Ancient Egyptian Language, Spread To The Lower Nile River Valley
Key Terms and Important People
Coptic: Ancient Egyptian language, spread to the lower Nile river valley
Cataracts: churning rapids, it was impossible to travel all the way upstream because of the cataracts
Delta: formed in Lower Egypt, it is where the Nile River spreads and drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
Upper Egypt: the strip of land that extends between Nubia and towards Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt: North most region of Egypt, between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
Nubia: region along the Nile River, located between Sudan and Upper Egypt
Egypt: one of the most prominent of early African societies. Between Nubia and the Mediterranean Sea.
Menes: founder of the first dynasty, united upper and Lower Egypt
Pharaoh: “The gods living …show more content…
on earth in human form” they ruled over everything and everyone
Amon: Local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive forces.
Later was honored in the combined cult of Amon-Re.
Archaic Period: (3100B.C.- 2660 B.C.) started when upper and lower Egypt united, includes first and second dynasties, lasted until the old kingdom
Herodotus: “Father of History” traveled to Egypt (mostly the delta), provided information about the fifth century Egypt
Old Kingdom: (2660 B.C.- 2160 B.C.), third dynasty to the 6th dynasty, major invention – pyramids
Khufu: largest of the Egyptian pyramids has 2.3 million lime stone blocks. Estimated 84000 laborers worked on it for about 8 days a year for 20 years. Architects, craftsmen, artists, and engineers also helped work on the pyramid
Pyramids: served as tomb for pharaohs, they were triangular shape so they could speak to gods (due to height) “The pyramids are the most enduring symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and dynasty.”
Kush: area between Upper Egypt and Sudan. Nubian empire location
Kerma: original capital of Nubia, it dominated both river and overland trade …show more content…
routs
Napata: took over as the new political center of Nubia (new capital)
Meroe: became new capital, located between fifth and sixth cataracts
**The Nubian Capital kept moving south to avoid conflict with Egypt**
Harkhuf: governor of Upper Egypt, went to Nubia to collect valuable items (Tribute)
Hyksos: horse riding nomads, gave the horse and chariot to Egypt. After Egypt expelled them, they began to use their tools ideas.
Memphis: founded my Menes (near modern Cairo), which was where upper and lower Egypt met. It was used as the capital by Menes and eventually became the political and cultural center of Ancient Egypt.
Thebes: capital during the New Kingdom,
New Kingdom: During the new kingdom, Egypt became a prosperous empire. They did not build pyramids, but they did build temples and palaces. Pharaohs of the New Kingdom also wanted to expand their empire
Thermoses III: One of the most vigorous of the New Kingdom pharaohs, he dominated the costal region of the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. (Palestine, Syria, and Nubia)
Hatshepsut: Queen of Egypt (1473-1458 BCE) She dispatched a naval expedition down the Red Sea to Punt (possibly northeast Sudan or Eretria) the faraway source of myrrh. There is evidence of opposition to a woman as ruler, and after her death her name and image were frequently defaced
King Kashta: king of the Kush dynasty, conquered Thebes (760 B.C.) and founded a Kush dynasty that ruled Egypt for almost a century.
Assyria: Assyrian armies with iron weapons were pushing down from the north while the Kush Empire was pushing up from the south. Around the mid 7th century B.C., the Assyrians invaded Egypt and drove out the Kushites. The Egyptians then fell to Assyrian rule.
Heliopolis: “City of the Sun” headquarters of a sun cult near Memphis and a principal cultural center of ancient Egypt. It reached its peak of influence during the New Kingdom, where it was home to a large temple for re, the sun god.
Tanis: by the middle kingdom, Tanis was a busy port and Egypt’s gateway to the Mediterranean
Aswan: located on the first cataract, part of Upper Egypt, known as Swenett in Ancient Egypt
Elephantine: island in the Nile River in northern Nubia, was at the border of Egypt and Nubia, known as Yebu or Abu in Ancient Egypt
Punt: also known as the land of put, an Egyptian trading partner known for having gold, ivory, blackwood, ebony, and aromatic resins. Supposedly located South East of Egypt
Hieroglyphics: “holy inscriptions”, Combinations of pictographs with symbols representing sounds and ideas. Used only for formal writing and monumental inscriptions
Papyrus: a paper like material fashioned from the insides of papyrus reeds, which are found along the Nile River
Heretics: a simplified cursive form of hieroglyphs. It appeared in the early centuries of the third millennium B.C.
