Egypt and the Nile

1. Egypt and the Nile

2. Geography of the Ancient Nile Valley • “Egypt is wholly the gift of the Nile.” – Herodotus • People settled and established farming villages along the Nile. • Egyptians depended on annual floods to soak the land and deposit a layer of silt, or rich soil. • Egyptians had to cooperate to control the Nile, building dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation ditches. • Rulers used the Nile to link and unite Upper and Lower Egypt. • The Nile served as a trade route connecting Egypt to Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean world.

3. Egyptian Geography • More arid (dry) and more fertile than Mesopotamia • Divided into two parts • the Delta (Lower Egypt) • and the Upper Nile “south,” not “north” is the important direction

4. Two Kingdoms: 3,500 B.C.E. • two kingdoms • upper and lower Egypt • same culture • same language • same gods

6. Predynastic History of Egypt:Egypt Before the Pharaohs • Historians know little about Egyptian life in Predynastic times • Evidence suggests that a sophisticated culture existed before the Pharaonic Age • Amratian Period (4000-3500 B.C.E.) which is also known as Naqada I • Egyptians cultivated wheat & barley, domesticated goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and domesticated the donkey & the cow • Egyptians made the first pottery, bricks, cosmetic palettes, and war maces

7. Egypt Before the Pharaohs: Pottery • Distinctive black-topped, red clay pottery used for food storage & transport • Pottery incised with scenes of hunting and everyday life

8. A mural of Narmer (or Menes) conquering Lower Egypt (c.a. 3100 B.C.E.)

9. Egypt Before the Pharaohs: Cosmetic Palettes • First mudstone palettes used to mix make-up appeared in the Amratian period • By late Gerzean period (c. 3100 B.C.E.) lost original purpose and became more decorative votive pieces Hierakonpolis Palette

10. Egypt Before the Pharaohs: Earthenware

11. The “Zero” Dynasty (5500-3100 B.C.E.) • The final phase of the Predynastic period • Power struggles for control all over Egypt took place between various factions • Struggles gave rise to the emergence of the first nation-state • The “Zero Dynasty” emphasizes the many gaps in knowledge of Ancient Egyptian history • German archaeological work led to discovery of this dynasty • Discovery that kings reigned before the unification of Egypt • Early rulers known as “Horus-Kings”

12. Narmer (Menes) & the Unification of Egypt • Some people believe that "Menes" of been a real king, possibly Narmer. • King Menes was the founding king of the 1st Dynasty, and was the first king to unify Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. Ancient Egypt's most predominant form of civilization began with his crowning, and did not end permanently until the beginning of the Roman era, which started with Augustus Caesar.

13. Narmer (Menes) & the Unification of Egypt • Menes founded the city of Memphis, and chose as its location an island in the Nile, so that it would be easy to defend. He was also the founder of Crocodopolis. During his time, the Egyptian army performed raids against the Nubians in the south and expanded his sphere of influence as far as the First Cataract.

14. King Narmer (Menes) • Most of the things we know about prehistoric Egypt is all mixed up with legends. • One of the famous legends tells about King Menes who ruled Upper Egypt & how he defeated the king of Lower Egypt in 3100 B.C.E. • After this he united both lands and called himself king of both Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. This double crown was there for the union of the two lands. King Menes and his family formed the first ever Egyptian dynasty. A dynasty is when you have a series of rulers who all come the same family. After King Menes died his son became king, when his son died his grandson became king.

15. Top Left: Ivory stature of a Thinite King (found in temple of Osiris at Abydos, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt) Thinite Period • Early Dynastic period began with the unification of Egypt by Narmer (Egypt’s first pharaoh) • It lasted for 400 years and included the two earliest Ancient Egyptian dynasties • Major Innovations: • Monumental architecture (mud brick) which destroyed over time • Hieroglyphics developed • First just inscriptions with kings name, but evidence uncovers religious & medical literature developed Bottom Left: Dogs Hunting Gazelle (found in the tomb of Hemaka, the chancellor of Lower Egypt)

16. Historian have divided Egyptian history into three major periods: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. • These were long periods of stability characterized by strong monarchical authority, competent bureaucracy, freedom from invasion, much construction of pyramids and temples, and considerable intellectual and cultural development and activity. • These major periods were punctuated by ages of political chaos known as the Intermediate Periods, which were characterized by weak political structures and rivalry for leadership, invasions, a decline in building activity, and a restructuring of society.

