Ancient Nile River Valley Civilization Introduction There are two ancient Nile river valley civilizations, one

of them was Egypt and the other was called the Nubia; although, there's not much information on the Nubian civilization. Around 3000 B.C. people began creating communities centered around the Nile river. The Nile river provided resources for all aspects of a person's life. Like many other civilizations of its time, like the Indus river civilization, life was mainly dependent on the river and the life it brought with it. In this civilization many new technologies were created and a step was taken towards modern society. Ancient Egyptian Technologies The Ancient Egyptians have created many things within their lifetimes in order to make life more sufficient. The most popular figure of Ancient Egypt's technologies would be their architectual design of the Pyramid. The pyramids were built to house the pharohs. they were built with perfectly carved blocks. Some of them are five tons. Experts still do not know how laborers moved those blocks to the work site but they do have some Ideas. Like using sleds to drag the block accross the sand. To see a video of the mysteries which still need to be uncovered about the pyramids, (note that this video is over 20 minutes long). Another technology that the Ancient Egyptians are famous for would be the creation of dyes and inks. They used a variety of different things to create the dyes. they used fish, plants, soot gum and water to create many different kinds. The Ancient Egyptians also had a great time system. They invented two clocks. One is called the sundial, and the other is called a water clock. the benefit of the sundial is that you didn't need to refill the clock with water every now and then, unlike the water clock. However, the benefit of the water clock is that you could use it at night unlike the sundial.

Literacy of the Ancient Egyptians The literacy of the ancient Egyptians is thought to be developed with the help of Egypts technologies at the time. They created paper with papyrus, which is a plant that is used to create many useful items for the Ancient Egyptians. They created ink using a variety of different things such as soot and water mingled with gum to create black ink. The Egyptian literacy system at the time was very easy to follow. They created a form of writing using picures called Hyrogliphics. Literacy allowed the ancient Egyptians to record history and therefore has allowed us to further our study of their civilized culture. Trade along the Nile Trade along the Nile was easy for the Egyptians to come by. Other civilizations like the Lebonese or the Nubians came to Egypt. Few Ports were needed to maintain basic standards of living. "At various times in their history, the ancient Egyptians set up trade routes to Cyprus, Crete, Greece, Syro-Palestine, Punt, and Nubia. Egyptian records as early as the Predynastic Period list some items that were brought into Egypt, including leopard skins, giraffe tails, monkeys, cattle, ivory, ostrich feathers and eggs, and gold. Farming with the Nile In the settlements around the Nile the land was very fertile due to the seasonal flooding of the Nile river. This caused two different results: it caused the growth of many crops due to the fertilization of the silt surrounding the Nile but also caused the mass flooding of the Nile. In order to farm, farmers would have humans and oxen plough the fields and after ploughing they would set the seeds, but due to the flooding many crops would die. To prevent the flooding of the crops many channels within the soil were created to guide the water to the crops. When the flood was low the channels would open allowing water to get to the crops. When the flood was high the channels would close at a certain point so only some water could reach the crops and the crops would not flood. This process is called basin irrigation. Unfortunately using this form of farming did not allow the farmers to have more