Demotic: form of script that was formed from hieratic writings
Rosetta Stone: a stone that had the same writing in Hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. It allowed later people to translate the passage and learn about the languages.
Amon-Re: Amon was originally the Local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive forces. Re was originally the sun god in Heliopolis. Later priest honored in the combined cult of Amon-Re. Many temples were created to honor them.
Aten: Pharaoh Amenhotep IV thought that Aten was the one and only god. He spread this idea and eventually part of Egypt became monotheistic. When Amenhotep IV died, priest quickly spread the cult of Amon-Re and erased all memories of Aten.
Akhenaten: Amenhotep created Akhenaten, the new capital city, in honor of Aten. In the city you could always see the sun. In the city, temples that were previously there had the other gods names erased and Aten put on the temples
Mummification: the Egyptians believed that the afterlife is another life. In the old kingdom, they only thought that elites would go to the afterlife. During the new kingdom, their opinions changed, they thought that everyone goes to the afterlife. In order to prepare the dead for the afterlife they would need to be mummified.
Osiris: According to the legend, Osiris’s brother Seth killed him and put his body parts throughout the land. Osiris’s wife, Isis, retrieved his body parts and gave him a proper burial. The gods were impressed with her, they brought Osiris to life as the god of the underworld. They (the Egyptians) associated the Nile with Osiris because of his death and resurrection. (The Nile floods than retreats, than floods again the next year, also their crops grew, died, and that grew again.) They also associated him with immortality and honored him through a religious cult. Osiris had the power to determine who deserved immortality. He also got to decide who did not. After death, they would have their hearts weighted against a feather. This symbolized justice. IF they had a heavy heart, it meant they were evil and had guilt. Those did not receive immortality. If they had a pure heart and honorable deeds they received the gift of immortality. Thus, Osiris’s cult gave rewards to those who behaved according to the standards (or followed the mores)
Aoedemak: The Nubian lion-god, often shown with bow and arrows, served as god of war for the kingdom of Kush.
Sebiumeker: a Nubian creator god and divine guardian of his human devotees.
Bantu: ethnic groups in Africa who spoke Bantu languages. Established Agricultural societies, Inhabited part of current Nigeria and current Cameroon.
Pygmies: members of ethnic group who usually has short height.
Age Sets: social group contesting of people who have the similar age or a common identity. (Ex. School)
Nyamba: The Bantu believed in a single god who created the world and established the principals that would govern its development and then stepped back and allowed the world to proceed on its own.
Topics/ Concepts
North Africa Today:
People in North Africa today . . .
Speak aerobic
Ethnicity: Arab
Religion: Islam
Early agriculture in the Sudanic Region:
9000 B.C. - Domesticated cattle and became nomadic herders. Also collected wild grains
7500 B.C. – established permanent settlements and began to cultivate sorghum (a grain still grown today in the modern world)
8000 B.C. – western Sudanic people began to cultivate yams between the Niger and Congo rivers
7000 B.C. – sheep and goats arrived from South West Asia
6500 B.C. – began to cultivate gourds, watermelons, and cotton
Government of the Sudanic people:
Small scale states
5000 B.C. – small monarchies ruled by kings. They were viewed as divine beings. Climate Change:
5000 B.C. – the northern part of African experienced a long-term climate change that influenced the area socially and agriculturally.
Climate became hotter and drier than before. (arid)
Before 5000 B.C., the Sahara desert had been cool and had plenty water. It consisted of humans, animals, and vegetables
It drove both humans and animals to more hospitable regions
Cultivators would gather around the remaining bodies of water, like lake chad
Some moved south to modern Uganda
Others moved to the Nile River valley which was the principal source of water flowing through North Africa
The Nile:
World’s longest river
From Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea
Flows North towards the Mediterranean Sea
Hapy is the god of the Nile
Floods each spring due to rain and melting snow that swell the river, which surges north through Sudan and Egypt
It annually flooded the plains downstream
It left behind a layer of fertile muck that allowed these civilizations to have a prosperous agricultural economy
“The Gift Of the Nile” because Egypt needed it to survive. They would have not been able to live if it was not there.