17. The Historical Periods of Ancient Egyptian History

18. Characteristics of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt MIDDLE KINGDOM OLD KINGDOM NEW KINGDOM • Pharaohs organized a strong central state, were absolute rulers, and were considered gods. • Egyptians built pyramids at Giza. • Power struggles, crop failures, and cost of pyramids contributed to the collapse of the Old Kingdom. • Large drainage project created arable farmland. • Traders had contacts with Middle East and Crete. • Corruption and rebellions were • common. • Hyksos invaded and occupied the delta region. • Powerful pharaohs created a large empire • that reached the Euphrates River. • Hatshepsut • encouraged trade. • Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria. • Egyptian power • declined.

19. PHARAOHS CROWNED WITH SHEPHERD’S CROOK AND FLAIL The Middle Kingdom (2050-1653 B.C.E.) was characterized by a new concern of the pharaohs for the people. In the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh had been viewed as an inaccessible god-king. Now he was portrayed as the shepherd of his people.

20. The Crook & Flail • The crook (heka) and the flail or flabellum (nekhakha), are two of the most prominent items in the royal regalia of ancient Egypt. • Actual, very fine examples of both survive from ancient Egypt, as do statues and various wall reliefs, paintings and papyrus with representations of these objects.

21. The Crook & Flail • The crook and flail, though different scepters, could every so often be depicted separately, though usually paired with some other type of scepter, but they were most commonly represented together, held across the chest of the kings, Osiris, or other gods identified with them. • They were insignias of kingship, and while other deities could proffer them, they never kept them.

22. Khasekhemwy • Last ruler of the 2nd Dynasty • United Egypt after a long period of turmoil and laid the foundations for development of the Old Kingdom • Old Kingdom began with his sons Sanakht & Djoser

23. The Old Kingdom: (c.a. 2700-2200 B.C.E.) • Golden Age of prosperity • Witnessed the construction of the first funerary monuments • Djoser most well-known pharaoh of 5 pharaohs of the 3rd Dynasty • 4th Dynasty—Started with Sneferu and saw the power of the pharaohs reach its climax • Sneferu built 3 pyramids, but his son & successor, Khufu credited with building the Great Pyramid of Giza • Khufu’s son Khafra built another great pyramid & the Great Sphinx • Menkaura—built the last pyramid at Giza and the last pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty

24. Tomb Complex of Djoser: • Second Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom • Built the first step pyramid at Saqqara, the largest necropolis in Memphis • Designed by architect Imhotep as a stone replica of Djoser’s palace • Built entirely from cut cubic stone

25. Pyramid of Nyuserra: • Pyramid built north of Saqqara in Abusir • Outside: regular stone used as outer casing • Inside: filled up with poor-quality stones and scree • Cut stones plundered & pyramid began to fall apart

26. Pyramids of Giza: • Built on the plateau of Giza at the edge of modern Cairo • House pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty: • Khufu, Khafra, & Menkaura • Architecturally • Most impressive of pyramids in Egypt • Completely made of cut stone & largely remain intact today

27. Pyramid of Teti • Tomb monument built for the founder of the 6th Dynasty • Located north of Saqqara • Architecturally, similar to the building techniques of the 5th Dynasty • Contains similar dimensions • Contains satellite pyramids for two queens

28. The new pharaoh established their capital at the strategic site of Memphis, just south of the delta, and over the next several centuries consolidated their rule. • Probably no other dynasty in history has been so successful in creating an effective yet apparently timeless form of government. • For thousands of years Egyptian pharaohs were able to convey to their subjects a sense of permanence and eternity while constantly adjusting the system to meet new needs. (Nagle, 23)

29. For administrative purposes, Egypt was divided up into provinces, or nomes. A governor, or nomarch, was at the head of each nome and was responsible to the pharaoh. These governors tended to amass large holding of land and power within their nomes, creating a potential rivalry with the pharaohs. Of special importance to the administration of the state was a vast bureaucracy of scribes who kept records of everything. Armed with the knowledge of writing and reading, they were highly regarded and considered themselves a superior class of men. Their high standard of living reflected their exalted status. Seated Scribe, from Saqqara. c.a. 2400 B.C.E.

