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Ancient Kush
January 9, 2015
Map of Ancient Kush
Geography of Ancient Kush
● The kingdom of Kush developed south of
Egypt along the Nile.
● Kush was in a region we now call Nubia.
● Like Egypt, every year floods provide a rich
layer of fertile soil.
● Because of this, farming villages thrived.
● Kush is also rich in minerals such as gold,
copper, and stone.
History of Kush
● Kush and Egypt were neighbors and trading
partners.
● The Kushites sent slaves to Egypt.
● They also sent gold, copper, and stone, as
well as the prized material of ivory.
● Relations between Kush and Egypt were not
always peaceful.
Egyptian invasion of Ancient Kush
● Around 1500 BCE, Egyptian armies invaded
and conquered most of Nubia, including all
of Kush.
● Kush remained an Egyptian territory until
the mid 1000s BCE, when the Kushite
leaders regained control.
Kush Rules Egypt
● By around 850 BCE, Kush was once again as
strong as it had been before it was conquered by
Egypt.
● During the 700s BCE, the Kushites began to
invade Egypt.
● By 716 BCE the Kushites controlled the area from
Southern Nubia to the Nile Delta.
● In the 670s BCE, the Kushites were driven out of
Egypt by the Assyrians from Mesopotamia.
Later Kush
● After being driven out of Egypt, the people
of Kush devoted themselves to increasing
agriculture and trade.
● The economic center of Kush was Meroe.
● Gold could be found nearby, as could
forests of ebony and other wood.
● It was here that the Kushites developed
Africa’s first iron industry.
Meroe
Meroe
What can
you gather
from this
picture?
Meroe
Society and Culture
● The most obvious influence on Kush during
this period was Egyptian, but a lot of
Kushite culture was unique to itself.
● The people of Kush Worshipped their own
gods and developed their own written
language.
● Women were expected to be active in their
society.
Society and Culture
● Some women rose to positions of great
authority, especially in religion.
● A few women even ruled the empire alone.
Decline and Defeat
● Kushite civilization centered at Meroe
reached it’s height in the first century BCE.
● Eventually it fell due to both internal and
external factors.
● The iron and other metals ran out, and the
overgrazing of cattle caused a deterioration
of farmland.
Independent Writing Activity
Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting
Ancient Kush and Egypt. You may refer to your
current notes and back to your Egypt notes if
needed. We will take five minutes for this.
Group Activity
● Use the white paper to create a chart comparing
and Contrasting ancient Kush and Egypt with your
group. Assign each person a color to determine
who did work and may have been slacking. :p
● There will be a Venn Diagram on the board. As a
group write one statement for each category on
the sticky notes handed to you, and place them on
the board.