Egypt

G.R.A.P.E.S. TCAP Review

GEOGRAPHY OF EGYPT

• Northern Africa

• Nile River flows south to north into a delta (fertile soil) and then to the Mediterranean Sea

• Lower and Upper Egypt

• Red Sea to the East of the Nile

• Africa is mostly deserts keeping Egypt isolated

• Nile has predictable flooding, cataracts (cliffs and boulders)

RELIGION OF EGYPT

• Polytheistic=many gods and goddesses

• pharaoh (king) are gods in human form, gods can also take animal form

• Believed in an afterlife- needed to preserve body for the afterlife= mummies

• Gods/Goddesses: Re- sun god; Hapi- river god; Osiris- god of farming/laws/dead; Isis-goddess (wife and mother)- world of dead; Thoth-god of learning

• Book of the Dead- prepares Egyptians for the challenges of the afterlife

ACHIEVEMENTS OF EGYPT

• Built pyramids-burial place

• sphinx, mummies

• irrigation- shadoof, basins

• papyrus- used to make boats, sandals, paper

• hieroglyphics- written language (pictures/ sound symbols)

• granaries- store grain

• embalming- to preserve bodies for afterlife

• 1st medical books

• Math- fractions

POLITICS OF EGYPT

• Monarchy/Theocracy- king (pharaoh); political and religious leader

• Dynasty- same family rules for many generations

• Upper and Lower Egypt were once divided until Pharaoh Narmer (Menes) conquered lower Egypt, married a princess, and united them into 1 empire. Wore the double crown (red/white). Starts 1st Dynasty in Egypt; capital is Memphis.

POLITICS OF EGYPT

• Time Periods

• Old Kingdom: Menes; King Khufu builds great pyramids of Giza; mummies

• Middle Kingdom: Capital-Thebes; added Nubia as territory; Valley of the Kings= tombs cut into limestone cliffs; Hyksos invade and conquer Egypt

• New Kingdom: Ahmose overthrows Hyksos; Queen Hatshepsut- dressed as a man, temples, monuments, built trade); Thutmose III conquers Nubia (again) and up to Mesopotamia; Amenhotep IV- monotheistic (1 god), people disliked this!!; His son King Tutankhamen- polytheistic, died young, tomb undisturbed; Ramses II- temple of Karnak

• Fall: empire becomes weak, many wars

POLITICS OF EGYPT

• Nubia= Kush Empire

• South of the Egyptian Empire in the savannah (grasslands)

• Kingdom of Kerma- agriculture and gold

• Trade with Egypt and S. Africa (cattle, gold, ivory, giraffes, leopards, slaves); as far as Arabia, India, China

• Built tombs for kings- not as big as pyramids in Egypt

• Conquered by Egypt a few times, then overthrew Egypt

• Capital Napata; shared many gods and culture with Egypt

• Capital move to Meroe after Assyrians invade

ECONOMICS OF EGYPT

• Trade Routes: Nile River, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea

• Trade with: Arabia, E. Africa; beads, ivory, gold, ebony wood, incense; needed wood-traded with Phoenicians (1st sound symbol relationship alphabet!)- had purple dye, furniture.

• Barter= trade

• Slaves could earn freedom

SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF EGYPT

• Kids did not go to school much; learned parents jobs

• Women could own property

• Social hierarchy:

• Pharaoh (king)

• Priests (gov't officials), nobles

• Traders, artisans, scribes

• Farmers/ herders

• Unskilled workers/slaves

• *Ambitious people could improve their social class status with hard work