EgyptEgypt• Predynastic Period

• 3100BCE – 2650 BCE

• Old Kingdom

• 2650 BCE – 2134 BCE

Predynastic PeriodPredynastic Period

In the BeginningIn the Beginning

• Upper Egypt• Nile River valley• 6 – 20 km wide• Settlements are

sparse and spread out

• People lived close to the desert

• Lower Egypt• North of present-day

Cairo is a fertile delta spreading northeast and northwest

• Good pasture land• Outlet to

Mediterranean• Abundant in birds

UnificationUnification

• 3100 BCE• War between Upper

and Lower Egypt• Upper Egypt, led by

King Menes was triumphant

• Menes is remembered as the Ruler who united the two kingdoms

One KingdomOne Kingdom

• Later rulers, after Menes, wore the Double Crown of Egypt

• It represents both Kingdoms

MenesMenes

• Founding King of 1st Dynasty

• Founded the City of Memphis

• His queen was named Berenib

• Died a mysterious death, he was said to be attacked by wild dogs and crocodiles

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

• Early system of writing

• Picture symbols represent words and ideas

• Similar to cuneiform

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

• Appear on tablets• Also appear on many

common objects of their time

• Hieroglyphics have been translated and they reveal much about ancient Egypt

The Old KingdomThe Old Kingdom

• Known as “The Age of the Pyramids”

• 2650 BCE – 2134 BCE

The Power of the RulerThe Power of the Ruler

• First Pyramid was ordered built by King Djoser

• It was 60M high• It stands as a symbol

of the ultimate power enjoyed by Egyptian Kings

Step Pyramid at SaqqaraStep Pyramid at Saqqara

Advanced EngineersAdvanced Engineers

• Egyptians were great engineers

• Aside from the pyramids, they also built elaborate temples and irrigation systems

Traders and TravelersTraders and Travelers

• Potter’s Wheel came from Mesopotamia

• Timber came from Syria

• Oil and Wine came from Crete

How was the Country Ruled?How was the Country Ruled?

• Rulers divided the state into provinces or districts

• Each had its own governor

• Governor was appointed by the pharaoh

Threats to the KingdomThreats to the Kingdom

• In the Old Kingdom, there was no large standing army

• Provincial Governors raised armies whenever a threat surfaced

• The army was disbanded or put to other tasks when the threat was dealt with

End of Old KingdomEnd of Old Kingdom

• Next – Middle Kingdom