Ancient Egypt and Nubia were connected along the Nile River. Egypt was united into a kingdom around 3000 BC and entered its Old Kingdom period where many pyramids were built. Egyptian culture was centered around the pharaohs and polytheistic religions. Hieroglyphics developed for writing. The New Kingdom expanded Egypt's power and wealth along the Nile and into surrounding regions until invasions caused the empire to decline. Meanwhile, the Kushite kingdom in Nubia grew powerful, conquering Egypt at times and establishing the city of Meroe as a trade center until declining after 350 AD.

1. Ancient Egypt

2. Geography
Egypt
The Gift of the Nile
Transportation along the
river
Natural Barriers helped to
reduce warfare

3. Satellite Image of the Nile

4. History: Egypt Unites into a Kingdom
● Egypt was separated into two kingdoms
● A king named Narmer united Upper and
Lower Egypt into one empire in 3000 BC
● Scorpion King
● Narmer created the first Egyptian
dynasty

5. ● Old Kingdom or “Age of
Pyramids”
● Most of the pyramids were built
in this time period
● Pyramid: immense stone
structure often built as tombs
The “Step” Pyramid built for King
Djoser
Pyramids of the Old Kingdom

6. More Sweet Pyramid Action

7. Social Structure
Egyptian Culture
a.Pharaohs: Egyptian pharaohs ruled absolutely
- Center of Egyptian culture, government, and religion
b.Theocracy: when religion and gov’t mix
c.Polytheistic:
- Ra (sun god), Osiris (god of the dead), Goddess Isis (represented ideal mother
and wife)
- Believed in afterlife and built burial chambers and tombs
d.Mummification: embalming and drying of corpses to prevent decay

9. Religion
Ra: The Sun God
Isis

10. Social Structure

11. Writing Egyptian Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics: meaning
“sacred carvings” started out as
pictographs then transformed
into sounds
First were written on stone then
on papyrus an Egyptian form of
paper
The Rosetta Stone: found by
the delta town of Rosetta in
1799 helped to break the code
of

12. Mummification
First, they draw out the brains through the
nostrils with an iron hook. . . . Then with a
sharp stone they make an incision in the side,
and take out all the bowels. . . . Then, having
filled the belly with pure myrrh, cassia, and
other perfumes, they sew it up again; and
when they have done this they steep it in
natron [a mineral salt], leaving it under for 70
days. . . . At the end of 70 days, they wash the
corpse, and wrap the whole body in bandages
of waxen cloth.
nHERODOTUS, The History of Herodotus

13. The Egyptian and
Nubian Empires

14. Opener
● Two empires along the Nile, Egypt and Nubia, forge commercial, cultural,
and political connections.

15. Nomadic Invaders Rule Egypt
● Invaders
○ About 1640 B.C., Asian warriors, the Hyksos, use chariots to conquer
Egypt.
● Hebrews Migrate to Egypt
○ Hebrews move to Egypt from Canaan around 1650 B.C.
○ Egyptians resent the presence of Hebrews and Hyksos in Egypt.
● Expulsion and Slavery
○ Egyptians drive out the hated Hyksos
○ Hebrews lose protection of Hyksos; are enslaved.

16. The New Kingdom of Egypt
● Technological Advances
○ About 1570 to 1075 B.C. pharaohs create the New Kingdom, a
powerful empire.
○ Army uses bronze weapons and chariots to conquer other lands.
● Hatshepsut’s Prosperous Rule
○ Hatshepsut—pharaoh whose reign most noted for her trade
expeditions, not war.

17. The New Kingdom of Egypt (continued)
● Thutmose the Empire Builder
○ Thutmose III, Hatshepsut’s stepson, expands Egypt’s empire.
○ Invades Palestine, Syria, and Nubia—region around the upper Nile
River.
○ Egypt is most powerful and wealthy during reign of the New Kingdom
pharaohs.

18. The New Kingdom of Egypt (continued)
● The Egyptians and the Hittites
○ Around 1285 B.C. Egyptians battle the Hittites in Palestine
○ Egypt’s pharaoh, Ramses II, and the Hittite king sign a peace treaty.
● An Age of Builders
○ New Kingdom pharaohs build great palaces, magnificent temples.
○ Valley of the Kings near Thebes is home to royal tombs.
○ Ramses II builds impressive temples with enormous statues of
himself.

19. The Empire Declines
● Invasions by Land and Sea
○ “Sea Peoples (possibly Philistines) cause
great destruction in Egypt.
○ Libyan raids on villages and rebellions in
Palestine weaken the empire.
● Egypt’s Empire Fades
○ Weakened empire breaks into smaller
kingdoms.
○ From around 950 B.C. to 730 B.C. Libyan
pharaohs rule Egypt and erect cities.

20. The Kushites Conquer the Nile Region
● Egypt and Kush
○ From 2000 to 1000 B.C., Egypt dominates the kingdom of Kush in
Nubia.
● The People of Nubia
○ Live south of Egypt near division of the Blue Nile and the White Nile.
○ Nile River is a great trade route for goods and ideas.
○ Nubians link Egypt and Mediterranean to African interior through
trade.

21. The Kushites Conquer the Nile Region
(continued)
● The Interaction of Egypt and Nubia
○ Egyptian culture influences Nubia and beyond to southern Africa.
○ About 1200 B.C., Nubia gains independence but keeps Egyptian
culture.
● Piankhi Captures the Egyptian Throne
○ In 751 B.C., Kushite king Piankhi conquers Egypt, ousts Libyans.
○ Assyrians overcome Kushites and take Egypt.

22. The Golden Age of Meroë
● Meroë
○ Kushites settle in Meroë; join in trade with Africa, Arabia, and India
● The Wealth of Kush
○ Meroë becomes important center of iron weapons and tools
○ Iron products transported to Red Sea, exchanged for luxury goods.
● The Decline of Meroë
○ Meroë thrives from about 250 B.C. to A.D. 150, then declines.
○ Aksum, 400 miles southeast, dominates North African trade.
○ Askum has port on the Red Sea, and defeats Meroë in A.D. 350.

23. Crash Course with John Green