Ancient Egypt Ms. Melick’s Core Egyptian Geography • Cropping – Rivers provided natural irrigation and fertilization for the soil. • Shaduf – Canals were dug to bring water that farmers need for their crops – Counter weight Egyptian Geography • Winnowing Fan – Wooden fans – Used to separate grain from chaff • Winnowing – Men gathered grain and chaff and threw it in the air – Wind carried lighter chaff leaving the grain – After donkeys brought wheat to the threshing floor, two fans were used to separate grain from chaff. Egyptian Geography • Sickle – A simple tool – Made out of wood and flint teeth – Made to cut crops Egyptian Geography • Harvest festival – When dry season began, farmers dug channels and canals to bring water to irrigate their land – In New Kingdom a lifting system called Shaduf was introduced to raise water from the river – If crops failed, people would go hungry. Egyptian Geography • Nile River and farming – Flooded every year – Created new fertile soil, each year – Farmers dug channels and canals to irrigate land – Years of low flood led to crops failing Egyptian geography • Three seasons of the Nile – Flooding season is between/in June - Sept. – Planting season is between/in October – harvest season is between/in March • Nile River – surrounded by the Libyan desert, Arabian desert, and Nubian desert – Longest river in the world (4,100 miles long) Egyptian geography • Desert, banks, and rivers – covers 90% land – Egyptians lived on banks – Red land – Fertility has to make a civilization – Nile river was fertile Egyptian geography • On the banks of the Nile – Desert = Red land. covers more than 90% of Egypt – Egyptians lived beside the Nile river. area near Nile R. was kemet = black land. Farmers grew crops on the dark silt. Without this fertility = no civilization in Egypt – When the Nile river flooded it would water the crops that the farmers planted Egyptian geography • Because of the Nile rivers rich soil it made, – Wheat –Barley – Legumes – Lettuce –Onions – Leeks – Dills – Grapes – Melons – gourds Egyptian geography • Egyptian geography – Egypt is commonly warm or hot/night – Winter is cold • Nile crops – Chief crops were barley, wheat – Chief crops were used for making beer, and bread – Beans, lentils grown alongside leeks, onions cabbages, radished, lettuces, cucumbers – Juicy melons, dates, figs grown in desert oases. Grapes grown in vinyards Egyptian Jobs • Hunting – Bulls, Gazelles, Oryx, Antelopes, Lions – Used spears, and Bow & Arrows • Fishing – Time of Pharaohs Fishing & Farming produced A lot of food Work of the people • Farm laborers worked in wealthy men's property – Received very little for pay – Most of the workers in the Nile valley were farm laborers •Pay – Barley and grain – They did not use money, they used a barter system Warfare • Bow & Arrow – Shot up to 890ft(260 meters) • Other Weapons – Mostly made out of gold – Sword, shield, daggers Chariots – Lighter and faster and smooth on rough ground – More fighting capabilities Carpentry • Well paid •Wood – Dark used for statues, Harps, furniture • Roofing beams need date palm or the doom palm FUN FACTS!!!!! • King Amenhotep killed 100 lions • Egypt invented the sand clock • Egypt was the first to make false teeth Egyptian Jobs • Mummifies – Mummifies Job was to rap a dead body in a huge towel. – They did this because they thought when their body dies there soul moves on. – To make these Mummies they put salt on their body's to preserve them. Egyptian jobs • Pyramid builders The pyramids were maid out of stone. They built them for 2000 years. • They started a pyramaid by making ramps of sand and made the next smaller and tell they got to the top Egyptian Government • The Pharaoh – Was king of Egypt. – High priest of all – Overlord of all citizens – Thought to be chosen by the gods – Had four crowns to wear – Had as much as 900 children Egyptian Government • Scribes & writing – Scribes helped rule Egypt – Collected taxes – Wrote laws – Did no labor, but recorded who did – Painting scribes painted less important people small – Scribe called the viser was second only to the pharaoh Egyptian Government • Armed forces – All of the pharaoh’s sons were in it – Soldiers trained as early as age 10! – Preferred to attack from chariots with bows and arrows Egyptian Government • Transportation – First rafts made of paper or papyrus reeds, could be at least 120 feet long – Used poles to propel rafts through water, and sails to go against currents – Boats put in pharaoh’s tomb to help him get to the afterlife – Built roads for chariots Family and Society in Egypt • Social Classes – High • Government officials •Priests – Medium • Scribes • Artisans – Low • Peasants – They were born into the social classes – Rarely moved up classes Family And Society in Egypt • Population – Nile • 1-4 million people – Others lived in deltas, oases, and deserts Family and society in Egypt •Dress – Cotton – Silk – White, red, blue, and yellow linen – Bare footed or sandals – Men and women wore Makeup in style of winged eye – High class men and women wore jewelry and black wigs for fancy occasions – Perfume was very popular •Men – Skirts over short under kilt •Women – Short or long robes •Slaves – Wore little or nothing Family and Society in Egypt • Family – Was cherished •Men – Head of the house •Women – Managed estates – Entertained guests – Took care of children Family and Society in Egypt • Women rights –Fairly free – As high as there position – One of the kings wife would be the queen – Could own property – Were not controlled by fathers Family and Society in Egypt • War and Peace – Tlatti nation was a big threat – Tried to defeat Egypt – King of Syria defeated the Tlattis Family and Society in Egypt •Housing – How to make • Brick made from mud • Add straw for poor pebbles for rich to make bricks stronger • Pour mud in to wooden frame • Let the mud dry • When the frame is built plaster the inside and out – Rich houses • Cool in hot weather • Small windows •Very large • Painted on the inside • Giant parties – Poor houses • Simple paintings on inside •Small • Cool in hot weather Family and Society in Egypt • People –Peasant • Mainly farmers • Peasant made luxury items for kings • Lowest on social class • Peasants were beaten if they didn’t produce enough crops – Servant • With peasant on the social class • They did mainly household chores • Often beaten –Priest • Women could be priestesses • Pharaohs choose priests/priestesses • Pharaohs were high priests. Egyptian Culture • Could own and manage property • Few were taught to read and write • Served in temples – Part time priestesses Egyptian Culture • Royal women – Usually priestesses – Played roles of goddesses in royal rituals – Mother of king • Important person – Act as regents – Wife of king • Could also be in power over land Egyptian Culture • Family wives – Running a household or raising a family – Men allowed to have more than 1 wife at a time (very few did) – Men did not order their wives around – Many woman died at childbirth Egyptian Culture • Signs and symbols –Writing • Hieroglyphics – Inscriptions on monuments • To celebrate famous people and events • Monuments on walls Egyptian Culture • Pyramids – Limestone cone – King chamber – Has steps – Small pyramids were for burials Egyptian Culture • Architecture – Furniture • Only wealthy Egyptians could furnish their houses • The pharaohs were the only ones who had furniture made out of ebony or cedar wood – Carpenters used many tools • Drill bit and bow to spin • Bradawl (marks and starts) •Chisel • ADZE (planning) – Buildings • Egyptians made buildings out of –Stone -so It would last – Mud bricks -by using grit and straw -sun would harden it Egyptian Culture • Song and dance – Five stringed harp with head of king in front Egyptian Culture • Looking beautiful – Both men and women wore cosmetics – Both men and woman wore green eye shadow made from malachite – Both men and women wore black eyeliner made from galena – Lipstick and made from red ocher – tattoos.