History: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, part 2 Name _____________________________________ Date ________________ Ancient Egypt The culture of ancient Egypt developed from a network of pastoral and agricultural societies that existed near the Nile River Valley during the 4th and 5th millennia BC. These independent villages and towns were called nomes, or city-states, and were ruled by nomarchs. Around the year 3000 BC, a powerful pharaoh, or king, united the nomes of Egypt into one kingdom, and began what is now known as the Early Dynastic Period. There is some debate about who this pharaoh was: Egyptian and Greek historians from the 3rd and 5th centuries BC recorded the name of this first pharaoh as Menes, or Hor-Aka, but archeological evidence has been found suggesting that the first pharaoh was in fact named Narmer. Most historians agree that the evidence is inconclusive. The Early Dynastic period was followed by the Old Kingdom, which lasted from 2630-2151 BC. This period is also known as the Golden Age of ancient Egypt. It was during this time that the ancient Egyptian practice of embalming, or mummification, was developed and the famous pyramids were built. The pyramids, some of which are as tall as a 40-foot skyscraper, were built as tombs for wealthy and famous Egyptians such as the pharaohs. Many historians believe that the pyramids may have been built by local peasant farmers during the yearly flood of the Nile River. The pharaohs would have hired the farmers to build the pyramids during the late summer when they were unable to work in their flooded fields. This practice would have been beneficial for the farmers, as they would have been able to earn wages during a time of year in which they otherwise might have gone hungry. Many people believe that the secret to Egypt’s great success and stability was the year-round work provided by the building of the pyramids. 1 ©2005abcteach.com History: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, part 2 Name _____________________________________ Date ________________ Ancient Egypt The ancient Egyptians had three systems of writing, which were used in different ways. The oldest and most complicated system was called hieroglyphics, which had been in use since the middle of the 4th millennium BC, before the Early Dynastic Period. The hieroglyphic system was used only by priests, and the symbols were carved into stone to record important religious or historical inscriptions. During the Old Kingdom a new system called hieratic was developed. The hieratic system was much simpler, and could be written on papyrus, which was Egyptian paper. Somewhat later, a third system known as demotic was developed. Demotic could also be written on paper, but while hieratic was only used by priests and religious scribes, demotic was used by regular people for business transactions, literature, or personal correspondence. Several periods of unrest and change, known as the time of the Middle Kingdom, followed the end of the Old Kingdom. The Egyptian military grew in strength, gained new technology such as the war chariot, and increased naval power. Egyptian arts and sciences underwent a renaissance, with the arts of mathematics, surgery, and painting all developing greatly. In the year 1570 BC, Pharaoh Ahmose I took control of the kingdom, and became the first pharaoh of the New Kingdom. The New Kingdom of Egypt was a wealthy time for the Egyptian people. Military conquests meant that their territory was increasing, and with the conquered lands came gold, goods, and slaves. By the end of Ramses XI’s reign in 1070 BC, the New Kingdom had ended, and the kingdom entered a period of slow decline known as the Late Dynastic Period. Over the next few centuries, Egypt became increasingly vulnerable to attacks from surrounding peoples, and in 332 BC, the lands of Egypt were conquered by the Macedonian king Alexander the Great, ending its existence as an independent country. 2 ©2005abcteach.com History: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, part 2 Name _____________________________________ Date ________________ Ancient Egypt I. Complete the crossword puzzle, using Across the clues. 1. oldest Egyptian writing system 3. The Nile River floods annually during the late __. 8. Egyptian ______ may have built the pyramids 9. Egypt was eventually conquered by a ______ king. 11. another name for the Early Dynastic Period 12. independent ancient Egyptian city-states Down 2. special Egyptian paper 4. another name for embalming 5. an Egyptian king 6. Egyptian writing used by common people 7. tall Egyptian tomb 10. name of a major Egyptian river II. Respond to the following using complete sentences. 1. Describe one theory that explains how the pyramids were built. ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Name and explain the differences between the three Egyptian writing systems. ____________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Give two examples of developments that took place during the Middle Kingdom. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Using a dictionary, if necessary, write definitions for the following words. pastoral: ______________________________________________________________________ agricultural: ___________________________________________________________________ inconclusive: __________________________________________________________________ vulnerable: ____________________________________________________________________ 3 ©2005abcteach.com History: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, part 2 Name _____________________________________ Date ________________ Ancient Egypt Answers I II. Students’ own answers—answers will vary. Accept all reasonable responses 4 ©2005abcteach.com .