River Valley Civilizations Egypt Unit Two lesson

River Valley Civilizations: Egypt (3000 B.C.E.-2000 B.C.E.) River Valley Civilizations: Egypt (3000 B.C.E.-2000 B.C.E.)You Mean the Pyramids Were Not Temples?Geography of the Nile River ValleyThe Nile River flows northward from the highlands of East Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Like the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia, the Nile River floods yearly, leaving behind rich, fertile soil. Ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile River and learned to build ditches to trap the Nile’s floodwaters for irrigation. The land to the south of the river was known as the kingdom of Upper Egypt and the land to the north was known as the kingdom of Lower Egypt. Around 3000 B.C.E., both of these kingdoms were united to form one kingdom of Ancient Egypt.Religion and Culture of Ancient EgyptIn Ancient Egypt, kings were looked upon as gods. These Egyptian god-kings were called pharaohs. Since the government of Ancient Egypt was based on religious and political power, it was called a theocracy. Like the Mesopotamians, Egyptians were polytheistic in that they believed in many gods. They also believed in life after death and they built large structures for their pharaohs after they died called a pyramid. Pyramids were not religious temples but were used instead as a burial site. Egyptians preserved the bodies of their dead by mummification. Once the body was placed in the tomb, it was filled with personal items of the dead person so they could be used in the afterlife. Egyptian society was made up of four main classes. At the top of society were the pharaoh and his royal family. Below them were members of the upper class (landowners, government officials, priests, army commanders). Then the middle class (merchants, artisans) and at the bottom were farmers and laborers. Slaves were also a large part of Egyptian society working in gold mines or at the homes of the rich. Slavery in ancient Egypt was not based on race. Instead slaves were prisoners of war. Scribes in Egypt created a form of writing called hieroglyphics where a picture stood for an idea. This Egyptian writing was written on papyrus which is a paper-like material made from the reeds of a papyrus plant of the Nile River Name the river found in Egypt that floods and leaves behind rich soil or silt. Euphrates Tigris Nile Indus Name the Egyptian God-Kings who ruled Egypt? Pharaoh Emperor Priests This large structure was built as a tomb for the pharaoh after they had died. What is this large structure called? Ziggurat Pyramid Mausoleum Catacomb Slavery was common in Ancient Egypt. How did a person become a slave? Punishment for a crime Debt - or owe money to someone Prisoner of War You were born to a slave Scribes wrote in pictures that stood for ideas in Ancient Egypt. This writing is called? Tamil Cuneiform Ideograms Hieroglyphics Halloween is almost here. Even though Ms. Erickson is not a dead pharaoh she is thinking of going as a dead pharaoh or _? Vampire Mummy Cartouche Canopic Jar In Egypt, like Mesopotamia, their leaders were also seen as a god. This form of government is called? Theocracy Monarchy Oligarchy Democracy Social Classes in Ancient Egypt Complete the pyramid with the social classes described in the text