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The Greek historian Herodotus called ancient Egypt the "gift of the Nile."  He attributed the growth of Egypt's highly-developed civilization to the Nile River.  Ancient Egypt would  have been nothing more than a desert  without  the predictable yearly overflow of this mighty river.
The Nile River begins in Central Africa and flows more than three  thousand miles northward to the Mediterranean Sea. Each
summer, the Nile overflows its banks and floods the land for approximately ten miles on each side.  When the water recedes, the soil is left rich and fertile for farming. This rich  soil enabled  people long ago to settle in that  area and, in time, develop  one of the ancient world's greatest civilizations.
The annual overflow of the Nile River led the ancient
Egyptians to develop history's first calendar. They noted that  the
flooding of the river occurred at the same time Sirius, the Dog Star, appeared in the sky.  Counting 365 days between each in sighting of the star,  they devised a calendar of 12 months, each  with 30 days. The extra five days a year were set aside for holidays and feasting.
The ancient Egyptians controlled the waters of the Nile through a series of canals, dikes, and irrigation ditches. Protected on all sides either  by mountains, deserts or water, they were free to
uild their society without fear of invasion. This allowed the
.s  ivilization to prosper and have a positive outlook on life and the

.fterlife.  Farmers along  the banks of the river grew wheat, barley, and cotton.
About  3400 B.C. all of Egypt was united under one ruler. Titis ruler  was known as the pharaoh,
or king. The word  pharaoh means "royal or great house." Pharaohs were respected and  treated  like
,......'"'"""" on earth. Dynasties, or families of pharaohs ruled Egypt for the next three thousand years.

1. Describe the physical geography that surrounded the Egyptian civilization.

2. What role did the pharaoh play?

3. What role did the Nile River play in the development of Egyptian civilization?

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Ancient  Egyptian society was divided into a number of social classes.  At the
\.op, below the pharaoh, were nobles and priests.   Next were governmental officials
,	1d soldiers, followed by scribes  (record  keepers, clerks), artisans and merchants.
1he lowest class consisted of peasants, who were mostly farmers. At the very bottom (below)  the social order  were thousands of slaves obtained in war. Despite these clear -cut decisions, it was possible foe people at all levels to move from one class to another (social mobility).

Family life was important to the ancient Egyptians.  They worshiped the sun and other forces of nature. They were among the first people  to believe in life after death, as evident by the way they attempted to preserve bodies for the  afterlife  through a process known as mummification. Pharaohs had huge

pyramids built which served as special tombs  (often filled with riches and  necessities for the afterlife)

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where they believed their  spirits  would  travel  to the next world. Many individuals would leave gifts at \.:	1 the tombs. Mummification took a very long time, from start to finish; it took about  70 days to embalm a body. The priest in charge would  wear the  mask of a jackal representing the god Anubis.

Here is the typical  routine for an embalmer who must mummify a dead body.

1.  Make a small cut in the side of the body.
2.   Remove the liver, the lungs, the intestines and the stomach.  Preserve
the heart because it is considered the source of all intelligent thought
and emotion.
3.  Remove the brain by pushing a hook through the nostrils of the nose and picking out the pieces of the brain.  Pour acid liquid into the skull to remove any leftover pieces. Throw the brain pieces into the garbage, Egyptians don't consider the brain to be of any importance.
4.   Wash the body with wine and sweet smelling spices
5.  Stuff the body with linen (cloth) and let all liquids drain out for 40 days.
6.  Preserve all organs in ceramic jars called canopic Jars.  Each jar is sculpted to represent a God.
Place one organ in each jar.  In the afterlife, the organs will be magically reunited with the
body.

Wait 40- 50 Days

7.  Remove old linen from the body and wash body with water from the Nile
8.   Stuff the body with fresh linen and wrap the each body part with linen.
9.  *** Make sure you adorn the body with gold charms and jewelry for the afterlife.
10. Place the body in a stone coffin call a sarcophagus.

****

In addition, the ancient Egyptians were a fun-loving people who enjoyed games and sporting events. Wall painting from tombs depict them hunting, fishing, and engaging in athletic contests. Other paintings show them playing senit, a game similar to checkers.

1. Describe the social structure of Ancient Egyptian society.

2. What role did  religion  play in Ancient Ezyptian society?

3. What do you believe is the most unique feature of Egyptian life?

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The ancient Egyptians contributed a great deal to other
civilizations which  came after them.   Their achievements include the building of the pyramids, the development of a calendar, and much more.
The ancient Egyptians' greatest achievements were in the
fields of engineering and architecture. They were their first builders to use columns effectively for framing large openings and supporting massive  roofs.  Their  knowledge of arithmetic and geometry enabled them to construct imposing (massive)

temples and pyramids. In the fourth dynasty, three large stone pyramids were built at Giza. The design of these pyramids was based on the pyramids that had been built before. These are the
-·largest and sturdiest pyramids that were ever built in ancient Egypt.
( )t stands more than 450 feet high and is the length of two city
blocks at the base of each of its sides. The first and largest pyramid
was built for the pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheeps).  It is
estimated that more than eighty thousand workers labored for
twenty-five  years to build this huge structure  at Giza. The second
largest pyramid was built for Khufu's son, Khafra (also known as Chephren). Inaddition to the usual parts of a pyramid complex, Khafra's pyramid is guarded by a huge sphinx.  The fact that the
Great Pyramid contains over two million limestone block weighting  Z Yz tons each attests to the engineering skill of the ancient  EgyptiansI

The Ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphics, a system of writing using pictures. Each picture at first stood for an idea, but eventually evolved into a word.  Hieroglyphics are found on many walls, especially those in pyramids, but the Egyptians also wrote on papyrus, a kind of paper made from a river reed.
Ancient Egyptians also made outstanding  advancements and contributions in science and medicine.  Their calendar, though  no precise, was much more accurate than a calendar based on the moon.
In the field of medicine, Egyptian doctors classified and prescribed treatments for almost fifty diseases. They know how to set broken bones and even preformed simple surgery. When doctors mummified dead bodies, the doctors removed and examined different parts of the body after death.  Therefore they knew about the various fluids of the body, the location of the heart, and how blood circulated through the body. This medical knowledge spread to other areas of Africa and the
ddle East because Egyptian doctors were invited to other empires to share their
:nowledge.
The Ancient Egyptians were also traders who sailed their ships on the Mediterranean, Aegean, and
Red seas. Trade helped to keep their economy going.  They were able to put a tax on the goods that were
being transported I traded. They passed aspects of their civilization on to the peoples whom they came
in contact with during  their travels (cultural diffusion).

1.  Some people believe the pyramids represent the greatest architectural achievement of the ancient world.  Do you agree or disagree?  Explain.

2.  In your opinion, were the ancient Egyptians an advanced  civilization?  Explain.

3.  Which ancient Egyptian contribution  do you believe had the greatest impact on later civilizations? Justify your response by comparing the achievements.

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