Egypt’s Geography
Egypt Stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the first cataract (near Aswan)
Upper Egypt is South of Lower Egypt due to elevation above sea level and the flow of the river
Cataract: an unnavigable stretch of rapids and waterfalls
Large floodplain
Nubia’s Geography:
Located south of Egypt, between the first cataract and the 6th cataract
Smaller floodplain than the Egyptians
Nubians had to rely on preparing fields and irrigation rather Egypt could depend on floodplains
The Unification of Egypt:
3100 B.C. – Egypt became united under the conqueror named Menes
He was a minor official from Upper Egypt who extended his power to Lover Egypt
Created Memphis as the first capital of United Egypt
Theocratic Nature of Pharaohs:
Pharaoh: the Egyptian King
Believed to be “the god on earth”
They were the absolute rulers of the land
They continued the tradition of the divine kingship from the Sudanic societies
Early pharaohs were associated with Horus (the sky god) and were represented together with a falcon or a hawk
Later pharaohs were associated as offspring’s of Amon (the sun god), which means they were the son of the sun
Pictures show the pharaoh as a large figure towering over their human subjects
Old Kingdom:
2660 B.C. – 2160 B.C.
Constructed pyramids as resting tombs for the elites
These enormous pyramids today stand a Giza (near Cairo)
The largest pyramid was Khufu (known as Cheops)
They signified the pharaoh’s power because it showed that the had a stable and organized government
Relationship between Egypt and Nubia
The Egyptians had a strong interest in Nubia for political and commercial reasons . . .
Nubia could be a threat
Nubia had products such as gold, ivory, ebony, and precious stones
Nubians had also had a strong interest in Egypt for political and economic reasons . . .
They wanted to protect their independence from their larger and more powerful empire known as Egypt
They sought profit by controlling trade down the Nile river
Kush and its interaction with Egypt
Kush is located between upper Egypt and Sudan
Dominated upper reaches of the Nile and occasionally threatened Upper Egypt
Egyptians sought political alliances and commercial relationships with Nubia (Kush)
Karkhuf’s Mission:
2300 B.C.- Harkhuf mad four expeditions to Nubia
He returned one of his trips with about 300 donkeys, exotic products, and a dancing dwarf
Theses products stimulate Egyptian desire for trade with southern land
Hyksos invasion:
Hyksos were Semitic people
Egyptians called them Hyksos which means (“Foreign Rulers”)
Horse-riding nomads
They introduced horses and horse drawn chariots to Egypt
Most likely learned from Mesopotamians and the Hittites
Provided an advantage over Egypt
Used bronze weapons
Egyptians took technology and used it after they kicked them out in 1550 B.C.
New Kingdom:
1550 B.C. – 1050 B.C.
Agricultural surplus increased population
Instead of building large pyramids, they built temples, palaces, and monumental statues to advertise their power and authority
Thutmosis III:
(1479 B.C – 1425 B.C.)
Dominated the costal regions of the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa
He also restored dominance in Nubia
The Revived Kingdom of Kush:
1100 B.C. - Egypt was retreating from Nubia
The Nubians built a new kingdom of Kush with Napata as their new capital, located just below the fourth cataract
Around the eighth century B.C. the rulers of the new kingdom of Kush invaded Egypt
760 B.C. - King Kashta conquered Thebes
He founded a Kushites dynasty that ruled Egypt for almost a century
They eventually extended their authority to lower Egypt
Thebes and Heliopolis:
Thebes was the promenade political center
Heliopolis was the head quarters of the sun cult
Egypt’s Social Class:
Unlike Mesopotamia, those who’s relatives were not elites were able to earn elite positions
Slaves played a very similar role in both Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Unlike Mesopotamia’s series of urban kings, the Egyptians had pharaohs that ruled over all the land
Because of the pharaoh, Egyptians had little room for the noble class
Egypt’s Patriarchal Society:
Women of upper elite classes oversaw the domestic work of household servants
Women would routinely perform domestic work
Domestic work included growing vegetables, grinding grain, baking bread, brewing beer, spinning thread, and weaving textiles
Overall, men were the governors of households and the larger society as a whole
With rare exceptions men mad all the decisions about public affairs and government politics
Women’s Role:
In Egypt women of the royal family usually served as regents for young rulers
Many royal women also used their status to change policy
In Nubia, there were many women rulers in the kingdom of Kush.
Many women also became priestesses
Some worked as scribes
Queen Hatshepsut:
1473 – 1458 B.C.
