ANCIENT EGYPT

GEOGRAPHY OF EGYPT

• The Mediterranean is right above Egypt. Along the side is lower and upper Egypt and the Nile River. Beside that is the Red Sea.

PROBLEMS & BENEFITS

• The Nile flooded predictably from July-October.
• Left silt and fertile land.
• Too much water would destroy and too little meant not enough food
• Limited useful land , but kept out invaders

OLD KINGDOM

• Developed society, religion, government, # writing.
• Built pyramids
• (2686-2181B.C)
• The first kingdom in Egypt

RELIGION

• Polytheistic- believed in many gods. (Over 2000) Osiris- the dead/ Re- sun god.
• Believed in an after life

GOVERNMENT

• Theocracy- the ruler, usually but not always a man.
• Pharaohs continued to rule even after death.
• Old Kingdom pharaohs built pyramids
• New Kingdom pharaohs hid tombs under cliffs.

Society Structure

• Top of pyramid is the pharaoh.
• Upper class: governments, nobles, priest.
• Middle class: craftsmen, merchants, artisans
• Lower class: farmers, laborers
• Slaves: captured in war
• You could change social classes.
• Women- had many rights men did.

ACHEIVEMENTS

• Built pyramids and used columns.
• Writing- hieroglyphics which were written on papyrus. ~ we translated hieroglyphics using the Rosetta Stone which had Egyptian and Greek writing.✍🏼
• Advanced medicine: could feel for pulse, made splints and performed surgery.
• Calendar: any 6 hours off of solar year.

MIDDLE KINGDOM

• Dug a canal to the Red Sea from the Nile
• Improved immigration
• Drained the swamps of lower Egypt.

NEW KINGDOM🏰

• Drove out the Hyksos
• Built an empire
• Empire - several states under one ruler

RAMSES

• Made a lasting peace with the Hittites and had many temples built
• Invaders from the sea attacked and weakened Egypt. It broke into small regions and was conquered by foreigners.

ASSYRIANS

• Controlled all of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
• A combat oriented, warlike culture in reaction to constant attacks

HEBREWS

• Moved to Egypt and probably stayed because they had a similar culture as the Hyksos
• Monotheism- believed in one God