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