Early Civilizations

Unit 1

Chapter 2 Section 1: The Nile Valley

Graphic Organizer

Location of the Nile Valley: Northeastern Africa in present day Egypt

Time Line:

5000B.C.: nomadic hunter-gathers began to settle by the Nile. Used the river to irrigate crops such as wheat and barley. Domestication of ducks and geese.

4000-3000B.C.: Egypt consisted of 2 kingdoms. Upper (south in the Nile Valley) and Lower (north in the Nile Delta). Namer united Upper and Lower Egypt. Set up first gov’t. Capital city: Memphis. Namer marked first Egyptian dynasty.

2700-2200B.C.: Old Kingdom. Unified Egypt. Kingdoms kept individual identifies. Eventually built strong national government. King was god and ruler (theocracy). King delegated power to governing group (bureaucracy). First pyramid built for King Djoser.

2200-1700B.C.: Middle Kingdom. Period of violence until 2050B.C. New dynasty unites Egypt again. Thebian king facilitated Egyptian expansion. Built trade route linking Nile and Red Sea. Struggle for power. Hyksos invaded and conquered.

1600-1370B.C.: New Kingdom. Adapted Hyksos technology. Ahmose defeated Hyksos. Formed new dynasty and took the title pharaoh. Hatshepsut takes title for son, Thutmose, until he is old enough for throne. He pushes Egyptian territory even further. Benefited from cultural diffusion.

1370-1304B.C.: Amenhotep, married to Nefertiti, assumed power. Declared people should worship 1 deity, Aton (Sun-disk god). Claimed to be Aton’s equal, he changed name to Akhenaton. Priests and comers upset. Once death, takes religion back to many deities.

1304-1237B.C.: Rames II (Rames the Great) assumed power. Battle of Kadesh-lead to treaty to fight as allies. Erected large statues, temples, and tombs. Had 52 sons. After his death, Egypt weakens and declines to foreign invaders.

Life in Ancient Egypt:

Levels of Egyptian Society: Upper Class: royalty, nobles, and priests (controlled religious and political affairs). Middle Class: artisans, scribes, merchants, and tax collectors (controlled business affairs). Lower Class: farmers (grew crops, most going to pay for the rental of the land to the pharaoh).

Egyptian Families: Family included husband, wife, and children. For poor: included all of the above please grandparents and other relatives. Women begin to have rights (buy, own, and sell property).

Religion: Polytheistic: worshiped many deities. Half human, half animal. Special attention to life after death.

Writing/Communication: Hieroglyphics: Egyptians carved pic symbol onto pieces of slate. After the decline of Egypt there were not used. 1799 French soldiers find the Rosetta Stone. Allowed for translation of the hieroglyphics in 1822. Book of the Dead: tells how to reach happy afterlife.

Scientific Advancements: Pyramids. 365-day calendar. Medical expertise (embalming).