Cradles of Civilization

• Ancient Sumerians 3500B.C.-1792B.C.• Ancient Egyptians 3000B.C.-1000B.C. • Ancient Indus 2500B.C.-1500B.C.• Ancient Chinese 2500B.C.-1000B.C.

Cultural DiffusionCrossroads of the World

Center of the World

GEOGRAPHY

RELIGION

ACHIEVEMENTS

POLITICS

ECONOMICS

SOCIAL STRUCTURES

Ancient Egypt

3100-1069 B.C.

The Pyramids of Giza

I. A river valley and its people

a. Receives little rainfall

b. Relies on predictable yearly floods

c. Nile is longest river in the world

d. Unique river: flows north

e. Nile valley divided into lower and upper Egypt

f. Around 3000 B.C. king Narmur of Upper Egypt invaded and conquered Lower Egypt

g. Historians have organized dynasties to describe Ancient Egypt

1. Old/Middle/New Kingdoms

Timeline of Kingdoms Dates Significant Events

Archaic3411 - 3100 Unification of all Egypt

Old Kingdom 3100 - 2181

Construction of the pyramids begins

First Intermediate 2181 - 2125 Political chaos

Middle Kingdom

2125 - 1650

Recovery and political stability

Second Intermediate

1650 - 1550 Hyksos "invasion"

New Kingdom1550 - 1069

Creation of the Egyptian Empire

III.Pyramid building:

a. Located on West side of the Nile

b. Level and layout site to prepare lower chamber

c. Move quarriedlimestone to site

The Alignment Of The Great Pyramid's BaseMany people find it remarkable that the Great Pyramid's base is aligned almost perfectly with true North. In point of fact, for a surveyor this is not a great feat at all. True North can be found with a stick and a circle and the knowledge of how to bisect an angle.                                                                                  

The following procedure will very accurately locate true North. The longer the stick, the greater the accuracy:

1.Plant the stick vertically in the ground. 2.Draw a circle with the string roughly the same radius as the

stick is long. 3.Watch the path of the sun during the day. Mark where the

sun's shadow cast by the very tip of the stick crosses the circle.

4.Make an angle using the sun path intersections and the circle's center

5.Bisect the angle ~ the bisector points to true North.

d. Begin building process, sometimes taking up to 25-30 years

e. Complete with cap stone and polish

f. During same time, building of temples and smaller pyramids for pharaoh's queens to place

Pyramid of King Kufu

The Sphinx

Built by King

Kaphre. The sphinx is roughly

4,636 years old.

IV.Mummification Process:

a. 70 day process

b. Disposal of brain through nose

c. Removal of important body organs: Stored in canopic jars

• Liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines

Materials used in mummification: • linen • sawdust • lichen • beeswax • resin • natron • onion • Nile mud • linen pads • frankincense

Mummification tools:• Brain hooks (replicas )• Oil jar

(Royal Ontario Museum 948.1.17)• Funnel (replica)

Embalmer's knife(Smithsonian Institution 221.389)

d.Heart left in place

e. Natron salt to dry body

f. Body anointed with oils & honey

g.Wrapping with linens and painted

h.Now prepared for ceremony of “opening the mouth” which is important in the next life

Life In Ancient Egypt

a. Social Classes

Life In Ancient Egypt

b. Status of women

• Egyptian women enjoyed a dimension of freedom greater than any of their counterparts from other places in ancient times.

Life In Ancient Egypt

c. Religious beliefs

• Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal.

Life In Ancient Egypt

d. System of writing

• Hieroglyphics--pictograms

Rosetta Stone (1799 A.D.)

Life In Ancient Egypt

e. Achievements in Science

• Board Game• Bronze• Decimal System• Copper tubing• Papyrus• Medical/Surgery• Surveying

• Large scale building• Beekeeping• Calendar• Beer• Alphabet• Glass making• Petroleum tar for mummification