Geography
- Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River
- water for drinking, irrigation, bathing, and transportation
- every July it floods
- every October it leaves behind rich soil.
- the delta has a lot of fertile silt
- managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation
Pyramids
- the Great Sphinx of Giza- 2555 BC- 2532 BC
- a lion body with a human head
- oldest monumental statue in the world
Daily Life
- slaves/servants helped the wealthy with household and children
- raised wheat, barley, lentils, and onion. They benefited from the Nile
- artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife
- money/barter system was used- merchants would accept bags of grain for payment- coinage came later.
- scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments
- they wrote in hieroglyphs and in hieratic
- soldiers used wooden weapons (bows-arrows, spears) with bronze tips and might ride chariots
- upper class known as "white kilt class" - priests, physicians, and engineers
- religious and political leaders
Pharaohs
- the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. Holding the titles "Lord of the Two Lands" and "High Priest of Every Temple"
- as "Lord of the Two Lands" the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt
- he owned all land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners
- Hatshepsut was a woman who served as a pharaoh
- Cleopatra VII also served as pharaoh, but much later (51 BC to 30 BC) we will study her more when we study Greece
Gods and Goddesses
- over 2,000 gods and goddesses
- they "controlled" the lives of humans
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