ANCIENT EGYPT: WHY WERE NILE FLOODS IMPORTANT? WHO DID THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIP? WHY DID EGYPTIAN CIVILZATION LAST SO LONG? PHARAOHS PYRAMIDS MUMMIFICATION From around 3100 BC to 30 BC, the dry desert land of Egypt was home to an advanced civilization. The Ancient Egyptians produced massive PYRAMIDS, fabulous golden treasures, and wonderful works of art. They invented hieroglyphs, and were expert engineers. WHY WERE NILE FLOODS IMPORTANT? The Nile River flows through Egypt on its way to the sea. Every year, between June and October, it flooded the surrounding desert and covered the land with fertile silt (fine mud). Ancient Egyptian farmers were able to grow excellent crops on this land, including wheat, barley, grapes, figs, and many different types of vegetables. WHO DID THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIP? The Egyptians worshiped hundreds of gods and goddesses. Gods like Osiris, ruler of the underworld, looked human. Others were shown as animals, such as the cat-goddess Bastet, who brought fertility. The most important was ram-headed Amun, king of the gods. WHY DID EGYPTIAN CIVILZATION LAST SO LONG? Egypt became wealthy through farming and trade. Its power was built up by strong governments, led by PHARAOHSand staffed by well-trained scribes (officials). The nation was defended by huge armies. Table 42. EGYPT’S HISTORY 5500–3100 BCPre-Dynastic Period: before the time of the Pharaohs 3100 –2686 BCEarly Dynastic Period: Upper and Lower Egypt are united—Menes becomes first pharaoh 2686–2181 BCOld Kingdom: age of the pyramids 2181–2055 BCFirst Intermediate Period: breakdown of centralized government 2055–1650 BCMiddle Kingdom: Egypt reunited 1650–1550 BCSecond Intermediate Period: invasion of Hyksos people, who are then defeated 1550–1069 BCNew Kingdom: Egypt at its greatest 1069–747 BCThird Intermediate Period: breaks into small states 747–332 BCLater Period: invaded by Assyrians, then Persians 332–30 BCPtolemaic Period: conquered by Alexander the Great and ruled by his general’s family 30 BC–AD 395Roman Period: Egypt part of Roman Empire PHARAOHS Ancient Egypt was ruled by powerful kings called pharaohs, who took the roles of chief priest, war leader, and head of government. Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were living links between people and gods, and that they actually became gods after death. WHAT DOES “PHARAOH” MEAN? The name pharaoh came from two Egyptian words,per-aa, meaning “great house” or “palace.” Later, the name for such a building was also used to refer to the king living there. It was used to show great respect. PYRAMIDS Massive stone tombs protected the bodies of dead pharaohs. These pyramids represented stairways leading to the sky. They took great skill to plan and build, and were designed to keep out robbers—but no pharaoh’s MUMMYhas ever been found inside one. WHO BUILT THE PYRAMIDS? The pyramids were constructed by teams of skilled professional builders, such as stone masons, who were paid very well for their work. During the flood season, when the Nile River washed over the farmlands, royal officials commanded peasant farmers to assist the professional workers in building the pyramids. These pyramids were built in around 2500 BC for the pharaohs Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura. They were originally covered in limestone and topped with gold. The tallest, the Great Pyramid, is 482 ft (147 m) high. MUMMIFICATION A mummy is a dead body that has been carefully preserved, or mummified. Workers removed organs that might rot, then dried the body with natron (salty crystals) and wrapped it in resin-soaked bandages. WHY WERE PEOPLE MUMMIFIED AFTER DEATH? Ancient Egyptians thought that people were made up of five elements. These elements were the body, its ka (spirit), ba (personality), name, and shadow. By preserving the body, the Egyptians believed that they could keep the other four elements alive. If the body decayed, to them the person would stay dead forever.