Ancient Egypt
4. Ancient Egypt.pdfChapter 4 Study Guide.pdf
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4.1 Geography and Early Egypt
ISN pgs. 7-8
- cataracts
- delta
- Menes
- pharaoh
- dynasty
4.2 The Old Kingdom
ISN pgs. 9-10
- Old Kingdom
- Khufu
- nobles
- afterlife
- mummies
- elite
- pyramids
- engineering
4.3 The Middle and New Kingdoms
ISN pgs. 11-12
- Middle Kingdom
- New Kingdom
- trade routes
- Queen Hatshepsut
- Ramses the Great
4.4 Egyptian Achievements
ISN pgs. 13-14
- hieroglyphics
- papyrus
- Rosetta Stone
- sphinxes
- obelisk
- King Tutankhamen
4.1 Geography and Early Egypt
Geography played a key role in the development of Egyptian civilization. The Nile River brought life to Egypt and allowed it to thrive. The river was so important to people in this region that a Greek historian name Herodotus called Egypt the gift of the Nile.
Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt contains the Nile River delta, which is made by the river as it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Upper Egypt consists of the narrow strip of land located south of the delta.
Egypt is located in Africa. It is in the north eastern portion. The Nile River runs the entire length of the country. It begins in the mountains of Africa, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River runs from south to north.
Egypt is surrounded by natural barriers. The desert, mountains, and Mediterranean Sea provided protection. The climate of Ancient Egypt was hot and dry, as it is part of the Sahara Desert. The Nile River Delta is 65 miles long. It is a rich agricultural region, with the most fertile soil in Africa. This rich soil made farming easier, and allowed Egyptians to create a surplus of food. Cataracts (or rapids) also made travel down the Nile difficult in areas.
Menes was a pharaoh of the first dynasty of ancient Egypt. He lived ca. 3100-3000 BC. He brought together upper and lower Egypt to make an empire. He even wore both crowns: the white crown of lower Egypt and the red crown of upper Egypt. He built the ancient Egyptian city Memphis and made it the capital.
There is extensive archeological evidence that there was a pharaoh named Narmer, but little evidence for Menes. There is a general suspicion that Menes either was a name of Narmer, his predecessor, or of his successor, Hor-Aha.
A need for government officials, increases in farming, and increases in the population caused social classes to appear in the Old Kingdom.
4.2 The Old Kingdom
Archaeologists divide ancient Egypt's history into three big blocks of time. In each block of time, all pharaohs behaved in a certain way. These blocks of time were called kingdoms. Scientists named these blocks the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
Based on Egyptian legend, in the beginning the Egyptians' land was comprised of many populated areas were governed by tribal “chieftains.” Early during the first Dynastic Period, Upper and Lower Egypt were united by King Menes (also known as King Narmer) around 3100 B.C.E. Menes wore a “Double Crown” to signify the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The Nile brought Upper and Lower Egypt together physically and Menes brought them together politically.
The Age of the Pyramids
During the Old Kingdom, a huge number of pyramids were built. Money to build all these great monuments was taken from the treasury. Pyramids were built mainly at Giza of Egypt. The first step pyramid was built by king Djozer. The three great pyramids of Khufu, Menkaura and Khaefra were also built during this period of time. Amongst all the pyramids, the 481 feet tall pyramid of Khufu was the biggest. These great pyramids were built with limestone, the burial chambers were built with granite and the outer castings were carved out of fine limestone. Even today, the archaeologists and scientists are unable to discover the actual process of building such great pyramids. It’s surprising that more than two millions of stone blocks, each weighing about two and half tons were used to build such of these great pyramids.
Khufu was also known as Cheops which is his name in Greek. His name means "Khnum Protects Me". Khnum was the ram-headed god of water, fertility and procreation. Khufu was twenty when he came to the throne and at once began building the Great Pyramid at Giza, his “Stairway to Heaven”.
