Chapter 5 Egypt – The Gift of the Nile
8th Grade Social Studies
Egyptian Timeline
• 3400 B.C. Upper Egypt is Unified • 3100 B.C. Old Kingdom begins with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt • 3000 B.C. Egyptians make paper from papyrus, a reed found in the Nile River • 2686 B.C. The Great Pyramids are built • 2040 B.C. The Middle Kingdom begins • 1630 B.C. The Hyksos invade Egypt • 1600 B.C. The New Kingdom begins • 1372 B.C. Ikhnaton becomes pharaoh
The Nile River
• 4000 miles long • It forms a delta as it reaches the Mediterranean Sea • It floods every spring due to the rain and run-off from the mountains, leaving very fertile soil • A “highway” for trade
The Two Most Important Egyptian GODS
• Ra – the god of the sun • Hapi – the god of the river • The sun rising in the East was a symbol of birth and the sun setting in the West was a symbol of death
The Old Kingdom
3100 B.C to 2186 B.C.
• Upper Egypt (South) and Lower Egypt (North) were united by Menes, who built his capital at Memphis • Cities became centers of business used by caravans for trade • Most people were farmers, others were traders • Houses were made from mud-bricks in small villages on high land
Pharaohs and Pyramids
• Egyptian rulers were called pharaohs, they were both kings and priests, the people thought they were gods • In the Old Kingdom, the pharaohs owned all the land and water, and the people thought he had control over the rise and fall of the Nile River • The pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs, because it was believed that they continued to live after they died • They were built of stone blocks weighing 5000 pounds each • Building took years, but they built about 75 pyramids that are still standing
The Afterlife
• The Egyptians believed that life stayed the same after death • They filled the tombs with treasure, food, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and art so they would have it with them • They painted pictures of friends and servants on the walls, it was thought they would come to life magically • Pharaohs were buried deep inside, and the room was sealed to protect them
The Middle Kingdom 2040 B.C.
• Capital city was located in Thebes • Traders continued to business with faraway places, to help with this a canal was dug to join the Nile River to the Red Sea • Learned about medicine and mathematics • In 1630 B.C. the Hyksos from Asia invaded Egypt, and began to rule the land
Old Kingdom vs. Middle Kingdom
• OLD KINGDOM
• Thought the pharaohs were gods with complete control • Thought only the pharaoh would live forever • Pharaohs were buried in pyramids
• NEW KINGDOM
• Thought the pharaohs shared their powers with other officials • Thought all people would live forever • They mummified all people and buried them in tombs in the cliffs
The New Kingdom 1600 B.C.
• Strong pharaohs ruled, with control of the people of Egypt
• Strong army • Egyptian influence spread down into Africa
• Schools were built
• Religion changed
• Money was spent to build temples, palaces, and statues in the capital city of Thebes
Hatshepsut
• The first woman pharaoh • Responsible for increasing trade and spreading the Egyptian influence • Built a beautiful temple at Thebes
Thutmose III
• Became pharaoh after Hatshepsut died • Organized a navy, won victories all over Asia • Became wealthy from taxes paid by those conquered
Ikhnaton
• Became pharaoh in 1372 B.C. • Believed the sun god, Aton, was the only god • Took power away from the priests and built new temples • His wife, Nefertiti, and Ikhnaton gave gifts to Aton so his rays of sun would shine
Gifts from the Egyptians
Made paper from papyrus Learned how to set broken bones, how to check for a heartbeat, and to deal with fevers Beautiful jewelry, pottery, furniture, and artwork System of counting based on ten System of measurement Geometry