Served as coruler with her stepson Thutmosis III
She was the one and only women pharaoh
Having a female ruler was upsetting to many Egyptians
In an effort to present he in an unthreatening way, a monument state of her depicts her wearing a man’s beard Metallurgy:
The Egyptians were much slower to use metallurgy than the Mesopotamians were
After the seventeenth century, the idea of bronze spread rapidly
After expelling the Hyksos, they decided to use their bronze weapon and tool idea
Like Mesopotamia, due to the high cost of copper kept bronze out of the hands of most people Which African Societies used the Metallurgy?:
The Sothern Nile societies used Iron instead of bronze
This was due to their lack of copper and tin, so they could not make bronze Transportation in Egypt and Nubia:
3500 B.C. - The Nile river was the key to transportation in Egypt
The river went from Upper to Lower Egypt
Prevailing winds blew from the north so by raising a sail, boats could make their way upriver form lower to upper Egypt
3000 B.C. - Egyptians sailed beyond the Nile to the Mediterranean Sea
2000 B.C. – they explored the red sea, the gulf of Aden, and the western portion of the Arabian Sea
They also used Mesopotamian style wheeled vehicles for local transportation and relied on donkey caravans for transportation between the Nile valley and ports on the Red Sea
In Nubia, the Nile was harder to navigate through due to the cataracts
At the fourth cataract, the Nile was usable because the wind was in their favor
Egyptian Trade:
The Egyptians traded with Mesopotamia, eastern Mediterranean civilizations, and mostly Nubia
They exported pottery, wine, honey, linen textiles, decretive, and ornamental objects (ex. Boxes, furniture)
Imports included ebony, leopard skins, ostrich feathers, gemstones, gold, and slaves
From Phoenicia they imported cedar wood and exported gold, silver, linen textiles, leather goods, and dried foods
Writing System:
The Egyptians used a number of writing systems based of their first form of writing known as Hieroglyphics.
Hieroglyphics means “Holy Inscriptions”
It consists of symbols representing sounds and ideas
Hieroglyphics were used for important documents and writings
Hieratic script is a simplified cursive form of hieroglyphics that was used in everyday writings
When the Egyptians added the Greek alphabet writings such as Demotic “popular” and Coptic “Egyptian” were created
They were based off of Hieratic and the Greek Alphabet
Writing was written on Papyrus, a paper like material made from papyrus reeds which flushed along the Nile River
Polytheistic:
Egyptians believed that deities played prominent roles in the world and cultivation of gods were an important community responsibility
The principal gods were Amon and Re
Amon was originally the local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive force
Re was originally the sun god worshiped at Heliopolis
During the old kingdom, priestess associated the two with each other and honored the in a combined cult of Amon-Re
In Heliopolis, a large temple was built in their honor
During the New Kingdom, some devotees suggested that Amon-Re may be a universal god who presided over all the earth
Akhenaten and their experiment with monotheism:
Akhenaten (formally Amenhotep IV) believed that Aten was the “Sole God” (which means he tried to turn Egypt into a monotheistic religion) He built a capital city called Akhenaten (‘Horizon of Aten”, located at modern Tel el-Amanda)
When Akhenaten died, the belief in Aten died and was replaced by Amon-Re
Mummification:
The Egyptians believed that death was not the end and that there was an afterlife that would be a happy place
In the Old kingdom, people believed only the pharaohs and the ruling classes went to the afterlife
In the new kingdom, they decided that everyone goes to the afterlife
They would remove all parts from the body except the heart
Osiris:
Osiris was the god of the underworld, he also had the power to grand immortality
In order to receive immortality, they had to have high moral standards
This encouraged them to be an overall good person
They had to have a heart “lighter than a feather”
Nubia’s Religion:
Polytheistic
Main god Apedemak - the lion god (usually shown with a bow and arrow) it served as the god of war for the kingdom of Kush
Did not mummify the dead
Built pyramids similar to Egypt but they were smaller and embraced with several Egyptian gods
Used some Egyptian deities such as Amon
Bantu Trade:
Provided forest people with pottery and stone axes
Forest people gave them meat, honey, and other forest products
Bantu Migration:
Migrated due to drought and population increase
First they migrated slowly, than they began to migrate fast when they stated using iron
Canoes also enabled them to travel fast up and down the rivers
Migrated South, East, and West of their homeland
Bantu language and religion:
They spoke over 500 different languages, but all languages has related tongues
Monotheistic
Nyamba - name of god
They worshiped the signal god
They believe he was the creator of both good and evil
Also believed that he created the world and principals that would govern them
Agricultural expansion due to the Bantu:
Began to expand cultivation of yams and grains/ domestication of sheep into south and east Africa
Oil palms, millet, and sorghum / domestication of sheep, pigs and cattle expanded through the west and central Africa
Age sets:
Group of people around the same age
Performed jobs based on age set (ex. old men would cultivate land)
Coptic: Ancient Egyptian language, spread to the lower Nile river valley
Cataracts: churning rapids, it was impossible to travel all the way upstream because of the cataracts
Delta: formed in Lower Egypt, it is where the Nile River spreads and drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
Upper Egypt: the strip of land that extends between Nubia and towards Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt: North most region of Egypt, between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
Nubia: region along the Nile River, located between Sudan and Upper Egypt
Egypt: one of the most prominent of early African societies. Between Nubia and the Mediterranean Sea.
