netw rks Reading Essentials and Study Guide The Spread of Civilization Lesson 1 The Rise of Egypt ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Reading HELPDESK

Transcription

1 and Study Guide Lesson 1 The Rise of Egypt ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How does geography affect the development of civilizations? In what ways do civilizations influence each other? Reading HELPDESK Content Vocabulary dynasty a family of rulers whose right to rule is passed on within the family pharaoh the most common of the various titles for ancient Egyptian monarchs; the term originally meant great house or palace bureaucracy an administrative organization that relies on nonelective officials and regular procedures hieroglyphics priest-carvings or sacred writings ; a complex system of writing that used both pictures and more abstract forms; used by the ancient Egyptians and Maya hieratic script simplified version of hieroglyphics used in ancient Egypt for business transactions, record keeping, and the general needs of daily life Academic Vocabulary major great; significant in size or importance physical relating to the body

2 TAKING NOTES: Classifying ACTIVITY Use the following graphic organizer to identify people s social roles in Egyptian society. Class Social Roles IT MATTERS BECAUSE Like Mesopotamia, Egypt was one of the first river valley civilizations. Ancient Egyptian history included three long periods of order, stability, and achievement. Between these long periods were shorter periods of political disorder. Geography and Religion GUIDING QUESTION What was the significance of geography to Egypt s development? The Nile River played an important role in Egyptian civilization. The river provided water, rich soil for crops, and a means of travel. In Hymn to the Nile, Egyptians praised the river, calling it the creator of all good. The Nile River begins in the heart of Africa and flows northward for more than 4,000 miles (6,436 km). The Nile is the longest river in the world. Before it flows into the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile splits into two major branches. The land between this split forms a triangular area called a delta. The Nile Delta is in the north and is called Lower Egypt. The land to the south, which in this case is upstream, is called Upper Egypt. The ancient Egyptians called the river s yearly flooding the miracle of the Nile. The river rose in the summer from heavy rains in central Africa and reached its highest point in Egypt in early autumn. The flooding deposited mud for several miles on both sides of the river. This deposit created an area of rich soil along the river. Farmers in the Nile Valley grew a surplus of food, which made Egypt prosperous. The river also connected all parts of Egypt. In ancient times, the Nile was the fastest way to travel through the land, making long-distance communication easier. North winds pushed sailboats south, and the Nile s current carried them north. Natural barriers provided Egypt with protection from invasion and with a sense of security. These barriers included the deserts to the west and east; the Red Sea to the east; the cataracts, or rapids, on the southern part of the Nile; and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. The regularity of the Nile floods and the isolation provided by natural barriers created a feeling of security and changelessness among the Egyptians. Unlike

3 people in Mesopotamia, Egyptians were confident in the stability of things. Ancient Egyptian civilization was characterized by an amazing degree of continuity over thousands of years. Religion, too, gave Egyptians a sense of security and changelessness. They had no word for religion. Religious ideas were an important part of the entire Egyptian world order. The Egyptians were polytheistic (believing in many gods). They had a number of gods associated with heavenly bodies and things in nature, such as the sun. The sun gods and the land gods were especially important. The sun and the fertile land along the Nile were significant to Egypt s prosperity. The Egyptian ruler took the title Son of Re. The rulers were seen as an earthly form of Re, one of the names of the sun god. Explaining What role did the Nile River play in the development of Egyptian civilization? Egyptian Kingdoms GUIDING QUESTION What characterizes the divisions in the first two major periods in Egypt s history? Scholars divide Egyptian history into three major periods: the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. These periods of long-term stability were marked by strong leadership, freedom from invasion, great building projects, and rich cultural activity. In between were the Intermediate periods, which were times of political disorder and invasion. Egypt s history begins around 3100 B.C. At that time, King Menes (MEE NEEZ) united Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom. He created the first royal dynasty. A dynasty is a family of rulers whose right to rule is passed on within the family. From then on, the Egyptian ruler was called King of Upper and Lower Egypt. The crown the ruler wore was a double crown, showing the unity of all Egypt. The Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom lasted from around 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C. It was an age of prosperity and splendor. The monarchs of the Old Kingdom were powerful rulers over a unified state. The Egyptian monarchs had various titles. Pharaoh (FAIR oh or FAY ROH), which originally meant great house or palace, eventually became the most common title for the ruler. Kingship was a divine institution in ancient Egypt. It was part of the universal cosmic order. The king was seen as a god and a father and mother figure for all people. He was also seen as above all others in importance. In obeying their pharaoh, subjects (people under the rule of a monarch) helped to maintain a stable world order.

