Nile Civilizations Section 3

Preview• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• The Region of Nubia

• The Growth of Kush

• Maps: Egypt and Kush

• Quick Facts: Egyptian Influences on Kushite Culture

• Later Kush

• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts

• Video: The Impact of the Egyptian Pyramids

The Nubian Kingdoms

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Reading Focus

• What were the land and people of Nubia like?

• How did Kush grow into a major civilization?

• How did Kushite society change in its later period?

Main Idea

1. One of ancient Africa’s most advanced civilizations, Kush developed along the Nile south of Egypt in a region called Nubia.

The Nubian Kingdoms

Nile Civilizations Section 3

The Region of Nubia

Nubia located south of Egypt along the Nile

• Boundaries

– Blue Nile, White Nile flow together to form Nile

– Where rivers meet near Khartoum may have been southern Nubian boundary

– Region stretched north to first cataract, Egypt’s southern boundary

• Nubians depended on Nile

– Landscape made farming difficult

– Nile flows through rocky mountains in Nubia

Nile Civilizations Section 3

A Wealth of Resources

• Nubia had great mineral wealth• Mines produced gold, granite, precious stones• Location was also a valuable resource• Goods from central Africa to other lands flowed into Nubia • Goods traded through Nubia included animal skins, ivory, ebony, slaves

• Egyptian writings explain Nubia• Nubians skilled potters, expert

traders and archers• Egyptians called Nubia the Land of

the Nine Bows• Some Egyptian rulers hired Nubian

archers as police, soldiers

Nubia’s People

• Nubia formed at same time as Egypt’s Old Kingdom

• Nubia possessed great wealth• Nubia and Egypt became rivals• Egypt conquered Nubia during

Middle Kingdom• Nubia adopted Egyptian culture

Early History

The Region of Nubia

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Compare and Contrast

How was Nubia similar to and different from Egypt?

Answer(s): similar—both situated on the Nile, depended on the river; different—in Egypt, the Nile flows through rich farmland, in Nubia it flows through rocky mountains, and farming is almost impossible; Nubia produced valuable minerals that could be traded

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Northern Nubia was controlled by Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, while a powerful southern Nubian state called Kush began to develop.

• Egypt’s Middle Kingdom collapsed around 1700 BC

• Kush expanded to rule all Nubia

– Alliance with Hyksos– Trade increased – Used wealth to build royal

tombs in Kerma• New Kingdom Egyptians

conquered Kush, 1500 BC

Beginnings of Power

• Egypt ruled 400 years

• Egyptian rulers built temples, monuments throughout Kush

• Kush regained power after reign of Ramses the Great

• Free of Egyptian control by 1100 BC

• Kushites weak, disorganized after years of Egyptian control

Egyptians in Kush

The Growth of Kush

Nile Civilizations Section 3

• Described as compassionate ruler, ruthless warrior

• Conquered all of Egypt

• Kushite rulers held power only about a century

• Mid-600s BC, Assyrians swept into Egypt, pushed Kushite pharaohs back into Nubia

Piankhi

• New Kushite kingdom, 750 BC

• Began to grow and strengthen

• Kush’s rulers decided to expand power to a weakened Egypt after fall of New Kingdom

• Piankhi led Kushites north into Egypt

2. Kushites in Egypt

The Growth of Kush

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Nile Civilizations Section 3

The Growth of Kush

Kushite Culture

• Kushite pharaohs, guardians of Egyptian tradition

– Had bodies mummified, buried in pyramids

– Adopted Egyptian hieroglyphics as writing system

• Did not abandon all their own customs

– Did not adopt Egyptian style of dressing

– Statues show distinctly Nubian features, clothing

– Statues show pharaohs wearing crown with two cobras, symbol of union of Egypt and Kush

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Summarize

How did the relationship between Kush and Egypt change?

Answer(s): Egyptians drove the Hyksos out and invaded Kush. As the New Kingdom weakened, Egyptian power over Kush declined. After a few centuries, Kushites pushed north into Egypt, eventually conquering all of it. When the Assyrians swept into Egypt, the Kushites fled back into Nubia.

Nile Civilizations Section 3

3. There are few records for the period immediately following the Kushite expulsion from Egypt. However in the mid-200s BC, the Kushites moved their capital farther south along the Nile from Napata to Meroë. The scope of change in culture was so great, some refer later Kush as a separate culture.

• Near junction of two rivers

• “Island of Meroë”

• Homes of wood from nearby forests

• Area home to many species of wild animals

City of Meroë• Abundant mineral

resources nearby

• Iron also plentiful

– Most valuable product

– Shipped in Nile Valley

– Wealth supported expansion

Iron Industry• Abandoned some

Egyptian culture

• Created own writing system

• Mysteries remain– Role of women?– High status?– Female rulers?– Regents?

Later Culture

Later Kush

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Factors in Decline of Meroë

• Competition for goods reduced demands for Kushite exports

• Trade routes linking Meroë to outside world disturbed by raids

• Centuries of iron making took toll on Nubian forests

• Wood for forges to smelt iron no longer available

• Kushites could no longer work iron to make tools they needed

Decline of Meroë

• Economy strong as long as trade thrived

• Decline in trade began in 200s AD

• As economy declined, so did kingdom

• Aksum invaded, destroyed Meroë, 350 AD, Kushite civilization faded

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Analyze

How did Kushite civilization change after the capital moved to Meroë?

Answer(s): abandoned many Egyptian traditions; created own alphabet and writing system

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Nile Civilizations Section 3

Video

The Impact of the Egyptian Pyramids

Click above to play the video.