In the social pyramid of ancient Egypt the pharaoh and those associated with divinity were at the top, nobles, officials, and priests were in the second tier, and servants and slaves made up the bottom. The Egyptians also elevated some human beings to gods. Their leaders, called pharaohs, were believed to be gods in human form.
Click here to meet the Egyptian gods.
Click here to learn about the Egyptian afterlife and mummies. Only the elite could afford to be mummified.
Facts About the Old Kingdom
- The Old Kingdom was known as the Age of the Pyramids.
- Upper and Lower Egypt was united by King Menes, also known as King Narmer.
- The divine rule of the kings or pharaohs was established.
- The ancient Egyptians used weapons and tools made of copper and bronze.
- The Step Pyramid at Saqqara was built for the Pharaoh Djoser by his chief architect Imhotep. The Step Pyramid at Saqqara was the first major pyramid used as a burial structure.
- The transition of Step Pyramids to smooth surfaced pyramids such as the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. The great pyramids of Giza were built for pharaohs Khufu, Khafre aka Chephren and Menkaure aka Mycerinus.
- This era saw the increased power of the viziers towards the end of the period. Lack of leadership and a rise in power from the viziers signaled the end of the Old Kingdom.
The Fall of the Old Kingdom
The last pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Pepy II. But Pepy II was only six years old when he became Pharaoh - Pepy II's mother, Ankhesenpepi II, probably was really the one ruling Egypt. She would have been used to the idea of women having political power: Ankhesenpepi II's mother, Nebet, had been the vizier for Pepy II's grandfather, Pepi I. Ankhesenpepi II may have ruled until Pepy II grew up, or perhaps until she died. After her death, Pepy II gradually lost power, and the other rich men and women of Egypt began to rule their own areas as if they were kings themselves. This was the end of the Old Kingdom.
4.3 The Middle and New Kingdoms
The "Middle Kingdom" is a period of time during the history of Ancient Egypt. It lasted from 1975 BC to 1640 BC. The Middle Kingdom was the second peak period of the Ancient Egyptian civilization (the other two being the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom). During this time all of Egypt was united under a single government and Pharaoh.
Under the rule of Mentuhotep II, Thebes became the capital of Egypt. From that point forward, the city of Thebes would remain a major religious and political center throughout much of Ancient Egyptian history. Mentuhotep II built his tomb and mortuary complex near the city of Thebes. Later, many pharaohs of the New Kingdom would also be buried nearby at the Valley of the Kings.
Mentuhotep II ruled for 51 years. During that time, he re-established the pharaoh as the god-king of Egypt. He rebuilt the central government and expanded the borders of Egypt.
During the time of the Middle Kingdom, pharaohs were buried in hidden tombs all over the place (pyramids were only used in the Old Kingdom). The Egyptian tomb builders did a wonderful job hiding the tombs. Archaeologist know what pharaohs ruled during this time period. The ancient Egyptians believed if you didn't have your name written down somewhere, you would disappear from your afterlife. Everybody wanted to enjoy their afterlife, so Pharaohs' had their name written down and chiseled everywhere. But, archaeologists still have not found all the tombs.
The Fall of the Middle Kingdom
The original Egyptians were farmers, not fighters. They didn't see the need for an organized army. They were well protected by the natural boundaries of the desert that surrounded the empire. During the Old Kingdom, if the Pharaoh needed men to fight, he would call up the farmers to defend the country.
Around 1750 BC, a group from Southwest Asia called the Hyksos invaded. They used horses, chariots, and advanced weapons to conquer Lower Egypt. The Hyksos ruled the region as pharaohs for 200 years.
Pharaoh Ahmose I founded the 18th Dynasty and established the New Kingdom (c.1550-1070). By using weapons learned from the Hyksos army, Egypt was once again able to take control. Ahmose immediately steered the Egyptians onto a new militant and imperialistic path. A more formal army was developed and military commanders were appointed. It wasn’t long before Egypt, during the period of the New Kingdom, became the most powerful state in the Near East. Over the years Egypt continued to expand its territory through military conquest.
