Ancient Egypt: The Old Kingdom - Life and Culture

1. THE OLD KINGDOM Chapter 4.2

3. YouTube: The Old Kingdom • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSKBOilYBiY&sns=em

4. The Old Kingdom • Egypt was first made of two kingdoms • Upper and Lower • Upper-Southern Nile River Valley • Lower-Northern Delta • Menes was king of Upper Egypt • He led his army from the Southern Valley into Lower Egypt • Conquered the Lower Kingdom and married a princess

5. The Old Kingdom • His marriage united the kingdoms • He wore two crowns, the Upper and Lower crowns • High White one from the south (Upper) • Low red one from the north (Lower) • Menes declared a new capital of Egypt in Memphis • Border city

6. The Double Crown

7. Map

8. Old Kingdom • 2600 BCE, the Old Kingdom arose (500 years) • Cities were centers of religion and government • City centers housed Kings, priests, government officials, and artisans • Many Egyptians did not live in the city, but large estates on the Nile banks. • Rich owners had gardens and pools

9. Home of the Rich • The homes had many paintings depicting daily life • Family, servants and artisans lived there • Artisan were hired to build boats, weave linen, and make tools/pottery

10. Egyptian Farmers • Most Egyptians did not live in the center of the city or on the banks of the Nile. • Most lived on the rich estates as farmers • Homes made of reed and mud, and later sun-baked brick. • Had one room, palm leave roof and built on high ground to avoid flood waters • Worked fields, built monuments, dug ditches, and repaired roads

11. The Pharaoh • Pharaoh is a king • Meaning “great house” • Pharaoh was ruler, priest, and a god • Center of life and ruled on earth as god’s ruled in heaven • Owned all land, often gave as a gift to the rich • Maintained the land, kept up with it to make sure it could produce

12. The Pharaoh • Made sure canals were made and repaired • Developed granaries to house the grain so people would not starve if a bad harvest • Elected all officials • Taxed and issued building permits, trade went through Pharaoh first • Word of Pharaoh was law

13. The Pharaoh • People believed fate of Egypt depended on Pharaoh’s actions • Carried out rituals to ensure good harvest • Treated with respect, flutes were played when he appeared • Bowed and smelled the earth, or brought head to ground

14. YouTube Video: The Pyramids • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycUbkjfW1Xc&sns=em

15. The Pyramids • Pyramids were built out of respect for the Pharaoh’s. • Pyramids were great tombs built for Pharaoh’s as “Houses of Eternity” • Built in west to avoid flood waters • Built to protect Pharaoh and his belongings • EVERYTHING was placed in tomb

16. The Pyramids

17. Making the Pyramids • Farmers worked on them for the 3 summer months (flooded fields) • Used copper tools to cut granite and limestone blocks that were shipped down the Nile from the quarries • After unloaded workers brought them to building site and dragged the blocks up ramps to create the layers

18. YouTube Video: Making the Pyramids • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CpjMxXG52s

19. Making the Pyramids

20. Religious Beliefs • Believed in many god’s • River God Hapi and Sun God Re were most important • River brought water and fertile soil and sun grows crops • Osiris is god of harvest and eternal life

21. The God: Re (Sun God)

22. The God: Hapi (River God)

23. The God’s: Osiris (God of Harvest)

24. Mummification • Egyptians used the technique of embalmment to preserve the bodies of the dead. • First only used with Pharaoh to preserve the body so the soul could live on and watch over Egypt • Body placed in wood box and covered with natron • Natron dried up water in body and shrunk it

25. Mummification • Body was wrapped in linen • Poor people were buried in sand, while rich in tombs