Chap 3.1 Slides Flashcards
What was the most important geographic feature in Egypt?
Why important?
•The Nile
–Most important physical feature in Egypt
–4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert
- Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there
Why was the Nile important to becoming home of Egyptian civilization?
•The Nile flooded every year
–Predictable floodwaters with spring rains
–Left rich, black silt
- Narrow band of fertile soil
- Became home of Egyptian civilization
The soil of the Nile was at the ________
Why was this soil valuable?
Delta
- Egypt’s most fertile soil in Nile Delta
- Silt deposits at mouth of river
- Black Land of rich soil
The NIle flowed through __________ to the South
•Flowed through cataracts to the south
How did the Nile offer protection?
- Nile afforded protection itself
- Flowed through cataracts to the south
- Currents and waterfalls made sailing impossible
- Not an easy invasion route
When and where did the kingdoms develop?
First farming villages as early as 5000 BC
- Northern Kingdom, Lower Egypt
- Southern Kingdom, Upper Egypt
What was the climate like in the upper and lower Egypt?
What did the people pray to?
Upper Egypt - Warmer climate; prayed to a vulture goddess
Lower Egypt - Mild climate; cobra goddess worshipped
How did the upper and lower Egypt unite?
Under what ruler?
- Two kingdoms unified around 3100 BC
- Upper Egypt ruler Menes conquered north
What did MENES found?
What symbol did it adopt?
–Founded capital city of Memphis
– Adopted both symbols, the snake and the vulture
When did Egypt civilization begin?
Many of the institutions for which the Egyptian civilization is known were created during the period which began around 2650 BC
What were the greatest structure build?
Where were these build?
The Pyramids
•Largest located near Giza
Why were the pyramids built?
Built as tombs for rulers
_ chamber for burial
–Treasures buried with them
–Deadly traps within
•Design changed to smooth-sided over time
How were the pyramids built?
Who build the pyramids?
- Took great planning and skill
- Ordered when kings took the throne
- Built from the inside out
- Not built by slaves or aliens…
–Peasants required to work one month per year
–Professional craftspeople like architects, artists
The head of government was the ________, which means __________
The Pharaohs
- The head of the government was the king
- Became known as pharaoh (“great house”)
Why did pharaoh hold great power?
•Had great power because he was believed to be a god
What kind of society was Egypt?
What was it ruled by?
•Egypt a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures
How did the pharaoh rule Egypt?
Who else ran the society?
Egyptian Bureaucracy
- Pharaoh could not rule Egypt alone
- Aided by bureaucracy, many of whom were pharaoh’s relatives
- Hundreds of lesser officials kept Egypt running smoothly
The Old Kingdom collapsed at this time _______
What followed after this collapse?
Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC
Warfare, economic strife for almost 200 years
New dynasty began _______ during _______
•New dynasty began Middle Kingdom 2055 BC
How was this Middle Kingdom?
Was it stable? What did it do?
–Strong leadership brought stability
–Trade with surrounding lands encouraged
How were the trade routes protected?
•Trade routes not always safe
–Fortresses built along the Nile
Who invaded around 1650 BC?
–The Hyksos invaded, conquered around 1650 BC
How long did the Hyksos rule?
The Hyksos were defeated by _______
Hyksos ruled almost 100 years
•Defeated by nobles from Thebes who became new rulers of Egypt
What did the New Kingdom create?
Who were these people?
First permanent army
- Traditional foot soldiers
- Archers and charioteers
Why was a permanent army important to Egypt?
Securing Egypt
- Egypt could not rely on geography for protection
- Desert and sea not enough
- Had to build powerful military
How and where was an empire created?
- Egypt to rule beyond Nile Valley
- Headed south into Nubia
- Also campaigns east into Asia
Egypt fought campaigns in ______ and _______ around 1250 BC
_________ invaded from ____________
- Fought campaigns in Nubia and Syria around 1250 BC
- Hittites invaded from Mesopotamia
What was the confrontation with Hittites?
Who led the army?
How did the conflict end?
- Ramses the Great led army
- Accounts of battle vary, but two armies signed truce
- Ramses married Hittite princess and conflict ended
How long did Ramses rule?
What did Ramses accomplish and build?
- Ruled for 67 years, had over 100 children
- Built more temples and monuments than other pharaohs
- Many political and artistic achievements
Who was the woman that ruled?
What did she encourage?
The Reign of Hatshepsut
•Hatshepsut best known for encouraging trade
–Wanted to be treated like any other pharaoh
–Dressed like a man, statues of her as a man
What was the religion in Egypt?
This meant by belief in ____
Monotheism in Egypt
–Worshipped only one god, Aten
–Banned worship of all other gods
What did Amenhotep IV build?
•Built temple to Aten at Akhetaten
After Amenhotep IV, what did the next pharaoh restore?
•The next pharaoh restored worship of traditional gods
After Ramses, what happened to Egypt?
Egypt’s Decline
•Ramses’ successors faced challenges to authority
What weakened Egypt?
•Major invasions of Egypt
–Sea Peoples devastated empires
–weakened Egypt
Egypt’s decline lead to breaking into _______
Who ruled for next 700 years?
•Egypt broke into small states
–Many foreign rulers over next 700 years
What foreign groups ruled Egypt for next 700 years?
It finally fell to ___________(where?)
- Libyans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks
–Finally fell to Rome