Expanding Borders
During the 18th Dynasty, there was a great deal of trade with West Asia, and Egyptian armies even conquered much of Israel and Syria, though they were constantly fighting the Hittites and Assyrians to keep control of it. Great temples were built all over Egypt.
Egypt's first full-time army began during the New Kingdom. Army troops protected Egypt and conquered lands beyond the Nile Valley. Pharaoh Thutmose I sent troops as far north as the Euphrates River. He also conquered parts of Nubia, pushing Egypt's border past the fourth cataract. His son, Thutmose II, continued to expand Egypt.
Thutmose II was considered as the lesser son of Thutmose I because his mother was a minor named Mutnofret. However, he was married to Hatshepsut (we'll talk more about her later), who was the royal half-sister of Thutmose II, which helped maintain his kingship in the land. He was also able to end several rebellions held in Nubia, and he led an army that defeated nomadic groups of the Bedouins. However, these campaigns were only headed by the generals of the king and not by Thutmose II. Hence, this proved that he was indeed a minor even though he was pharaoh.
In the Hebrew and Christian Bible, Exodus 4:19, God commanded Moses to go back to Egypt as all the men who wanted to kill him were already dead. The ruler of the land at that time was believed to Thutmose II. Historians considered him as a weak and lesser king, and he was greatly dominated by his wife Hatshepsut during his reign.
If Thutmose II was the pharaoh when Moses left Egypt, then his son, Thutmose III would have been pharaoh during the Exodus. However, scholars are divided on this subject. Other experts also believe it might have been Ramses the Great or Akhetaten.
The Egyptian queens were very powerful at this time, and in 1490 BC one of them, Hatshepsut, became Pharaoh herself. Hatshepsut's reign was long and peaceful, and she built up many trading agreements with African kingdoms south of Egypt (often also ruled by women) that made Egypt much richer than before.
Hatshepsut was born an Egyptian princess. Her father was the Pharaoh Thutmose I. She grew up in the great royal courts of Egypt with her sister and two brothers. Unfortunately, Hatshepsut's brothers and sister died while they were still young. Now she was an only child.
Without a son to inherit the thrown, Thutmose I was worried who would be pharaoh after he died. He decided to name one of Hatshepsut's step-brothers as heir. This is where things get weird. Hatshepsut was married to her step-brother in order to keep the royal line pure. This sounds really strange today, but it was common for Egyptian royalty.
During the time that Hatshepsut ruled, Egypt did very well. Unlike the other pharaohs, she was more interested in expanding the economy and negotiating peaceful deals. She wasn’t interested in war. She knew that the Egyptian people would profit better this way. Hatshepsut built new monuments but also restored some of the older buildings. During her ninth year of reigning she sent trading expeditions to the land of Punt. The ships came back with ivory, gold, myrrh, and trees.
One of her finest buildings was the temple Djeser-djeseru (which means holiest of holy places). This was dedicated to the god Amon. She continued to build and add monuments throughout Egypt. One of the two red granite obelisks still stands at the temple of Amon in Karnak.
Ramses II
During his reign as pharaoh, Ramses II led the Egyptian army against several enemies including the Hittites, Syrians, Libyans, and Nubians. He expanded the Egyptian empire and secured its borders against attackers.
Perhaps the most famous battle during Ramses' rule was the Battle of Kadesh. This battle is the oldest recorded battle in history. In the battle Ramses fought the Hittites near the city of Kadesh. Ramses led his smaller force of 20,000 men against the larger Hittite army of 50,000 men. Although the battle was indecisive (no one really won), Ramses returned home a military hero.
Later, Ramses would establish one of the first major peace treaties in history with the Hittites. This helped to establish a peaceful northern border throughout the rest of Ramses' rule.
Ramses II is also known as a great builder. He rebuilt many of the existing temples in Egypt and built many new structures of his own. Some of his most famous building achievements are described below.
