Ancient Kingdoms of the nile
I. The
Land: its Geography and Importance
A. The
Nile River
1. For the last 5000 years the Nile river has
dominated the Egyptian land. The
civilization developed due to the fertile lands that the Nile has provided.
2. The Nile is the longest river in the
world. It stretches 4,160 miles. The river flows from south to north fed by
both the Blue and White Niles, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. During ancient times six cataracts, or
rapids broke the Nile into sections.
The water through the cataracts was impossible to navigate, yet through
most of the Nile the water was smooth and made for great transportation, and a
great water source.
3. The Egyptians made their home along 750
miles of the Nile. Between the first
great cataract and the delta. The
natural current allowed transportation from south to north, and the great winds
allowed travel from north to south.
4. The Nile also had a great cycle of
months-long flooding. The great rains
cause the summer floods. Before the
floods farmers would harvest the crop, and after the floods left the fertile
soil that remained allowed for great crops.
During non-flood times, the irrigation system that was dug allowed for
the growth of crops several times a year.
B. Other
natural advantages
1. The frost free area allowed for several
types of crops to be grown. The natural
winds that allowed for travel up and down the Nile allowed the Egyptian kingdom
to be united. The Nile Valley also
contains a great deal of granite, sandstone, and limestone for building
purposes. The location of the Valley
also provided protection from invasion.
The Nile on one side, and the great desert on the other. The isthmus of Suez allowed for a natural
land bridge great for trade.
II. Early
Steps Toward Civilization
A. Ancient
cultural influences
1. Hunter-gatherer groups moved into the Nile
Valley by 12,000b.c. or earlier. They
formed farming settlements, and a Neolithic culture emerged by 6,000b.c. By
3,800b.c. they mined copper, for tools
and jewelry, they discovered how to create bronze, and glaze pottery.
B. By
3000b.c. they discovered hieroglyphics.
More than 600 symbols were used to represent words or sounds. They originally carved hieroglyphics into
stone or other hard material. They soon
figured out how to make paper from the papyrus plant. They wrote on the plant with soot, water, and plant juice.
C. In
1798 a French army invaded Egypt. The
following year a French officer discovered the Rosetta Stone, in the village of
Rosetta. On the stone was Greek,
hieroglyphics, and an Egyptian writing called demotic. Twenty three years later, a French language
expert used the stone to figure out the hieroglyphics.
III. The
Egyptian Kingdoms
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Conclusion: