Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Cyber day- February 17

Notes on Ancient Egypt: 

Geography

  • centered around the Nile River
  • provided water for drinking, irrigating, bathing, and transportation
  • every July it floods
  • every October it leaves behind rich soil
  • delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile silt
  • managing the river required technological breakthrough in irrigation
Pyramids
  • the Great Sphinx of Giza (built 2555-2532 BC) 
           -a recumbent lion with a human's head 
           -oldest monumental statue in the world 

Daily Life 
  1. slaves and servants 
  2. farmers
  3. artisans
  4. merchants
  5. scribes
  6. soldiers
  7. government officials
  8. Pharaoh
  • slaves/servants helped the wealthy w/ household and child raising duties
  • farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions (benefitted from the Nile)
  • artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes on the after life
  • money/ barter system was used- merchants might accept bags of grain from payment- coinage came about
  • scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments (wrote in hieroglyphs and hieratic)
  • soldiers used wooden weapons w/ bronze tips and might ride chariots
  • upper class "white kilt class" - priest, physicians, and engineers
Pharaohs
  • the political and religious leaders of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest  of Every Temple'
  •  'Lord of the Two Lands' means the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt
  • owned all land. made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners
  • Hatshepsut was a women who served as pharaoh
  • Cleopatra VII also served as pharaoh, but much later (51-30 BC)
Gods and Goddesses
  • over 2,000 gods and goddesses 
  • they "controlled" the lives of humans 

Old Kingdom 2649-2152 BCE
Middle Kingdom 2040-1640 BCE
New Kingdom 1550-1070 BCE

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