Menes: founder of the first dynasty, united upper and Lower Egypt
Pharaoh: “The gods living …show more content…
on earth in human form” they ruled over everything and everyone
Amon: Local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive forces.
Later was honored in the combined cult of Amon-Re.
Archaic Period: (3100B.C.- 2660 B.C.) started when upper and lower Egypt united, includes first and second dynasties, lasted until the old kingdom
Herodotus: “Father of History” traveled to Egypt (mostly the delta), provided information about the fifth century Egypt
Old Kingdom: (2660 B.C.- 2160 B.C.), third dynasty to the 6th dynasty, major invention – pyramids
Khufu: largest of the Egyptian pyramids has 2.3 million lime stone blocks. Estimated 84000 laborers worked on it for about 8 days a year for 20 years. Architects, craftsmen, artists, and engineers also helped work on the pyramid
Pyramids: served as tomb for pharaohs, they were triangular shape so they could speak to gods (due to height) “The pyramids are the most enduring symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and dynasty.”
Kush: area between Upper Egypt and Sudan. Nubian empire location
Kerma: original capital of Nubia, it dominated both river and overland trade …show more content…
routs
Napata: took over as the new political center of Nubia (new capital)
Meroe: became new capital, located between fifth and sixth cataracts
**The Nubian Capital kept moving south to avoid conflict with Egypt**
Harkhuf: governor of Upper Egypt, went to Nubia to collect valuable items (Tribute)
Hyksos: horse riding nomads, gave the horse and chariot to Egypt. After Egypt expelled them, they began to use their tools ideas.
Memphis: founded my Menes (near modern Cairo), which was where upper and lower Egypt met. It was used as the capital by Menes and eventually became the political and cultural center of Ancient Egypt.
Thebes: capital during the New Kingdom,
New Kingdom: During the new kingdom, Egypt became a prosperous empire. They did not build pyramids, but they did build temples and palaces. Pharaohs of the New Kingdom also wanted to expand their empire
Thermoses III: One of the most vigorous of the New Kingdom pharaohs, he dominated the costal region of the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. (Palestine, Syria, and Nubia)
Hatshepsut: Queen of Egypt (1473-1458 BCE) She dispatched a naval expedition down the Red Sea to Punt (possibly northeast Sudan or Eretria) the faraway source of myrrh. There is evidence of opposition to a woman as ruler, and after her death her name and image were frequently defaced
King Kashta: king of the Kush dynasty, conquered Thebes (760 B.C.) and founded a Kush dynasty that ruled Egypt for almost a century.
Assyria: Assyrian armies with iron weapons were pushing down from the north while the Kush Empire was pushing up from the south. Around the mid 7th century B.C., the Assyrians invaded Egypt and drove out the Kushites. The Egyptians then fell to Assyrian rule.
Heliopolis: “City of the Sun” headquarters of a sun cult near Memphis and a principal cultural center of ancient Egypt. It reached its peak of influence during the New Kingdom, where it was home to a large temple for re, the sun god.
Tanis: by the middle kingdom, Tanis was a busy port and Egypt’s gateway to the Mediterranean
Aswan: located on the first cataract, part of Upper Egypt, known as Swenett in Ancient Egypt
Elephantine: island in the Nile River in northern Nubia, was at the border of Egypt and Nubia, known as Yebu or Abu in Ancient Egypt
Punt: also known as the land of put, an Egyptian trading partner known for having gold, ivory, blackwood, ebony, and aromatic resins. Supposedly located South East of Egypt
Hieroglyphics: “holy inscriptions”, Combinations of pictographs with symbols representing sounds and ideas. Used only for formal writing and monumental inscriptions
Papyrus: a paper like material fashioned from the insides of papyrus reeds, which are found along the Nile River
Heretics: a simplified cursive form of hieroglyphs. It appeared in the early centuries of the third millennium B.C.
Demotic: form of script that was formed from hieratic writings
Rosetta Stone: a stone that had the same writing in Hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. It allowed later people to translate the passage and learn about the languages.