Ramesseum - The Ramesseum is a large temple complex that was located on the west bank of the Nile near the city of Thebes. It was the Mortuary Temple of Ramses II. The temple is famous for its giant statue of Ramses.
Abu Simbel - Ramses had the temples of Abu Simbel built in the Nubian region of southern Egypt. At the entrance to the larger temple there are four huge statues of Ramses sitting down. They are each about 66 feet tall!
Pi-Ramesses - Ramses also built a new capital city of Egypt called Pi-Ramesses. It became a large and powerful city under Ramses rule, but was later abandoned.
The Fall of the New Kingdom
After the death of the last Ramses in 1085 BC, Egypt fell apart. We don't know exactly why, but there may have been a serious drought.
The Hittite and Mycenaean cultures collapsed at the same time, and various people from that area invaded Egypt, where they were called the Sea Peoples - the Philistines, the Lycians, and the Achaeans, among others (possibly the Trojans). Egypt beat these Sea Peoples off, but Egypt collapsed soon afterward anyway.
Egypt lost its control over Israel and Lebanon (this is the story of Moses) and was again ruled by different kings in the north and the south. Nubia got back its independence altogether, and had its own kings, and so did the Egyptian territories in Israel and Syria (this is the time of King David and King Solomon in the Bible).
4.4 Egyptian Achievements
Papyrus
Papyrus was a weed that grew wildly along the banks of the Nile River. It grew about 10 feet high. It was used to make everything!
The ancient Egyptians used papyrus to make paper, baskets, sandals, mats, rope, blankets, tables, chairs, mattresses, medicine, perfume, food, and clothes. Truly, papyrus was an important "gift of the Nile".
They even tried to make boats out of papyrus, but that did not work very well. Papyrus absorbs water. Boats made of papyrus would become waterlogged and sink.
When the Egyptians began to write, about 3000 BC, they wrote from the beginning in ink, on papyrus (pah-PIE-russ). Papyrus is a plant that grows wild all over the Nile river valley, so it is very common in Egypt. You can cut the long papyrus stalks and soak them in water until they rot a little, and then you lay a lot of these stalks next to each other, and a lot of other stalks on top, crossways to the first ones, and then you pound them flat, until all the stalks get mashed into all the other ones, and you have something a lot like paper.
The Rosetta Stone
Historians and archaeologists have known about hieroglyphics for centuries, but for a long time they didn't know how to read it. In fact, it was not until 1799 when a lucky discovery by a French soldier gave historians the key they needed to read ancient Egyptian writing.
Two Languages and Three Scripts
The text is made up of three translations of a single passage, written in two Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and Demotic), and in classical Greek.
The Rosetta Stone is thought to have been written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor the Egyptian pharaoh. It lists all of the good things that the pharaoh has done for the priests and the people of Egypt.
After many years of studying the Rosetta Stone and other examples of ancient Egyptian writing, Jean-François Champollion deciphered hieroglyphs in 1822.
The Valley of the Kings
The ancient Egyptians built massive public monuments to their pharaohs. But they also spent time and treasure creating hidden underground mausoleums that no one was ever meant to see.
The most famed collection of such elaborate tombs—the Valley of the Kings—lies on the Nile's west bank near Luxor.
During Egypt's New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.) the valley became a royal burial ground for pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II, as well as queens, high priests, and other elites of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.
The tombs evidence elaborate preparations for the next world, in which humans were promised continuing life and pharaohs were expected to become one with the gods. Mummification was used to preserve the body so that the deceased's eternal soul would be able to reanimate it in the afterlife.
Temples were often adorned with rows of sphinxes and tall obelisks. Egyptians believed these items would protect the temple.
Temple of Abu Simbel
Ensa Temple
Temple Edfu
Temple of Kom Ombo
Obelisks in Ancient Egypt
Great Sphinx of Egypt
Sphinx Guard at Temple Karnak in Luxor