Transcript The First Civilizations powerpoint

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The Egyptian Kingdoms
Originally, two separate cultures developed along the Nile river.
These were the kingdoms of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.
Lower Egypt was located in the north on the Nile delta.
Upper Egypt was located in the south away from the Mediterranean Sea.
Then, Menes, the king of Upper Egypt united the two kingdoms – 3200
B.C.E.
Ancient Egypt
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Geography –
12,000 years ago much of Egypt was swampland.
The most important characteristic was the Nile River.
The Nile made it possible for people to settle in the
fertile valley along both sides of the river.
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Geography – continued
Nile Valley had a sunny, warm climate that encouraged the
growth of various crops.
The valley contains deposits of granite, sandstone and limestone,
which make good building materials.
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Geography - continued
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The Nile Valley is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the north.
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Egyptians could reach the Mediterranean, by sailing on the river’s northward
flow.
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They could return south by using the winds that blew from north to south.
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The Mediterranean made a protective barrier to keep invaders out of Egypt.
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The Nile emptying into the Mediterranean
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Geography – continued
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Egypt is bordered by deserts on the west and east.
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The Arabian Desert to the east is followed by the Red Sea on its western edge.
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Only a small neck of land (called and isthmus) connects Egypt to the Asian
continent.
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The Sahara Desert borders Egypt’s western side.
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The barriers also helped protect Egypt from invaders.
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Early Steps towards Civilization in the Nile RiverValley
Hunter-gatherers settle in the area
Neolithic farming settlements
Learn to mine and use metal
Copper, then tin to make bronze
Developed hieroglyphics
12.000 B.C.E.
6,000 B.C.E.
3,800 B.C.E.
3,000 B.C.E.
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How did historians learn to read and translate Egyptian hieroglyphics?
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Europeans were not able to decipher hieroglyphics until 1798.
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At that time, the French army, under its leader Napoleon, invaded Egypt.
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While there, a French soldier discovered an unusual stone, covered with carvings.
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One part of the writing was recognized as Greek, and the stone was taken back to France.
The stone also was covered with hieroglyphics, and another form of writing called Egyptian
demotic – a simplified form of hieroglyphics.
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A French linguist realized the connection between the Greek text and the
Egyptian hieroglyphics.
According to the Greek writing, the three texts, Egyptian hieroglyphs,
demotic script and Greek writing, all said the same thing. The Greek text
could be used to translate the Egyptian writing.
Now, historians were able to read most of the primary source writing from
ancient Egypt.
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The Three Egyptian Kingdoms
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The Old Kingdom c.2680 – c.2180 B.C.E.
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Built the largest pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
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Society had two classes:
Upper Class: pharaoh, royal family, priests, scribes, government officials.
Lower Class: peasants and farmers. They supplied the labor for building projects.
Old Kingdom scribe
Rahotep and wife
Nofret – 4th dynasty
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Middle Kingdom – 2050 – 1650 B.C.E.
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Egypt's “Golden Age” stability and prosperity
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The Hyksos arrive from Asia with horse-drawn chariots.
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Some historians claim the Hyksos conquered Egypt through acts of great brutality.
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Other historians believe the Hyksos were able to take over Egypt easily after the collapse of
the Middle Kingdom.
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The Hyksos ruled for 100 years – the Second Intermediate Period.
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Semitic traders coming to Egypt
Hyksos invaders
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New Kingdom – 1570 – 1080 B.C.E.
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Leaders in Upper Egypt drive out the Hyksos and form a new line of strong pharaohs.
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Egypt reunited with a new capital city at Thebes.
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Pharaoh had absolute power and kept strict control over the government.
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Adopted the Hyksos’ horse-drawn chariots.
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Created a strong army.
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Conquered land to the east and south, and became an empire.
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Akhenaten
His wife Nefertiti
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New Kingdom
First female ruler – Hatshepsut ruled from 1503 – 1482 B.C.E.
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Strong ruler – kept Egypt’s borders secure.
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Built trade with other lands.
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Followed by Thutmose III who brought Egypt to its height of power.
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He was followed by Amenhotep who changed his name to Akhenaton.