Amon-Re: Amon was originally the Local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive forces. Re was originally the sun god in Heliopolis. Later priest honored in the combined cult of Amon-Re. Many temples were created to honor them.
Aten: Pharaoh Amenhotep IV thought that Aten was the one and only god. He spread this idea and eventually part of Egypt became monotheistic. When Amenhotep IV died, priest quickly spread the cult of Amon-Re and erased all memories of Aten.
Akhenaten: Amenhotep created Akhenaten, the new capital city, in honor of Aten. In the city you could always see the sun. In the city, temples that were previously there had the other gods names erased and Aten put on the temples
Mummification: the Egyptians believed that the afterlife is another life. In the old kingdom, they only thought that elites would go to the afterlife. During the new kingdom, their opinions changed, they thought that everyone goes to the afterlife. In order to prepare the dead for the afterlife they would need to be mummified.
Osiris: According to the legend, Osiris’s brother Seth killed him and put his body parts throughout the land. Osiris’s wife, Isis, retrieved his body parts and gave him a proper burial. The gods were impressed with her, they brought Osiris to life as the god of the underworld. They (the Egyptians) associated the Nile with Osiris because of his death and resurrection. (The Nile floods than retreats, than floods again the next year, also their crops grew, died, and that grew again.) They also associated him with immortality and honored him through a religious cult. Osiris had the power to determine who deserved immortality. He also got to decide who did not. After death, they would have their hearts weighted against a feather. This symbolized justice. IF they had a heavy heart, it meant they were evil and had guilt. Those did not receive immortality. If they had a pure heart and honorable deeds they received the gift of immortality. Thus, Osiris’s cult gave rewards to those who behaved according to the standards (or followed the mores)
Aoedemak: The Nubian lion-god, often shown with bow and arrows, served as god of war for the kingdom of Kush.
Sebiumeker: a Nubian creator god and divine guardian of his human devotees.
Bantu: ethnic groups in Africa who spoke Bantu languages. Established Agricultural societies, Inhabited part of current Nigeria and current Cameroon.
Pygmies: members of ethnic group who usually has short height.
Age Sets: social group contesting of people who have the similar age or a common identity. (Ex. School)
Nyamba: The Bantu believed in a single god who created the world and established the principals that would govern its development and then stepped back and allowed the world to proceed on its own.
Topics/ Concepts
North Africa Today:
People in North Africa today . . .
Speak aerobic
Ethnicity: Arab
Religion: Islam
Early agriculture in the Sudanic Region:
9000 B.C. - Domesticated cattle and became nomadic herders. Also collected wild grains
7500 B.C. – established permanent settlements and began to cultivate sorghum (a grain still grown today in the modern world)
8000 B.C. – western Sudanic people began to cultivate yams between the Niger and Congo rivers
7000 B.C. – sheep and goats arrived from South West Asia
6500 B.C. – began to cultivate gourds, watermelons, and cotton
Government of the Sudanic people:
Small scale states
5000 B.C. – small monarchies ruled by kings. They were viewed as divine beings. Climate Change:
5000 B.C. – the northern part of African experienced a long-term climate change that influenced the area socially and agriculturally.
Climate became hotter and drier than before. (arid)
Before 5000 B.C., the Sahara desert had been cool and had plenty water. It consisted of humans, animals, and vegetables
It drove both humans and animals to more hospitable regions
Cultivators would gather around the remaining bodies of water, like lake chad
Some moved south to modern Uganda
Others moved to the Nile River valley which was the principal source of water flowing through North Africa
The Nile:
World’s longest river
From Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea
Flows North towards the Mediterranean Sea
Hapy is the god of the Nile
Floods each spring due to rain and melting snow that swell the river, which surges north through Sudan and Egypt
It annually flooded the plains downstream
It left behind a layer of fertile muck that allowed these civilizations to have a prosperous agricultural economy
“The Gift Of the Nile” because Egypt needed it to survive. They would have not been able to live if it was not there.
