Ancient Egypt & the Nile Valley

Chapter 3 Notes
 A River Valley & Its People
One of the worlds first
civilizations developed along
the banks of the Nile
In northeastern Africa
Nile = worlds longest river
People of the Nile relied on the
rivers yearly floods to bring
them water
Green Nile Valley = stark
contrast to deserts
surrounding it on either side
A River Valley & Its People
Rich black soil in Valley =
good for farming
5000 BCE = farmers began to
settle down in the Valley
Grew cereal crops (wheat,
barley)
Hunted ducks & geese; fished
Early Egyptians harvested
papyrus
Used for rope, sandals, baskets,
and paper
 A River Valley & Its People
Early farming villages
prospered --> WHY??
Because they were
protected from foreign
invasions by deserts and
cataracts (waterfalls) in the
Nile
Strong leaders united the
farming villages into
kingdoms or monarchies
ruled by a king
A River Valley & Its People
By 4000 BCE, Egypt had 2
large kingdoms
Lower Egypt (in the north)
Upper Egypt (in the south)
3000 BCE = Narmer (king of
Upper Egypt) attacked Lower
Egypt and united the 2
Capital = Memphis
1st of the Egyptian dynasties

Egyptian dynasties divided into 3

periods: Old, Middle, New

 The Old Kingdom
(2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
People saw their kings as gods
Called a theocracy = same person
is the political AND religious leader
King gave many responsibilities to a
bureaucracy = groups of
government officials
King controlled trade & taxes
King supervised building of canals,
dams, grain storehouses
 The Old Kingdom
(2700 BCE to 2200 BCE)
Egyptians built
pyramids as burial
places for their
kings
Great Pyramids in
Giza
Kings bodies were
mummified for
preservation
Pyramids as Tombs
Mummification
 The Middle Kingdom
(2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
Old Kingdom ended with violence & a new
dynasty reunited Egypt
Capital moved to Thebes
Theben kings = seized new territory &
added thousands of acres to their
civilization
Built canals and irrigation systems
 The Middle Kingdom
(2050 BCE to 1800 BCE)
Local leaders began to
challenge the kings power,
which threatened peace
At same time = 1st real threat
to Egypt = invasion by Hyksos
(people from western Asia)
Hyksos swept through with new
tools for war --> bronze
weapons & horse-drawn
chariots
Easily conquered the Egyptians
& set up a new dynasty (for
about 110 years)
The New Kingdom
Egyptian prince named
Ahmose raised an army
& drove the Hyksos out
Ahmose & those that
came after him used
the title pharaoh
Rebuilt Egypt &
conquered more land
 The New Kingdom
1480 BCE = Queen Hatshepsut
came to power in Egypt = 1st
female pharaoh
After her death, her stepson
Thutmose III took over
Thutmose III created an army,
conquered neighboring Syria, and
expanded the Egyptian empire
Empire = many territories under
one ruler
Egyptian empire grew rich &
benefited from cultural diffusion
The New Kingdom
1370 BCE = ruler named
Amenhotep = created new
religion with just 1 god
Changed his named to
Akhenaton = spirit of Aton
Aton = sun-disk god = only
1 to be worshipped
Controversial, so after his
death the priests went back
to old religion
King Tut took over for him
King Tuts Tomb
 The New Kingdom
1200s BCE =
Ramses II (Ramses
the Great)
Built large statues of
himself, temples, and
tombs
After his death, Egypt
weakened under
attacks from invaders
& was taken over by
foreigners
 Life in Ancient Egypt
Social Order
Upper class = kings,
nobles, priests
Middle class =
artisans, scribes,
merchants
Lower class
(majority of
Egyptians) =
farmers, poor
Lowest of the low =
slaves
Life in Ancient Egypt
Families
In cities & upper
class = husband,
wife, children
Outside the city &
poor families = also
included
grandparents &
other relatives
 Life in Ancient Egypt
Women
In the beginning =
property of their
husbands
By the time of the
Egyptian Empire =
they could own
property and divorce
their husbands; had
more rights
 Life in Ancient Egypt
Religion
Very important to early
Egyptians
Polytheistic = believed
in more than one god
Gods were often half
human, half animal
Believed in an afterlife
The ankh =
symbol of life
burial rituals reflect this
 Some Egyptian Gods

Ra = Sun
God Osiris = God
of the Dead
King of the
Gods
Horus =
Son of Iris Anubis = Iris = Queen
& Osiris God of of the
Embalming Goddesses
 Life in Ancient Egypt
Writing
Used hieroglyphics (picture
symbols) for writing
Few people could read or
write
Language remained a
mystery until discovery of the
Rosetta Stone in 1799
(Greek writing matched the
hieroglyphs on the Stone)
 Life in Ancient Egypt
Science
Developed a number
system
Used geometry to calculate
volume and area
Created a 365-day
calendar
Developed medical
expertise used splints,
bandages, etc.