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Hatshepsut
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Amenhotep/Akhenaton
His wife Nefertiti
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Egyptian Life and Culture
Achievements
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Architecture
Great Pyramid at Giza built c.2600 B.C.E.
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Built 79 more pyramids, and the Great Sphinx.
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Egyptian architect and builders ranked the best in ancient world.
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Temple at Karnack
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Mausoleum of Queen Hatshepsut
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Sciences
Invented a calendar based on the moon's movements.
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Used a number system based on 10.
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Used fractions.
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Used geometry to build pyramids.
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Made important discoveries in medicine.
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Were experts in anatomy and physiology.
Wrote a book of medical treatment used for centuries by other civilizations.
Ancient Egyptian mathematics
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Education
Egyptians developed an educational system to focus on one group,
the scribes, or clerks.
Scribes worked for the government, keeping records, so they needed
to be able to read and write.
In addition, schools were needed to pass on religious education,
which was important to the Egyptians.
Schools were attached to temples because religion was so important.
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Religion
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Initially, each Egyptian village had its own god(s).
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Many Egyptian gods were personified as animals that were considered sacred –
such as the cat, crocodile, the scarab beetle.
Later, certain gods came to predominate throughout Egypt.
The most important god was Amon/Amon-Re, the creator god, whose symbol was
the sun.
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Religion - continued
Osiris was an important god, Egyptians associated him with the Nile
River because according to myth he had been resurrected.
Egyptians associated his resurrection with the flooding and receding of
the Nile.
Osiris was the god who judged the dead.
Isis and Nepthys at the tomb of Osiris
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Religion – continued
Egyptians had a well-developed concept of the afterlife.
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The dead person’s heart was weighed on a scale against a feather.
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If the dead person’s heart balanced on the scale, the person entered the
realm of eternal happiness.
If the scales did not balance, The heart was eaten by the Eater of the Dead,
and the person ceased to exist.
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Mummification
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Egyptians believed the body had to be preserved to ensure an afterlife.
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They developed a process for preserving the body, so it would last centuries.
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Special physicians received the body in an “ibu” or place of purification.
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Here they washed the body first in palm wine and then with water from the Nile.
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A small incision was made in the side, and the internal organs were taken out, except for
the heart, which was left in the body cavity.
The organs were soaked in natron salts to preserve them, then each one was placed in
special canoptic jars and sealed. These jars were put into a canoptic chest and buried in the
tomb.
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They removed the brain with a hook through the nostrils and threw it away as
useless.
The body was immersed in natron salts for forty days to preserve the tissue.
Then the body was washed with water from the Nile and smeared with sweet
smelling oils, so the skin would keep its elasticity.
The body was then filled with dry matter such as sawdust and linen bandaging.
It was smeared again with oil and wrapped in linen bandaging.
The head was bandaged first, the neck, fingers, toes, arms and legs.
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While wrapping the body, secret amulets were placed between the layers of
wraps to protect the body during its journey to the afterlife.
While the body was wrapped, a priest recited magic spells from the “Book of the
Dead”, to keep away evil spirits.
Then the arms and legs were tied together, and a scroll of the spells in the Book of
the Dead was placed between the hands of the dead.
The body was then wrapped head to toe in another layer of bandages.
Egyptian amulets
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While being wrapped, the bandages were smeared with resin, a tree sap that
acted like glue to hold the linen strips together.
A cloth with a painting of Osiris was wrapped around the body.
Then another large cloth was wrapped around the body and linen strips were
resined into place to keep it from opening.
Mummy of King Seti I
Seti I
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This process took 70 days.
Gold finger covers
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The mummy was placed it its first coffin, and then this was placed in a second
one.
Then there were various ceremonies, including the funeral, and the opening of
the mouth ceremony which was supposed to help the dead breathe and speak.
The mummy was then placed inside its sarcophagus – a stone coffin with
carvings on it.
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The body was then placed it its tomb.
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Cat mummy and its sarcophagus
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Howard Carter examining King Tut’s sarcophagus
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Animals had an afterlife too!
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Famous mummies
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Queen Nodjment
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Queen Hatshepsut (below), Ramses II (R.)
Queen Nofretari
Queen Tiye –King Tut’s grandmother
Nefertiti ? (R.)
King Tut (R.)