Finnegan-WHI.3a

Notes: The Egyptian River Valley Civilization (The Old Kingdom) (2686 BCE – 2181 BCE)

I. Geography of Egypta. The Nile River Valley

i. River flows from South to North1. Upper Egypt: 2. Lower Egypt:

ii. Flooding

iii. Cataracts: a point on the Nile River where jagged granite cliffs and boulders turn the river into churning rapids.

iv. Delta: a broad, marshy triangular area of land formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of the river.

b. Winds

c. Natural Barriers: Deserts and cataracts

Question Break: What were three advantages of Egyptian geography that aided the rise of civilization?

II. Economy of Egypta. Based on:

III. Government of Egypta. Pharaohs

i. Definition: Egyptian god-kingsii. First Pharaoh: iii. Responsibilities of a Pharaoh: to promote truth and justice, and to take care of

the country’s well-being (caused the sun to rise, the Nile to flood, and the crops to grow).

b. Theocracy:

IV. Religion of Egypta. Polytheism

i. Examples of Gods: b. Egyptian Afterlife:

c. PyramidsV. Egyptian Social Structure

Pharao

h and Roy

al Fam il

y

U pper C lass

M iddle Class

Lo w er Class

Slaves

Finnegan-WHI.3a

VI. Egyptian Recordkeepinga. Hieroglyphics:

i. Written on papyrusVII. Egyptian Technology

a. Written number systemb. Geometryc. Calendard. Medicine

VIII. The Middle Kingdom (2055 BCE-1650 BCE)

Question Break:

Which Egyptian achievement would you consider most important? Why?

How is the Egyptian religion different from Sumer’s? How is it the same?