Egyptian Civilization

Bolo-Dela Pena-Dulay-Samson-Omadlao
First Development
• Before the empire, Egypt was a series of
independent city-states
• The two regions was named according
to the flow of the Nile
• Egyptian civilization developed along the
Nile River and united into a kingdom
around 3100 B.C.
• location of ancient Egypt was
in North-Eastern Africa, along
the lower portion of the Nile
River. It made up most of what
is now the modern Arab
Republic of Egypt.
• climate of ancient Egypt was
hot, dry desert climate with
very little rainfall
Geography: 4 Main Divisions
• First Two
 Upper and Lower Egypt
• Last two
 black land- fertile land on the banks of the
Nile River; used for growing crops
 red land- barren desert that protected Egypt
on two sides; provided precious metal and
stones
• The largest and most
important cities in Ancient
Egypt were the capital
cities.
• The first capital city was
Thinis.
• Later capitals include
Memphis, Thebes, Avaris,
Akhetaten, Tanis, Sais, and
Alexandria.
 Government
• Government was ruled first and foremost by the
Pharaoh. (The supreme leader not only of the
government, but also of the religion)
 Government
• Vizier
 Primary leader of the Government under the Pharaoh.
 The Chief Overseer of the land, sort of like a Prime
Minister. The most famous vizier was the first one,
Imhotep.
 The Egyptian law stated that the vizier was to 1) act by the
law 2) judge fairly and 3) not act willfully or headstrong.
 Government
• Nomarks
 Local governors . Ruled over an area of land called a nome (a
state or province).
• Army commander, the Chief treasurer, the Minister of
public works, priests, and scribes.
• Monarchy
 The average person
• Court cases were ruled by a
local council of elders called a
Kenbet.
• Pharaohs would hold court for
his top officials and high
priests.
• The judges were to rule using
common sense in an effort to
come to an agreement.
Religion
• Before the concept of God existed, magical
power was encapsulated in the hieroglyph of
a sceptre (or rod or staff).
• They began to conceive the gods in a
personalized form. This stage in development
is called "mythical". During the New
Kingdom, temples honoured a triad of gods
based on the pattern established by the
mythical family of Osiris, Isis and Horus.
• Some theologians think
that Egypt was moving
towards a monotheistic
faith in a single creator,
symbolized by the sun god.
• There was no single belief
system, but the Egyptians
shared a common
understanding about the
creation of the world
Rise and Fall of the Three Major Periods
 Old Kingodm
• lasted from 2575 BC to 2150 BC
• famous as a time when many pyramids were built.
 Old Kingdom
• Rise
 period before the Old Kingdom is called the Early Dynastic
Period, under the rule of Pharaoh Djoser, that the central
government became organized and strong.
 Old Kingom
• Fall
 began to weaken during the Sixth Dynasty. Governors
(nomarchs) became very powerful and ignored the rule
of the pharaoh.
 the country suffered from drought and famine.
Eventually the central government collapsed and broke
up into several independent states.
Middle Kingdom
• lasted from 1975 BC to 1640 BC
• during this time all of Egypt was united
under a single government and Pharaoh
• Rise
 Egypt was divided and in
political chaos. Around
2000 BC, a powerful leader
named Mentuhotep II
became king of southern
Egypt. He launched an
attack on the north and
eventually reunited Egypt
under one rule.
Middle Kingdom
• Fall
during the Thirteenth Dynasty that
the pharaoh's control of Egypt began
to weaken. Eventually, a group of
kings in northern Egypt split from
southern Egypt.
 New Kingdom
• lasted from around 1520 BC to 1075 BC.
• the golden age of the civilization of Ancient Egypt. A
time of wealth, prosperity, and power.
 New Kingdom
• Rise
 Before the New Kingdom of Egypt was a time called the
Second Intermediate Period. Foreign people called the
Hyksos ruled northern Egypt. Around 1540 BC, a ten-year-
old named Ahmose I became king of Lower Egypt. He
defeated the Hyksos and united all of Egypt under one
rule.
 New Kingdom
• Fall
 It was during the reign of Ramesses III that the powerful
Egyptian Empire began to weaken. Years after Ramesses III
died, internal corruption and infighting in the central
government became worse. After the last pharaoh, Egypt
was no longer united.
• Ancient Egyptian
writing is known as
hieroglyphics ('sacred
carvings')
• The concept of the
written word was first
developed in
Mesopotamia and came
to Egypt through trade
Contributions
• The Egyptians invented and used many simple machines,
such as the ramp and the lever, to aid construction processes.
They used rope trusses to stiffen the beam of ships.
• While much of the world was living in primitive conditions,
the ancient Egyptians were inventing writing and advancing
the sciences of mathematics, medicine and astronomy. They
developed ways to measure time and distances , and applied
their knowledge to monumental architecture.