History Alive Chapter 8 The Ancient Egyptiand Pharaohs

History Alive!-Chapter 8-The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs

Egypt Retained 3 long periods of stability and unity under the rule of the Pharaohs.
The Old Kingdom-2700 to 2200 B.C.E This age was called the (Age of the Pyramids)
During this time, Egypt's Pharaohs set up a strong central government and also had great pyramids built as tombs for them.
Middle Kingdom-2000 to 1800 B.C.E This age was called (Age of Reunification)
During this time, ancient Egypt followed many years of chaos and disunity and times of war. They also enjoyed many great achievements in literature, art, and architecture.
New Kingdom-1600 to 1100 B.C.E This age was called (The Golden Age)
During this time, Egypt had many years of peace and stability and it's power reached it's height. Pharaohs had increased Egypt's trade and had huge monuments built for them.
Pharaohs- Are the leader of king of Ancient Egypt and were believed to be gods because they owned all the land and were responsible for their people. They had many jobs such as kings, generals, and religious leaders that were all combined. In religion, the Egyptians believed that their pharaohs would enter an after-life after they died so they built these huge pyramids that were tombs for the pharaoh to rest in and use to get to the after-life world. Objects that buried with the pharaoh would be used in the next world the pharaoh would approach. Also pharaohs had built and ordered huge monuments to show their power and success as the king.
Pharaoh Khufu- Reign from 2551 to 2528 B.C.E (Old Kingdom)
Trait-some people say that he was harsh and cruel while others say he's powerful but kind.
Achievement 1- Khufu made pharaoh as a central authority and did this by keeping strict control over Egypt's food supply, oversaw the harvest and the storage of extra grain, controlled a large network of government officials who carried out laws, and even say that he's a god.
Achievement 2- Khufu was the one who made the Great Pyramid at Giza (also called Chops). It sat in the middle of a huge complex of temples, statues, monuments, and smaller tombs. Made of 2 million blocks (each weighing 3 tons) it was the biggest pyramid ever built by any pharaoh of Egypt and had massive size. It took 20 years to complete and Khufu had strict control over the building and he organized and fed thousands of workers. The pyramid was over 450 feet tall in height and was lined and covered with polished white limestone cap. This pyramid was thought to be built by the Egyptians cutting stone blocks from the Earth and using a ramp to transport the stone blocks around the pyramid and then set it to place until the project was finished.
Pharaoh Senusret I- Reign from 1971 to 1926 B.C.E (Middle Kingdom)
Trait- he was a strong leader and really cared about Egypt's culture and arts. Mostly, he was a cultural and arts pharaoh during his rule.
Achievement 1- Senusret made Egypt's arts, culture, and even architecture improve. During his rule, he had control of mines that were filled with gold, copper, and gems. Artisans use these rare materials to craft and decorate jewelry. Bracelets and necklaces were often highly detailed and highly decorated with stones such as turquoise. In Egyptian literature, the Egyptians had written “The story of Sinuhe” which was one of the greatest works yet in Egyptian literature. Senusret had many achievements in religious architecture. He had many temples, shrines, and religious monuments built and even improved on.
Achievement 2- Senusret's finest architectural achievement was the white Chapel. This is small temple that has been built by Senusret. This white chapel was located at Karnak in Ancient Egypt. It was mostly made of a material called alabaster which is a hard white stone. But some Historians believed that the chapel was originally covered in tin layer of gold. On the chapel's pillars, there were beautiful artwork decorated on it. Carved scenes on the wall showed Senusret with various gods. Also one wall showed Senusret offering a tribute to a god for giving him pharaoh-ship. Birds, animals, and Egyptian symbols were found on it. Then later, the next Pharaoh took the white chapel down and used it's pieces to built his own monument. Archeologists had found the white chapel when they were trying to rebuilt the other pharaoh's monument when they then discovered pieces of the white chapel buried but in very good condition. Then they decided to take the pieces from the white chapel and rebuilt it. That is how the white chapel was discovered.
Pharaoh Hatshepsut- Reign from 1473 to 1458 B.C.E (New Kingdom)
Trait- Hatshepsut was the first female pharaoh of Egypt and was really into her power as pharaoh. She was also a person who likes to trade. She was a very powerful pharaoh who ruled Egypt.
Achievement 1- Hatshepsut was known for the first female pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was also known for her rise to power. She filled her government with loyal advisers, demanded the same respect shown for male pharaohs, sometimes even dressed in mens clothing, put on a false beard worn by male rulers, tell that her father was a god, and told everyone that she was a man. These things helped Hatshepsut strengthen her position as pharaoh.
Achievement 2- She was also known for promoting Egyptian trade with other countries. Her biggest trade expedition was to the African kingdom of Punt which was located at the southern end of the Red sea. On that expedition, were 5 ships loaded with 200 men. After that expedition, the men brought back many goods and gifts back from Punt such as moneys, wine, gold, Ivory tusks, Grey hound dogs, and mine trees. She had also built a stunning monument during her reign, a great temple at Dayr al-Bahri. It was built into a cliff above the Nile river. At the entrance, were 2 obelisks and 200 sphinx statues. Inside were carvings of scenes from Hatshepsut's reign. Other carvings show Hatshepsut's great voyage to Punt. It showed the goods and valuable things brought back form the trade expedition to Punt.
Pharaoh Ramses II- Reign from 1290 to 1224 B.C.E (New Kingdom)
Trait- Also called Ramses the Great, he was a fearless military leader and was very confident of his power. He was one of the famous pharaohs of Egypt who had over 100 wives and over 100 children. He was also one of the most powerful-est pharaohs who ruled Ancient Egypt.
Achievement 1- Ramses II was best known for his military leadership. He was a fearless military leader who had been captain in the Egyptian army at the age of 10. He fought along his father in many battles. During his rule, he extended Egypt north into Canaan. During his rule, Egypt reached it's fullest power. Ramses defended Egypt as hard as he can. He was famous for his military campaigns against the Hittite Empire. The Hittites constantly threatened Egypt's northern borders. Ramses reached a standoff with the Hittites even though he was outnumbered. He was also a peacemaker, he and the Hittites had signed the world's first peace treaty. This peace lasted until the Hittite Empire collapsed around 1190 B.C.E. A treaty is a written agreement by which two or more states agree to peaceful relations.
Achievement 2- Ramses was also best known for master builder of Ancient Egypt. He had several monuments built during his rule. He also had the most monuments build than any other pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. One of his greatest projects was the temple complex at Abu Simbel. The temple was carved into a side of a cliff that was on the bank of the Nile river. At the front, were 4 giant statues of a seated Ramses II. The statues were carved right out of the rock face of the cliff. They were 66 foot tall and was at the entrance of the temple. Inside the temple were 3 rooms and one had many statues of Ramses II with 3 Egyptian gods. This temple was built so that twice a year, the sun lined up with the temple and lit up everything inside the temple by it's sunlight. Today, Egypt's government decided to built a dam to produce energy for Egypt. If the dam was built, the temple would be destroyed. So workers had cut the temple up and moved it up mountain. After that, they rebuilt the temple and even built a mountain for it. So when the dam was built, the temple would stay safe from destruction.