Egypt’s Geography
Egypt Stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the first cataract (near Aswan)
Upper Egypt is South of Lower Egypt due to elevation above sea level and the flow of the river
Cataract: an unnavigable stretch of rapids and waterfalls
Large floodplain
Nubia’s Geography:
Located south of Egypt, between the first cataract and the 6th cataract
Smaller floodplain than the Egyptians
Nubians had to rely on preparing fields and irrigation rather Egypt could depend on floodplains
The Unification of Egypt:
3100 B.C. – Egypt became united under the conqueror named Menes
He was a minor official from Upper Egypt who extended his power to Lover Egypt
Created Memphis as the first capital of United Egypt
Theocratic Nature of Pharaohs:
Pharaoh: the Egyptian King
Believed to be “the god on earth”
They were the absolute rulers of the land
They continued the tradition of the divine kingship from the Sudanic societies
Early pharaohs were associated with Horus (the sky god) and were represented together with a falcon or a hawk
Later pharaohs were associated as offspring’s of Amon (the sun god), which means they were the son of the sun
Pictures show the pharaoh as a large figure towering over their human subjects
Old Kingdom:
2660 B.C. – 2160 B.C.
Constructed pyramids as resting tombs for the elites
These enormous pyramids today stand a Giza (near Cairo)
The largest pyramid was Khufu (known as Cheops)
They signified the pharaoh’s power because it showed that the had a stable and organized government
Relationship between Egypt and Nubia
The Egyptians had a strong interest in Nubia for political and commercial reasons . . .
Nubia could be a threat
Nubia had products such as gold, ivory, ebony, and precious stones
Nubians had also had a strong interest in Egypt for political and economic reasons . . .
They wanted to protect their independence from their larger and more powerful empire known as Egypt
They sought profit by controlling trade down the Nile river
Kush and its interaction with Egypt
Kush is located between upper Egypt and Sudan
Dominated upper reaches of the Nile and occasionally threatened Upper Egypt
Egyptians sought political alliances and commercial relationships with Nubia (Kush)
Karkhuf’s Mission:
2300 B.C.- Harkhuf mad four expeditions to Nubia
He returned one of his trips with about 300 donkeys, exotic products, and a dancing dwarf
Theses products stimulate Egyptian desire for trade with southern land
Hyksos invasion:
Hyksos were Semitic people
Egyptians called them Hyksos which means (“Foreign Rulers”)
Horse-riding nomads
They introduced horses and horse drawn chariots to Egypt
Most likely learned from Mesopotamians and the Hittites
Provided an advantage over Egypt
Used bronze weapons
Egyptians took technology and used it after they kicked them out in 1550 B.C.
New Kingdom:
1550 B.C. – 1050 B.C.
Agricultural surplus increased population
Instead of building large pyramids, they built temples, palaces, and monumental statues to advertise their power and authority
Thutmosis III:
(1479 B.C – 1425 B.C.)
Dominated the costal regions of the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa
He also restored dominance in Nubia
The Revived Kingdom of Kush:
1100 B.C. - Egypt was retreating from Nubia
The Nubians built a new kingdom of Kush with Napata as their new capital, located just below the fourth cataract
Around the eighth century B.C. the rulers of the new kingdom of Kush invaded Egypt
760 B.C. - King Kashta conquered Thebes
He founded a Kushites dynasty that ruled Egypt for almost a century
They eventually extended their authority to lower Egypt
Thebes and Heliopolis:
Thebes was the promenade political center
Heliopolis was the head quarters of the sun cult
Egypt’s Social Class:
Unlike Mesopotamia, those who’s relatives were not elites were able to earn elite positions
Slaves played a very similar role in both Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Unlike Mesopotamia’s series of urban kings, the Egyptians had pharaohs that ruled over all the land
Because of the pharaoh, Egyptians had little room for the noble class
Egypt’s Patriarchal Society:
Women of upper elite classes oversaw the domestic work of household servants
Women would routinely perform domestic work
Domestic work included growing vegetables, grinding grain, baking bread, brewing beer, spinning thread, and weaving textiles
Overall, men were the governors of households and the larger society as a whole
With rare exceptions men mad all the decisions about public affairs and government politics
Women’s Role:
In Egypt women of the royal family usually served as regents for young rulers
Many royal women also used their status to change policy
In Nubia, there were many women rulers in the kingdom of Kush.
Many women also became priestesses
Some worked as scribes
Queen Hatshepsut:
1473 – 1458 B.C.
