deeds determined one's fate. Mummification was developed to prevent bodies from decaying, and the Book of the Dead contained prayers and spells to guide souls in the afterlife.  Life after death In contrast to the Mesopotamians, with their bleak view of death, Egyptians believed in an afterlife, a life that continued after death. Egyptians believed they would be judged for their deeds when they died. Anubis, god and guide of the underworld, would weigh each dead person’s heart. To win eternal life, the heart could be no heavier than a feather. If the heart tipped the scale, showing that it was heavy with sin, a fierce beast known as the Devourer of Souls would pounce on the impure heart and gobble it up. But if the soul passed this test for purity and truth, it would live forever in the beautiful Other World. People of all classes planned for their burials, so that they might safely reach the Other World.  Egyptian Afterlife This scene depicts what occurs after a person has died, according to the ancient Egyptians. panel of 14 judges Ka, ba (personality) and the ankh (form mummy took in afterlife / the key of life) Weighing of the heart vs Ma’at Judgment of scale Record of the outcome  Mummification and burial Royal and elite Egyptians’ bodies were preserved by mummification, which involves embalming and drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying. The step of the mummification process are as follows: The brain would be removed through nostrils with a hook. All internal organs would be removed except for the heart. The eyes would be removed and replace with artificial ones. The body organs (the liver, lungs, intestines and stomach) would be put in canopic jars. The body would be filled with Natron (a salt used to dry out body.)  The body would be filled with spices and embalming fluid. The body would sit for 70 days. After 70 days, the body would be washed and dried, the face painted. The body then would wrap in bandages with amulets. The bandage would be painted with the symbol of ankh (symbol of eternal life) Then finally, the body in a sarcophagus, a cartouche (oval nameplate) - deceased king or queen’s name would be written on it to protect pharaoh from evil spirits. Last but not the least, place body in pyramid with  Book of the Dead BOOK OF THE DEAD: Egyptian book which would help the Egyptians get into the Otherworld. It contained magic spells, prayers and hymns to the gods which were to be spoken on the journey into the afterlife.  Life in Egyptian Society Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid. At the top were the king, queen, and royal family, followed by the upper class of wealthy landowners, officials, priests, and military leaders. The middle class included merchants and artisans, while the base comprised peasant farmers and laborers, the largest group. Slavery, often involving war captives, became common in later periods. Social mobility was possible through marriage or job success, and literacy opened doors to high-ranking positions. Women had many rights, such as owning property and seeking divorce.  Egyptian Writing The development of writing was crucial to Egyptian civilization. Initially, simple pictographs were used, but scribes soon created a more flexible system called hieroglyphics, meaning "sacred carving" in Greek. Early hieroglyphics represented ideas with pictures, but over time, they came to represent sounds and ideas, functioning similarly to letters. Hieroglyphics were first inscribed on stone and clay, but Egyptians later invented papyrus as a writing surface. Papyrus reeds were split, layered, dampened, pressed, and dried to form paperlike sheets, greatly improving their ability to record information.  Rosetta Stone The discovery of the Rosetta Stone was very important. It contained many languages on one stone. This discovery allowed people to read Hieroglyphics The Rosetta Stone is written in three scripts (hieroglyphs for religious documents; demotic- common script of Egypt; Greek- language of the rulers of Egypt at that time) The Rosetta Stone was written in all three scripts so that the priests, government officials and rulers of Egypt could read what it said.  Achievements and Contributions Papyrus for writing, Solar calendar system (365 days and 12 months) Construction techniques. Advancements in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy. Writing system: Hieroglyphics. Monumental architecture: Pyramids, Sphinx, temples at Karnak and Luxor.  Decline of Egyptian Civilization Internal strife, weakening of central power. Foreign invasions: Assyrians, Persians, and later Alexander the Great. Economic difficulties due to external threats and over-expansion. End of native rule by Cleopatra’s defeat in 30 BCE (Roman conquest).