Ancient Egypt Land of the Pharaohs
Ancient Kush
BIG IDEA The kingdom of Kush, which arose south of Egypt in a land called Nubia, developed an advanced civilization with a large trading network.
MAIN IDEA
The geography of early Nubia helped civilization develop there.
Ancient Kush • The Kingdom of Kush started in Nubia, south of Egypt – this was the first great kingdom in the interior of Africa. • We know this kingdom by the name the Egyptian gave it – KUSH. • Geography greatly influenced Nubian society.
** Today Nubia is a desert, but thousands of years ago it was very fertile.
Topics in the Section: The Geography of Early Nubia: -
The Land of Nubia Early Civilization in Nubia
Topics in the Section: Kush and Egypt -
Egypt’s Conquest of Kush Effects of the Conquest A Change in Power The Conquest of Egypt The Kushite Dynasty The End of the Kushite Rule in Egypt
Topics in the Section: Later Kush -
Kush’s Iron Industry The Expansion of Trade Kushite Culture Women in Kushite Society
Ancient Kush – Kush and Egypt became trading partners. They creating a trade network of imports and exports. – Kush exported the following items: • Gold • Slaves • Ebony • Ivory • Copper • Stone
Egypt conquered Kush, around 1500 B.C., because Kush had so many more resources than Egypt and they feared that they would get too strong. Egypt ruled them for over 400 years.
Then Kush began to decline: A. Allowed their cattle to overgraze, soil blew away = less food B. Iron workers used all the wood – furnaces to make Iron ore had to shut down = fewer weapons C. Loss of trade – trade route no longer went through Kush.
In the late 300’s, rulers of Aksum became Christian. About 200 years later, the Nubians also converted. The last influence of Kush disappeared.
When the Egyptian empire declined at the end of the New Kingdom, the Kushites began to invade Egypt – around mid 1000’s.
As Kush grew stronger, Egypt grew weaker (a few bad Pharoahs). In 700s BC, Kashta seized the weakness of Egypt and took over upper Egypt.
Piankhi , Kashta’s son, completed the invasion of all of Egypt before he died in 716 B.C.
Ancient Kush • Kushite Dynasty began – 25th Dynasty
Notice the difference in headwear.
Kush did not remain in power long (40 years)
The Assyrians, from Mesopotamia, invaded Egypt. The Assyrians had better weapons , so Kush lost.
The people of Kush now turn to agriculture and trade - hoping to make it a prosperous and powerful again.
Kush developed the first iron industry, leading to improvements in tools, weapons, and more.
Their city, Meroe, became the center of a large trade network.
Imports and Exports went through Meroe. Their trade network expanded to Greece, India, and China.
Kush combined many other cultures into their own culture. They took many Egyptian elements, but also many of their own.
Clothing Customs Dress Gods Language
Ancient Kush • The Kushite developed Meroitic as their written language. Today we are not yet able to understand Meroitic.
Ancient Kush • Women had more rights in Kush than in many of the ancient civilizations.
Then Kush began to decline: A. Allowed their cattle to overgraze, soil blew away = less food B. Iron workers used all the wood – furnaces to make Iron ore had to shut down = fewer weapons C. Loss of trade – trade route no longer went through Kush.
New trade city, Aksum – became wealthy. They took over Kush
In the late 300’s, rulers of Aksum became Christian. About 200 years later, the Nubians also converted. The last influence of Kush disappeared.
Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia
Egypt
Agriculture
+“Land between the rivers” (Tigris and Euphrates forms Fertile Crescent +Artificial irrigation
+”Gift of the Nile” +Artificial irrigation
Specialization
+Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather, brick making, stonecutting, masonry
+Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather production, stonecutting, masonry
Cities
-Numerous, densely populated city-states (Ur and Babylon)
-Fewer cities with high centralization (Memphis and Thebes)
Social Hierarchy
-Noble class -Patriarchal +Slaves
-Absolute authority of the pharaoh made a noble class unnecessary (had bureaucrats instead) -Patriarchal, but the presence of Queen Hatsheput may indicate greater opportunities for women +Slaves
Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia
Egypt
Religion and Education
-Polytheism -No afterlife
-Polytheism, but brief period of monotheism under Akhentan -Afterlife and judgment (mummification)
New Technologies
-Superior in metallurgy
-Papyrus, shipbuilding, pyramids
Economic exchange
-Trade by land and water
-Trade principally by water along the Nile -Trade more important because Egypt lacked natural resources beside the Nile
Art and Writing
-Cuneiform
-Hieroglyphs (more pictorial than cuneiform)
Farewell Students and Beware the Curse of the Mummy!