Ancient Egypt
Geography
· Herodotus called Egypt “the gift of the Nile”
· Each year the Nile overflowed its banks, leaving behind a layer of nutrient rich soil. The called this soil “black gold”
· The Nile is about 4,000 long and empties into the Mediterranean Sea
· Without the Nile, the development of civilization in this part of the world would not have been possible
Religion
· The Egyptians were POLYTHEISTIC, they worshipped many gods
· The Egyptians preserved the bodies of important people, they were called mummies
Society
· Egyptian society, much like many other ancient civilizations, had a strict and rigid social order
· The Egyptian society was organized into different classes
· The majority of the people were at the bottom, supporting the very few privileged people at the top
· The large peasant population paid taxes, provided military service, and the majority of the labor
Writing
· Hieroglyphics, a form of writing that used pictures and abstract forms was developed around 3,000 BC
· Rosetta Stone – discovered in 1799, the Rosetta Stone revealed secrets about the life and culture of the Egyptians
· It took nearly 16 years to translate
Achievements in Art and Science
· Pyramids were built as tombs for the Pharaoh. The size of the pyramid showed the power and wealth of the pharaoh
· The largest pyramid at Giza, covered 13 acres and was built from 2.3 million stones each weighing 2-5 tons
They made advances in engineering and m