than one set of crops because the farming was centered around the one season of flooding. So the people of the Nile around 1500 B.C. created a device called the shaduf which could pick water up from the river and dump the water onto the soil this allowed for crops all year round and led to more abundance of crops. Farming was a very large part of the culture of the ancient Nile river valley civilization. Hunting and Fishing Along the upper Nile instead of growing crops people fished for food along the Nile. Along the upper Nile constant rain prevented the Nile from being able to grow crops. This meant agriculture was useless and the gathering of food depended on fishing the Nile. Nile perch were large fish which grew to about 4 or 5 feet long and was a very common species of fish in the Nile this made it a large source of food along the upper Nile. Though this fish is very common the catfish was a favorite of the people because the meat of a catfish could feed several families. In the upper Nile the people fished in two different way including line fishing and net fishing. Net fishing was used where the river was very calm and slow and bundled up papyrus reeds could be used to catch the fish. Fisherman would drop the net like papyrus reeds and use a line or rope above the reeds to pull the fish up after the fish were caught in the reeds. Line fishing was believed to be used with bronze hooks which could hook onto the fish and pull them in. While fisherman in the lower Nile would just wait for fish to wash up on shore after floods and the people could just catch them by picking them up off the shore. Hunting in the Nile consisted of the hunting of owls and large land animals. The hunters would use a throw-stick which is a carved sharp wooden object used to kill animals. The hunters would also use nets to catch birds and would also kill and eat roaming land animals this often happened during droughts before or after the flood where animals would need water and would come to the Nile for the water this is where the hunters would catch and kill the

animals. Hunters of the lower Nile had to hunt smaller animals like vermin or rabbits while the hunters up river would kill much larger animals like the crocodile or wildebeest. Large cats like cheetahs were also hunted around the Nile. Also along the upper Nile cattle or zebras were hunted. Hunting was a important resource to bring food into the Nile. Transport The Nile also provided its people to travel along the river by boat. This made it very easy to travel from one settlement to another. Winds helped boats travel against the current of the river and kept boats running along the Nile. The Nile also is at a slope which can provide a easy smooth ride down the river if the boat is going north. During the seasonal flood the boats could run at a pace of 6 miles per hour while on a drier day or season the boat would go at a pace of 1.5 miles per hour. However travel stayed within the borders of Egypt because there was not trade and cultural diffusion between the countries around Egypt at that time. The upper Nile was unable to support large boats for the boats would capsize so instead small boats like canoes would travel through the upper Nile. Transport was used a lot in the nile river valley civilization. Geography of the Nile River Valley The Nile river valleys geography is somewhat diverse. The river is very long; it is 6,650 kilometers long. It is one of the longest rivers in the world. It has two stretches of land around it and as metioned earlier it has very fertile land due to the flooding of the river. The Nile flows north because of the topography of the land. The Nile also has many cataracts (waterfalls). The river brings fertile soil from the south, so that when it rains, the fertile soil is exposed on top of the land around it. Religion and the Ancient Egyptians Many people of Egypt prayed to the Nile they prayed for the flood waters to come. This was of course an important occurrence for the Egyptians because the economy and food source of many Egyptians depended on the crops

provided by the flood waters. The Egyptians believed so much in the Nile's importance that a god was created that was representative of the Nile. The god's name was Osiris. Religion brought much importance of the Nile to its people because if it werent for the Nile those ancient people probably wouldnt have survived. The religion created for the Egyptians is a type of religion called polytheism (the belief of many gods). Also, the common people often didn't participate in religous rituals, but they were mainly done by priests and Pharoahs. Conclusion The Nile river Valley created a civilization of people which centered their lives around the products of a river. Through the river the people gained food, transport, and something to believe in. The Nile River Valley Civilization was a very important civilization. In the upcoming years Pharoes began ruling this land of Egypt leading to the culture of Ancient Egypt. The Gods Aken Ferryman of the Underworld Aker Guardian and Gatekeeper of the Underworld Am-Heh - Devourer of Millions Ament Greeter of the Dead Ammit Devourer of the Wicked Amun and Amun-Re The King of the Gods Anat Mother of Gods Andjety A precursor of Osiris Anqet The Embracer, Goddess of Fertility and the Nile at Aswan Anubis God of Embalming Anuke Goddess of War Anuket Goddess of the Nile Apep The Great Destroyer Arensnuphis Anthropomorphic Nubian Deity As Kindly God of the Desert Astarte, Warrior Goddess of Canaan