30. The End of the Old Kingdom Relief showing men, women, and children suffering from the effects of severe famine Professor Fekri Hassan examining ancient hieroglyphs which tell of appalling suffering. A third of the population died and the most ordered of empires was brought to chaos. 

31. Decline of the Old Kingdom: (c.a. 2700-2200 B.C.E.) • Old Kingdom: the most stable period • the Pharaoh dominated life • forstalled the emergence of provincial power • but gradually lost power to royal officials • gradual drying of the environment • failure of the Nile to flood on time

32. First Intermediate Period: (c.a. 2200-2050 B.C.E.) • The traditional structure of the Ancient Egyptian state dissolved at the end of the Old Kingdom • Egypt entered a period of political and economic uncertainty with no central figure to lead the country • Over the 40 years of the period, over 25 kings reigned over Egypt • At the close of the 6th Dynasty, Egypt suffered political and social decline. • Insurrections weakened & divided the central government in Memphis • Country torn apart for more than a century by political anarchy, social unrest, & invasions

33. First Intermediate Period: (c.a. 2200-2050 B.C.E.) • Nomarchs: • Poistion had been hereditary since the 5th Dynasty • Reigned supreme over their constituencies • Power of Pharaohs: • Resided in Memphis, reigned over Egypt in name only (no real power) • Actual influence limited to smal area & the Delta area was independent • Decline of Old Kingdom began with Pepy II • Old age & long reign caused him to lose control of the country • Many temples were freed from taxation and the chief administrators of the provinces (nomarchs) no longer had to pay tribute • Egypt became bankrupt

34. Egypt and Nubia For centuries, Egypt traded or fought with Nubia. During the New Kingdom, Egypt conquered Nubia. • Nubians served in Egyptian armies and influenced Egyptian culture. • Egyptian art from this period shows Nubian soldiers, musicians, or prisoners. When Egypt declined, Nubia conquered Egypt. • Nubians did not see themselves as conquerors. • They respected Egyptian traditions.

35. Ancient Nubia • Fertile land in Nubia less than in Egypt • Nubia rich in mineral resources & luxury items: • Nubia was rich in gold, copper, & semi-precious stones • Nubia controlled trade routes to tropical Africa and its coveted supply of ivory, ebony, & animal skins • Egyptians set up settlements in Nubia to mine gold, quarry stone, smelt copper

36. The Middle Kingdom: (c.a. 2050-1652 B.C.E.) • Pharaonic power reached its peak • Referred to country’s “Golden Age” due to great heights in pictorial art & literature • Egypt was reunited under the Eleventh Dynasty • from Thebes, not Memphis • followers of the god Amon • elevated to the rank of primary god Deir el-BahriMortuary temple of Hatshepsut from above.

37. The Middle Kingdom: (c.a. 2050-1652 B.C.E.) • Period marked by a period of solidification of Egyptian borders • Military garrisons built on the borders • Marked by a period by which there was the suppression of the nobility; rise of the “middle class” Fortress of Buhen

38. The Middle Kingdom: The Vizier • The chief advisor and administrator of the Pharaoh, was the tjaty, the vizier or prime minister. • The position of tjaty or vizier was in existence by the beginning of the Third Dynasty, the start of the Old Kingdom. • The vizier had authority and power that were second only to the Pharaoh, and sometimes perhaps rivaled the Pharaoh's authority. • The vizier was responsible for civil order, the assessment and collection of taxes, the maintenance of archives, the mobilization of troops, appointment and supervision of officials, examination of land claims, inspection and surveillance of provincial governments, and the exercise of the law over civil cases. 

