Key Terms - River Civilizations - Egypt

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Key Terms - River Civilizations - Egypt

• Nile River
• Silt
• Upper Egypt
• Lower Egypt
• Memphis
• King Menes
• Dynasty
• Pharaohs
• Tribute
• Bureaucracy

• Osiris
• Isis
• Mummification
• Book of the Dead
• Hieroglyphics
• Rosetta Stone
• Pyramids
• Nubia

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The Nile River Valley

• As the Sahara region desertified around 2500
  B.C., many people inhabited the Nile River Valley
  in Eastern Africa
• Nile River ? river that runs from the Nile River
  Delta near the Mediterranean Sea down to Central
  Africa

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Qualities of the Nile River Valley

• The Nile river would flood annually and was
  predictable.
• The Egyptians revered the flooding since it left
  silt behind after the floods receded.
• Silt ? moist fertile soil that was suitable for
  farming.
• The Egyptians built many irrigation canals to
  link the many villages to the wealth of the Nile
• It flowed downstream and the elevations would
  change quickly forming rapids and waterfalls in
  many areas. This made it difficult to sail by
  boat.

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The Egyptian Kingdom

• The Egyptian Kingdom would be split into two
  sections
• Upper Egypt ? the southern part of the Nile,
  closest to Nubia
• Lower Egypt ? the northern part of the Nile
  closest to the Delta

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King Menes

• The two regions would be unified under the rule
  of King Menes.
• Menes ? ruler of Egypt who was able to unify the
  two regions of Egypt under the rule of one
  government.

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Capital and Government Structure

• The rulers would rule the area of Egypt from
  Memphis, the capital of the Egyptian empire.
• The rulers of Egypt were known as pharaohs.
• They ruled with absolute authority since they
  believed that they were the children of the Sun
  God.

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Government Structure (cont.)

• To ensure their rule and laws remained in place,
  pharaohs would select their children as heirs so
  upon their death, their legacy would continue
  through their children.
• Rulers would establish dynasties, dynasties are
  ruling families that ensure their legacies via
  hereditary succession.
• Pharaohs would use bureaucracies to ease their
  rule.
• Bureaucracies ? departmentalization/breakdown of
  government

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Power Structure

• Pharaohs (rulers)
• Viziers ? government advisors
• Governors ? ruled over small sections of Egypt
• Scribes ? kept histories
• Artisans ? skilled craftworkers
• Merchants ? sellers of goods
• Peasants ? small farmers, gave crops to gov't
• Slaves ? unpaid servants who were forced into
  lifelong servitude

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Egyptian Rule

• Any territories or groups of people subjugated by
  the Egyptians were forced to give tribute.
• Tribute ? payment made by conquered peoples to
  prevent further warfare.

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Egyptian Religion

• Egyptians had a strong belief in religion.
• Believed that Amon-Re was the chief god, also the
  Sun
• They also held a strong belief in the afterlife
  which is why they mummified their dead.

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Egyptian Religion (cont.)

• Mummification ? Egyptian act of preserving the
  dead.
• Egyptians believed that Osiris would judge the
  dead in the afterlife and Isis would be the
  creator of new life.
• People were buried with the Book of the Dead a
  collection of prayers that were needed in the
  afterlife

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Writing Systems

• The Egyptians used a unique writing system to
  maintain records.
• Hieroglyphics ? system of writing that made use
  of ideograms to replace spoken words
• Since hieroglyphics were so intricate, demotic
  was used to speed up record keeping.
• Demotic ? shorthand version of hieroglyphics

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Rosetta Stone

• Modern historians were unable to decipher
  hieroglyphics until they were able to locate the
  Rosetta Stone.
• Rosetta Stone ? tablet that had three different
  types of writing noted on it (Greek,
  Hieroglyphics, and demotic)

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Pyramids

• As soon as the pharaohs ascended to the throne,
  their tombs would be immediately begin in
  construction.
• Pyramids ? ornate tombs that were used for the
  pharaohs.

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Nubia

• The Egyptians would engage in warfare with the
  Nubians constantly over their reserves of gold.
• The Egyptians would rule over the Nubians
  beginning in the year 1522 B.C.
• They would lose control during the New Kingdom
  period of rule (during which the weakest rulers
  reigned)

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Summary

• The Egyptians would ultimately be conquered by
  the Hittites and Hyskos in the latter part of the
  Old Kingdom period.
• Their losses would be due to their lack of iron
  technology and their lack of chariots.
• They would make advances in medicine through the
  use of herbs, anatomy through their mummification
  rituals, basic dentistry, improved calendars, and
  numeric systems.