When most people think about Egypt the pyramids are what comes to mind. That is because these are some of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. They are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!

I. The Nile Valley

A. Settling the Nile -Nile is the world’s largest river= 4,000

miles long -Egypt is called the gift of the Nile -Nile floods and deposits silt -allows people to farm & live -Nile delta is most fertile area -deserts on both sides= kept armies out -River allowed contact among people

B. The River People -Flooding was calm & predictable -dug basins to help water reach their

fields -developed geometry -Papyrus= made paper -Hieroglyphics= Egyptian writing -symbols

C. Early Egyptian Life -Egypt was divided into social

classes King & Fam.

Priests & Nobles

Artisans & Scribes

Farmers & Herders

Unskilled Workers

- The upper class lived a lavish lifestyle. -see page 45-middle class lived modest but very

important

D. Family Life -Father head of family - women had more rights than most

civilizations -they could own property, buy & sell

goods, make wills -upper-class women were in charge of

temples and could perform ceremonies -kids didn’t go to school -played w/ board games, dolls, & tops

Egypt’s Old Kingdom

- 2600-2300 B.C.- Pharaoh's were absolute rulers - Everyone listened & obeyed the pharaoh -thought they were gods

A. Religion -polytheistic= worshipped many gods -believed gods controlled

everything

1) The After-Life= -believed if you had led a good

life you could enter -you must have a body=

embalming-Embalming= organs removed, buried

in salt for 40 days to dry, filled w/ perfumes, & wrapped in linen

-preserved body for the after- life

-called a mummy

2) Medicine- -b/c of embalming doctors learned

a lot a/b the body -1st to set broken bones & stitch up

wounds

B) The Pyramids -pyramids were tombs for pharaohs -protected the body & provided

goods for the after life

1) How was it built? -developed calendar w/ 12 mos. &

365 days -made advances in math= #

system based on 10’s, created fractions

-stones were cut w/ copper tools, tied to sleds & pulled over logs & then floated on barges to the construction site

2) The Great Pyramid -largest pyramid -500 ft tall or the same as a 48

story building -area about the size of 9 football

fields -2 mill. stones weighing 2.5 tons

each -built it without beasts of burden or

even the wheel!!!!!!

III. The Egyptian EmpireA. Middle Kingdom- 2050 to 1670 B.C

-golden age of stability, strength, prosperity & achievement

-arts & lit. thrived

-no pyramids- tombs in side of cliffs

-Valley of the Kings

-Egypt conquered by the Hyksos

-Hyksos driven out by Ahmose

B New Kingdom- 1550-1080 B.C.

-Egypt reached height of its glory

-Hatshepsut= 1st woman ruler

-increased trade & wealth

-built monuments & large tomb

-Egypt’s size was increased during this time

C. Two Famous Pharaohs

1) Amenhotep IV= married to Nefertiti

-changed Egypt’s religion & removed the priests & temples

-monotheistic

-neglected his duties

-people refused the new religion

2) Tutankhamen= 10 yrs. old

-restored the old religion

-died after ruling only 9 yrs.

- tomb discovered by Howard Carter in A.D. 1922

D. End of the New Kingdom -Ramses II= worked to make Egypt great

again -ruled for 66 yrs. -very successful -many new temples were built

E. Decline and Fall -Egypt could no longer defend itself -had to pay for weapons b/c they had no iron

ore -only controlled the Nile Delta- taken over by many different groups