39. The Middle Kingdom: The Vizier • Viziers were responsible for the registration of people and property for tax purposes. • They supervised and recorded various transactions, especially those involving land, and as "seal-bearers of the king," they had the authority to certify them. • The viziers also supervised the biennial census of raw materials, cattle, and produce. • They were also the Overseer of Works for the royal monuments, and the holder had access to and control over vast manpower and material resources by their control of the corvee, a tax paid in the form of labor to obtain troops and workers for the Pharaoh's building projects. 

40. The Middle Kingdom: The Vizier • The majority of Egyptian people were peasants who worked the land along the fertile Nile flood basin. • The corvee provided them with work during the annual flooding of the Nile, when their fields would be under water. • These people had no voice in their government, and accepted this fact because it was backed by their religious beliefs that the pharaoh was a god and that they were worshiping him by doing his biding. • The land itself was divided up into provinces called nomes. Each nome had a governor, who was appointed by the Pharaoh, and responsible to the vizier.

41. The Middle Kingdom: The Vizier • There were courts in each nome and a high court in the capital, where the Viziers judged most of the cases.  • By the 1400s B.C.E., the king appointed two viziers. • One vizier administered the Nile Delta area, and the other one managed the region to the south.

42. Reform in the Middle Kingdom: (c.a. 2050-1652 B.C.E.) • Successfully reduced the power of the nomarchs & the power over the nomes • Because the power & wealth of nomarchs rivaled that of the pharaoh, Senusret III abolished the nomes • He established a new form of regional government, thus consolidating power in the hands of the pharaoh Senusret III

43. Decline of the Middle Kingdom: (c.a. 2050-1652 B.C.E.) • After Queen Sobekeneferu’s death, the Middle Kingdom entered into a long period of decline • beginning of the Second Intermediate Queen Sobekeneferu

44. Second Intermediate Period (c.a. 1652-1567 B.C.E.) • King Kamose last king of the 17th Dynasty • Decline of the Middle Kingdom gave rise to groups of Asiatics to establish settlements in the Delta region • Began a time of foreign rule in Egypt • Marked by a period of invasions by the Hyksos • Semitic peoples from Palestine • Hyksos dynasty by 1650 B.C. (Fifteenth Dynasty) King Kamose

45. Second Intermediate Period (c.a. 1652-1567 B.C.E.) • Period marked by localism, anarchy, short reigns, palace coups, assassinations • “seventy kings in seventy days” • a reversal of established order • dissolution of law and order • disruption of trade and agricultural production

46. The Hyksos • Ended the Middle Kingdom in Ancient Egypt by invasion • Semite Peoples • generate an imperialist response by Egyptians

47. The Hyksos • This site eventually became the capital of the Hyksos kings, yet within 50 years they had also managed to take control of the important Egyptian city of Memphis.

48. The Hyksos • The Hyksos were the source of the new horse-drawn war-chariots introduced to Egypt in the second half of the Hyksos rule. • This invention, never seen before in Egypt, was instrumental in the continued power of the Hyksos in this region. The Hyksos utilized superior bronze weapons, chariots, and composite bows to help them take control of Egypt, and by about 1720 B.C.E. they had grown strong enough, at the expense of the Middle Kingdom kings, to gain control of Avaris in the north eastern Delta.

49. Starting in 1567 B.C.E., the pharaoh Ahmose I eventually managed to defeat and expel the Hyksos from Egypt, reuniting Egypt and establishing the New Kingdom (c. 1567-1085 B.C.E.). The New Kingdom was characterized by a new militaristic and imperialistic path. A more professional army was developed. Ahmose and his army driving out the Hyksos.

50. The New Kingdom(c.a. 1567-1085 B.C.E.) • New Kingdom began when the Theban rulers expelled the Hyksos kings • Considered the last glorious period of Ancient Egyptian History • Egypt expanded its borders to Syria in the north and to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile in Upper Nubia (modern Sudan) to the south • Conquests brought significant wealth to Egypt in the form of tribute (tax) as well as the influx of new ideas and influences • Both pharaohs and nobility enjoyed unprecedented luxury & refinement