Aten The Sun Disk and later God Atum The All-Father Auf (Efu Ra) An aspect of the sun god Ra Baal, God of Thunder Ba-Pef - The Soul Babi - The Dominant Male Baboon God Banebdjetet God of Lower Egypt Bast Beautiful Cat-Goddess Bat - Ancient Cow Goddess Benu (Bennu) - The Bird of Creation Bes Protector of Childbirth Dedwen - Nubian God of Resources Denwen - The Fiery Serpent The Ennead The Nine Great Osirian Gods Fetket - The Sun God's Butler Geb God of the Earth Gengen Wer - The Great Honker Hapi God of the Nile River Hathor Goddess of Music and Dance Hatmehyt - The Fish Goddess Haurun, The Victorious Herdsman Heh and Hauhet Deities of Infinity and Eternity Heqet Frog Goddess Heret-Kau - She who is Above the Spirits Heryshef, Ruler of the Riverbanks Heset Goddess of Plenty Hetepes-Sekhus - An Eye of Re Hike God of Magic and Medicine Horus King of the Gods on Earth Hu God of the Spoken Word Iabet, Cleanser of Re, Personification of the East Ihy - The Child God Imhotep Lord of Science and Thought Ipy (Opet), A Mother of Osiris Isis Queen of the Gods Iusaas - Creator Goddess

Kabechet Helper of Anubis Kek and Kauket, Deities of Darkness, Obscurity and Night Khenmu The Great Potter Kherty - Ram-headed God Kephri The Great Scarab Khonsu God of the Moon Maat Lady of Truth and Order Mafdet Goddess of Scorpions and Snakes Mahaf - The Ferryman Mahes The Lord of the Massacre Male Child Gods of Egypt Mandulis - The Lower Nubian Sun God Mehen Defender of the Sun Boat Mehet-Weret - Cow Goddess of the Sky Menhit Lion-headed War Goddess Mertseger Guardian of the Valley of the Kings Meskhenet - Goddess of Childbrith Mihos - Son of Bastet Min God of Fertility Montu, Warrior and Solar God Mut Grandmother of the Gods Nefertem Lord of the Sunrise Nehebkau, the God who Joined the Ka to the Body Nekhbet Goddess of the Power of Kings Neith Goddess of War and Funerals

Nephthys Lady of the Wings Nun and Naunet Gods of Chaos and Water Nut Goddess of the Firmament The Ogdoad The Primordial Creation Gods Onuris The War God Osiris Lord of the Dead Pakhet The Strength of Woman Panebtawy - The Child God Peteese and Pihor - Brother Gods Ptah The Creator Qadesh - Goddess of Esctasy and Sexual Pleasure Re (Ra) The Sun God Renenutet Goddess of the Harvest Reshep - The Syrian War God Sah and Sopdet (Sothis) The Astral God and Goddess Satet Goddess of the Inundation Satis Guardian of the Borders Sebiumeker - Meroitic God of Procreation Sefkhet-Abwy - Goddess of Writing and Temple Libraries Seker The Resurrected Osiris Sekhmet The Eye of Ra Sepa - Centipede God Serapis the Composit God Serqet (Selkis) Scorpion Goddess Seshat Goddess of writing, measurements

Set God of Evil Shay - Personified Destiny Shesmetet - Leonine Goddess Shesmu Demon god of the Win Press Shu God of the Air and Sky Sia - The Perceptive Mind Sobek Guard of the Gods Sons of Horus Gods of the Viscera and the Canopic Jars Sopedu - The Border Patrol God Ta-Bitjet - A Wife of Horus Tasenetnofret - The Good Sister Taweret Goddess Demoness of Birth Tayet - Goddess of Weaving Tefnut Goddess of Moisture Tatenen - "Father of Gods" and the God of the Rising Earth Thoth God of Wisdom Wadj Wer - The Pregnant God Wadjet The Serpent Goddess Weneg - Ancient Son of Re Wepwawet (Upuaut) The Opener of the Ways Wosret - Goddess of Thebes Yah - Another Moon God Yamm - God of the Sea