Egypt Egypt is blessed with the river Nile, so much that it is known as 'the gift'.

The Nile is to Egypt what the Euphrates and the Tigris are to Mesopotamia. The Nile is the longest river in the world. It carries rich deposits of alluvial soil that makes the land aound it perfect for growing crops (fertile). The irony is that the rest of Egypt frequently suffers from drought. Egypt is located in North Eastern Africa. Economic Farming-They skillfully used irrigation ditches to direct the water to the crops. Geometry was developed by the Egyptians in order to determine how deep to dig the ditches. They built resivoirs to store water in. They engaged in surplus production for trade. They built storehouse to kepp it. Corn was their main crop but they also grew a wide variety of other grains. They also produced vegetables and grapes. Weaving- They did spinning and weaving of cloth. THe two main materials were wool and linen. They were famous for their excellent grade of linen. Rearing of Animals- They kept herds of cattle in large pastures. The oxen were used to pull their wheeled carts and for plowing fields.They kept horses, camels and donkeys. They were used to carry loads and good to market places and centers of trade. The horses were especially important for transporting the army officials and members of the upper class in chariots.

They also kept animals for pets. Trading-They mapped out inland river routes. Rivers were used as trade routes to move from cities to cities. they built ships to use on the Nile. Horses carried the merchants in carvans across the desert to trade with lands as far away as India. they exchanged their good for cedar and other wood since Egypt was not very forested. Potter- They used mud from the valley to make jars and vases for food and drink. The jars were also important to store water for household uses such as drinking and washing the hands of guests.Other jars were especially made for ceremonial purposes. Another special type of jar made were to be used as urns. Mining- they knew the use of metals. They began with copper then later discovered bronze, silver and iron. Used to make weapons and weighed for money. Social Structure-They were three classes. Upper classroyal families, army, government officials. Middle class- proffesionals, artisians and civil servants. Lower class-slaves were at the bottom of society. King-ruler of city state/privince. had absolute power. Known as Pharaoh. has personal servants Govenors Army-defended the city state

Civil servants- example tax collectors Subjects-obey laws and pay taxes/ A persons place in society was based on status. the upper class lived in the city in the palaces with beautiful carving and many servants. Egyptians bought and kept slaves. Architecture- They were great builders. They made their own bricks from rich clay they found found in the area. Some of their pyramid still stand as a testimony to their engineering ability. Religioun- They were polytheistic. Education- sAME NOTES AS mESOPOTAMIA. A part from the nile and pyramids of Egypt. It is famous for its Rosetta Stone, its mummification process (preservation of the dead) and the Books of the Dead, a written collection of magic charm and sacred writings placed in tombs with the dead. One famous egyptian queen and king was Cleopatra and Tutankahamun. Egypt lies in North Africa between the Medeterranean Sea and the Sudan. Away from the Nile, much of the land is desert. The ancient Egyptians also traded with other countries. Egypt became an important exporter of grain in ancient times, and recieved in exchange timber from Syria, copper from Cyprus, tin from Asia

and Europe, volcanic glass from Ethiopia and other goods from different places. For much of human history, shared beliefs about right and wrong about the supernatural and afterlife have helped to bind societies together. The ancient Egyptian believed in many gods, some more powerful than others. The sun god, Aun-Ra was normally ragarded as the king of the gods, white the Pharaoh represented him and was seen as devine himself. Papyrus- Egypitians made a kind of paper from strips split from the stalks of papyrus, a species of reed which grew on the banks of the Nile. Our word for paper comes from papyrus.