Served as coruler with her stepson Thutmosis III
She was the one and only women pharaoh
Having a female ruler was upsetting to many Egyptians
In an effort to present he in an unthreatening way, a monument state of her depicts her wearing a man’s beard Metallurgy:
The Egyptians were much slower to use metallurgy than the Mesopotamians were
After the seventeenth century, the idea of bronze spread rapidly
After expelling the Hyksos, they decided to use their bronze weapon and tool idea
Like Mesopotamia, due to the high cost of copper kept bronze out of the hands of most people Which African Societies used the Metallurgy?:
The Sothern Nile societies used Iron instead of bronze
This was due to their lack of copper and tin, so they could not make bronze Transportation in Egypt and Nubia:
3500 B.C. - The Nile river was the key to transportation in Egypt
The river went from Upper to Lower Egypt
Prevailing winds blew from the north so by raising a sail, boats could make their way upriver form lower to upper Egypt
3000 B.C. - Egyptians sailed beyond the Nile to the Mediterranean Sea
2000 B.C. – they explored the red sea, the gulf of Aden, and the western portion of the Arabian Sea
They also used Mesopotamian style wheeled vehicles for local transportation and relied on donkey caravans for transportation between the Nile valley and ports on the Red Sea
In Nubia, the Nile was harder to navigate through due to the cataracts
At the fourth cataract, the Nile was usable because the wind was in their favor
Egyptian Trade:
The Egyptians traded with Mesopotamia, eastern Mediterranean civilizations, and mostly Nubia
They exported pottery, wine, honey, linen textiles, decretive, and ornamental objects (ex. Boxes, furniture)
Imports included ebony, leopard skins, ostrich feathers, gemstones, gold, and slaves
From Phoenicia they imported cedar wood and exported gold, silver, linen textiles, leather goods, and dried foods
Writing System:
The Egyptians used a number of writing systems based of their first form of writing known as Hieroglyphics.
Hieroglyphics means “Holy Inscriptions”
It consists of symbols representing sounds and ideas
Hieroglyphics were used for important documents and writings
Hieratic script is a simplified cursive form of hieroglyphics that was used in everyday writings
When the Egyptians added the Greek alphabet writings such as Demotic “popular” and Coptic “Egyptian” were created
They were based off of Hieratic and the Greek Alphabet
Writing was written on Papyrus, a paper like material made from papyrus reeds which flushed along the Nile River
Polytheistic:
Egyptians believed that deities played prominent roles in the world and cultivation of gods were an important community responsibility
The principal gods were Amon and Re
Amon was originally the local Theban deity associated with the sun, creation, fertility, and reproductive force
Re was originally the sun god worshiped at Heliopolis
During the old kingdom, priestess associated the two with each other and honored the in a combined cult of Amon-Re
In Heliopolis, a large temple was built in their honor
During the New Kingdom, some devotees suggested that Amon-Re may be a universal god who presided over all the earth
Akhenaten and their experiment with monotheism:
Akhenaten (formally Amenhotep IV) believed that Aten was the “Sole God” (which means he tried to turn Egypt into a monotheistic religion) He built a capital city called Akhenaten (‘Horizon of Aten”, located at modern Tel el-Amanda)
When Akhenaten died, the belief in Aten died and was replaced by Amon-Re
Mummification:
The Egyptians believed that death was not the end and that there was an afterlife that would be a happy place
In the Old kingdom, people believed only the pharaohs and the ruling classes went to the afterlife
In the new kingdom, they decided that everyone goes to the afterlife
They would remove all parts from the body except the heart
Osiris:
Osiris was the god of the underworld, he also had the power to grand immortality
In order to receive immortality, they had to have high moral standards
This encouraged them to be an overall good person
They had to have a heart “lighter than a feather”
Nubia’s Religion:
Polytheistic
Main god Apedemak - the lion god (usually shown with a bow and arrow) it served as the god of war for the kingdom of Kush
Did not mummify the dead
Built pyramids similar to Egypt but they were smaller and embraced with several Egyptian gods
Used some Egyptian deities such as Amon
Bantu Trade:
Provided forest people with pottery and stone axes
Forest people gave them meat, honey, and other forest products
Bantu Migration:
Migrated due to drought and population increase
First they migrated slowly, than they began to migrate fast when they stated using iron
Canoes also enabled them to travel fast up and down the rivers
Migrated South, East, and West of their homeland
Bantu language and religion:
They spoke over 500 different languages, but all languages has related tongues
Monotheistic
Nyamba - name of god
They worshiped the signal god
They believe he was the creator of both good and evil
Also believed that he created the world and principals that would govern them
Agricultural expansion due to the Bantu:
Began to expand cultivation of yams and grains/ domestication of sheep into south and east Africa
Oil palms, millet, and sorghum / domestication of sheep, pigs and cattle expanded through the west and central Africa
Age sets:
Group of people around the same age
Performed jobs based on age set (ex. old men would cultivate land)