4 Egyptian pharaohs possessed absolute power that is, they had complete, unlimited power to rule their people. Even so, they had help in ruling. At first, members of the pharaoh s family provided this help. However, a government bureaucracy an administrative organization with officials and regular procedures, or ways of doing things developed during the Old Kingdom. It had an important role in running the government. In time, Egypt was divided into 42 provinces. These provinces were run by governors appointed by the pharaoh. The splendor of the Old Kingdom is the building of pyramids. They were one of the greatest achievements of Egyptian civilization. Pyramids were built as part of a larger complex of buildings dedicated to the dead. In effect, these complexes were cities of the dead. To preserve the physical body after death, the Egyptians practiced mummification. Mummification is a process of slowly drying a dead body to prevent it from rotting, or decaying. Wealthy families were the only people who could afford mummification. This process took place in workshops run by priests. Workers first removed the dead person s liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines and placed them in four special jars. These jars were placed in the tomb with the mummy. Workers then covered the corpse, or dead body, with a natural salt that absorbed the body s water. Later, they filled the body with spices and wrapped it with layers of linen soaked in resin, a substance taken from the sap of trees. The process took about 70 days. At the end, a lifelike mask was placed over the head and shoulders of the mummy. The mummy was then sealed in a case and placed in its tomb. Pyramids were tombs for the mummified bodies of pharaohs. The largest and most magnificent of all the pyramids was built under King Khufu (KOO foo). The famous Great Pyramid of King Khufu was built at Giza around 2540 B.C. It covers 13 acres (5.3 ha), measures 756 feet (230 m) at each side of its base, and stands 481 feet (147 m) high. No one knows exactly how the Great Pyramid was built. The answer is a source of speculation, or guesses. Especially puzzling is how the builders achieved their amazing level of precision. The Great Sphinx, a huge figure carved from rock, guards the Great Pyramid at Giza. This enormous Sphinx is 240 feet (73 m) long and 66 feet (20 m) high. It has a lion s body and a human head. Historians do not agree on the purpose of the Great Sphinx. Many Egyptians believed that the mythical sphinx was an important guardian of sacred sites. The Great Pyramid still stands as a visible symbol, or sign, of the power of the Egyptian pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. No later pyramid matched its size or splendor. The pyramid was not only the pharaoh s tomb, but it was also an important symbol of royal power. It could be seen from miles away, and it reminded people of the glory, might, and wealth of the ruler who was considered to be a living god on Earth. The Middle Kingdom After the collapse of the Old Kingdom, a period of disorder followed that lasted about 150 years. Finally, a new dynasty gained control of all Egypt. The Middle Kingdom lasted from about 2055 B.C. to 1650 B.C. Egyptians later portrayed the Middle Kingdom as a golden age of stability.

5 With its new strength, Egypt began a period of expansion. It conquered Nubia to the south and built fortresses to protect the new border. Pharaohs also sent traders to Kush, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Crete. During the Middle Kingdom, the pharaohs became more concerned with the people. In the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh was seen as a god-king far who was removed from the people. Now the pharaoh was portrayed as the shepherd of his people. He was expected to build public works and provide for the public welfare, or good. Describing What was the pharaoh s role in the Old Kingdom? Life in Ancient Egypt GUIDING QUESTION How was Egyptian society organized? Egyptian society maintained a simple structure over a thousand-year period. It was organized like a pyramid, with the god-king at the top. The pharaoh was surrounded by a small upper class of nobles and priests who ran the government and managed their own estates. Below the upper class were merchants, artisans, scribes, and tax collectors. Merchants carried on active trade up and down the Nile and in local markets. Egyptian artisans made a huge variety of well-built, beautiful goods. These goods included wooden furniture and tools and containers made of gold, silver, and copper. They also included paper and rope made of papyrus (reeds that grew along the Nile) and linen clothing. The largest number of people in Egypt farmed the land. Pharaohs owned all the land but gave parts of it to their subjects. Large sections of land were held by nobles and by priests who supervised, or managed, the many temples. Most of the lower classes were peasants who lived in small villages and farmed the land of the nobles and priests estates. The peasants paid taxes in the form of crops to the pharaoh, nobles, and priests. In addition, they were forced to provide military service and labor for building projects. Parents arranged marriages for their children. This means that they chose whom their children married. Girls were married at age 12. Boys were married at age 14. The main purpose of marriage was to produce children, especially sons. Only sons could carry on the family name. The husband was considered the head of the house, but wives were well respected. Women s property and inheritance stayed in their hands, even after they married. Most careers and public offices were closed to women. However, some women did operate businesses. Peasant women worked long hours in the fields and in the home. Upper-class women could become priestesses. Four queens became pharaohs.

6 Contrasting How would the life of a member of Egypt s lower class have differed from the life of a member of the upper class? Egyptian Accomplishments GUIDING QUESTION What were some of the cultural contributions of the ancient Egyptians? One system of writing in Egypt emerged around 3000 B.C. The Greeks later called this earliest Egyptian writing hieroglyphics, which literally means priestcarvings or sacred writings. The hieroglyphic system of writing was complex, and it used both pictures and abstract figures. Hieroglyphics appear in writing on temple walls and in tombs. A simplified version of hieroglyphics, known as hieratic script, was used for business and the general needs of daily life. Hieratic script was based on the same principles as hieroglyphic writing, but the drawings were simpler. Dashes, strokes, and curves represented the pictures and figures of hieroglyphics. Egyptian hieroglyphs (hieroglyphics) were at first carved in stone. Later, hieratic script was written on papyrus (paper made from papyrus reeds). Pyramids, temples, and other monuments show the architectural and artistic achievements of the ancient Egyptians. Artists and sculptors were expected to follow particular formulas, or established ways of doing things, in their works. For example, the human body was often portrayed as a combination of profile, semiprofile, and front view. Egyptians also made advances in mathematics. Mathematics helped them to build their massive monuments. Egyptians were able to calculate area and volume. They used geometry to survey, or measure, flooded land. The Egyptians also developed an accurate 365-day calendar. Their year was based on the movements of the moon and on the bright star Sirius. Sirius rises in the sky just before the annual, or yearly, flooding of the Nile River. This star s appearance provided a standard date from which to calculate and create their calendar. Differentiating What were the different uses of hieroglyphic and hieratic script?