Ancient Egypt - Dearborn Public Schools



Ancient EgyptDynasties and PharaohsName ______________________________Core_____READING7620-82359500Egyptian HistoryThe Nile River Valley is one of the most fertile areas in Northern Africa near the Mediterranean Sea. Because it is so fertile, people came to live in Egypt earlier than in most other places in Africa, probably around 30 or 40 thousand years ago. Around 3100 BC (or about 5000 years ago), Egypt was first unified under one ruler, who Egyptians called the Pharaoh.From that time until around 525 BC, when Egypt was conquered by the Persians, Egypt's history is divided into six different time periods. These are called the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.The Old Kingdom Egypt (3100 B.C. – 2600 B.C.)Because it was so long ago, we don't have a lot of information about this time period, but it seems that during this time period the Pharaohs organized the first systematic irrigation from the Nile River, which allowed even more people to live in Egypt without starving. It was during this time period that the Pyramids were built as great tombs for the Pharaohs. While some people think that slaves built them, common Egyptian people who were usually farmers more likely built them as a form of public service instead of paying taxes. They may have been built a little at a time each year, during the Nile floods when people couldn't do farm work anyway.The early people who settled along the Nile River banded together into two main groups. One group lived around the mouth of Nile River, near the Mediterranean Sea. Their king wore a Red Crown. Their land was called Lower Egypt. The other group lived near the mountains to the South. Their king wore a White Crown. Their land was called Upper Egypt.These two groups had much in common. They spoke the same language. They worshipped the same gods. They had the same culture. But, they did not get along. They were always fighting.King MenesMemphis. He was also the builder of a temple called Crocodilopolis where live crocodiles were kept by the Pharaoh and the god Sobek was worshipped. 46196251013460Sobek, the Crocodile God0Sobek, the Crocodile God King Menes’s death is a mystery, however, according to one legend he was attacked by either wild dogs or Nile crocodiles. King Menes's tomb resides at Saqqara, which is near where the Step Pyramid is located.16954528384500 Eventually, Upper and Lower Egypt were unified around 3100 BC under a Pharaoh named Menes (also known as Pharaoh Narmer) from Upper Egypt (the south). After conquering Lower Egypt, King Menes created the Double Crown, a mixture of white and red. Both Lower and Upper Egypt respected the Double Crown and the Pharaoh quickly came to have a great deal of power over his subjects. King Menes also established the first capital of Egypt, called2857525717500King Menes ................
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