Ancient Egypt Simple Outline

Simple Egypt Outline File

• See Ancient Egypt entry for fuller detailed outline, resources, & lesson planning ideas

Simple Outline files are designed for Quick Reference and Overview of a subject. More detailed outlines will be in the main file.

Geography

General Egypt Timeline

Ancient Egypt Overview
Event	Date
Neolithic period along Nile	9,000 - 5,500 BC
Upper and Lower Egypt kingdoms	3300 BC
unification of Egypt under Menes or "Narmer"	3100 BC
Old Kingdom	2686 - 2150 BC (or 2134 BC)
Middle Kingdom	2055 - 1773 BC
Hyksos invasion & rule of Lower Egypt migration & gradual conquest	1720-1570 BC
New Kingdom	1549 - 1069 BC

Nile River

• Herodotus: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile"
• slow, predicable, massive flooding that leaves silt for soil renewal
• easy movement North South along Nile
• Upper Egypt = narrow Nile Valley from cataracts to Nile Delta
• Lower Egypt = Nile Delta where river spreads out at river mouth

Climate

• River Valley civilization = large river, silt
• hot climate: Egypt a desert without the Nile; very little rain ("No Nile, no Egypt")
• long growing season (Egyptians had three seasons: flooding, growing, and harvesting)
• Egyptian history impacted by climate change (see main file Egypt

Isolation, Movement

• Egypt = 800 miles of the Nile Valley
• from waterfalls to the South to the Nile Delta that flows into Mediterranean Sea at the North (flows North)
• isolated by desert and mountains to either side of the Nile
• isolation = unique culture
• not entirely isolated: has exchange with surrounding regions
• Egypt isolation broken by Hyksos invasion and Egyptian New Kingdom empire
• Egypt then absorbed into other empires after fall of New Kingdom

History Overview

Prehistory

• Ice Age nomadic hunter-gatherers commenced semi-permanent settlement along Nile River
• Neolithic agriculture commenced along Nile Valley of Egypt approx. 9,000 BC
• Civilization arises approx. 4,000-3,000 BC as settlements grow, mix, and combine into larger political units
• political unites called "nomes" (42 along Nile)

===Pre-Dynastic Period & Unification

• Upper and Lower Egypt = principal political divisions before and after unity under pharoahs
• Menes and/or Narmer = 1st to unite Upper and Lower Egypt through conquest, approx. 3100 BC

Old Kingdom

• rise:
  • starts with "dynastic" rule by ruling families
• strong pharoahs (word means "Great House")
• pyramid building
• centralization and bureaucracy
• collapse:
  • pyramid & other massive building weakens state (over-taxation, wealth burial, etc.)
  • weakened pharoahs: local rulers gain power
  • climate change: Nile floods reduced = famine, disorder, and collapse

Middle Kingdom

• rise:
  • reorganization of irrigation = normalcy, trade, surplus
  • strong ruler reunites Egypt by conquest
• turbulent period: instability, climate impact, and chaos
• collapse:
  • Hyksos invasion (likely motivated by climate change)
  • = migrants and invaders who take over and rule Lower Egypt (Nile Delta region)
  • Hyksos bring Middle East war technologies (advanced bows, armor, and horses & chariots)
  • Egyptian isolation ended
    • Hyksos absorbed into Egyptian culture, but now there is a cultural connection to Mideast
    • Egyptians adopt Hyksos technologies

New Kingdom

• rise:
  • Upper Kingdom ruler conquers & expels Hyksos and reunites Egypt
• period of great trade, wealth, and monument building
• pharoahs invade Nubia to South and Middle East to Northeast
• conquer Syria: up to Euphrates River
• war with Hittites (from Asia Minor) ends in stalemate, but Egypt weakens
• reliance on foreigners weakens army & central control
• collapse:
  • over-expansion and constant warfare weakens Egyptian empire
  • climate change impacts larger region and heralds social collapse across Middle East and Mediterranean

Foreign Rule

• from Africa:
  • Nubian invasion and rule
  • Ethiopian invasion and rule
• from Middle East:
  • Assyrian invasion and rule
  • Babylonian rule
  • Persian rule
  • Alexander the Great conquest & Greek cultural takeover of Egypt

Egyptian Culture

Arts & Architecture

• pyramids: greatest buildings in world until 20th century
• temples, monumnets, obelisks, etc.
• public works = assive

Religion

• pharoahs = descended from gods; living gods or connection to them
• focus on after-life
  • pyramids and tombs
• power of priests: keeping flooding normal, temples, different gods
• gods and myths
  • Ra or Aman-Ra = sun god
  • story of Osiris, Isis and Set = founding myth

Cultural Achievements

• greater gender equality than most other ancient worlds
• medicine (mummification)
• math (farming, irrigation and architecture)
• literature: great poems and inscriptions on tombs and memorials
• agricultural production was the key to Egyptian wealth, and for its "bread basket" Egypt remained a crucial holding for subesquent empires, especially Rome.

Other

• for lesson plans, resources, and links, see Egypt category or Ancient Egypt main file