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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