Geography and Early Egypt

5th Grade History - Ms. Russac

Key Terms Fertile Crescent Tigris River Euphrates River Silt Irrigation Canals Plateau Surplus

Civilization Occupation Division of labor Specialization Artisans Social class Government

Gift of the Nile

Location and Physical Features

Longest river in the world Starts in Central Africa Flows north toward Mediterranean Sea Forms a delta near Memphis in Lower

Egypt Cataracts, or steep white water rapid

in the river, made it hard to sail along the southern part of the Nile

Source: http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Eras/Display.aspx?storyid=1184504&pagetypeid=-1&entryid=586080&issublink=true&fromsearch=false

Floods of the Nile Floods easy to predict

Flooded UE in mid-summer Flooded LE in fall

Coated land with silt Rich for farming Darkened land: “black land”

Desert: “red land”

Increased Food Production Irrigation system Abundance of food

Wheat Barley Fruits Vegetables

Raised animals Cattle Sheep

River provided Fish Geese Ducks

Natural Barriers Sahara Desert-to the west Mediterranean Sea-to the north Red Sea-to the east Cataracts in the Nile-to the south

Protected From Invaders Villages grew Wealthy farmers became leaders Villages banded together Development of two kingdoms

Lower Egypt Upper Egypt

Two Kingdoms Lower Egypt

Capital city-Pe King wore red

crown Upper Egypt

Capital city-Nekhen King wore a cone-

shaped white crown

Menes Ruler of UE Invaded LE United UE and LE Egypt’s 1st pharaoh Egypt’s 1st dynasty Wore double crown New capital-Memphis

Political center Cultural center Artistic activity

Source: www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com

Detail of the Narmer Palette, which shows King Menes (also known as Narmer) receiving a captive from the god Horus. Considered the first pharaoh of a unified empire of Upper and Lower Egypt, Menes may have been in fact an amalgamation of several pharaonic kings.