Lesson 1 Ancient Egypt

The Nile River and Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Ancient Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa, and the Nile River, the longest river in the world, runs north and south through Egypt. Every year, the Nile regularly flooded, and when the flood waters receded, the banks were left with fertile black silt, which was very conducive to agricultural production. For this reason, ancient Egyptian civilization is considered a "gift from the Nile".

From about 3500 B.C., several small states emerged in the lower Nile one after another. Around 3100 B.C., ancient Egypt was initially unified and then went through three eras: the Ancient Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. During the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III in the New Kingdom era, Egypt became a powerful military empire, extending northward to the border of Syria and Asia Minor and the upper Euphrates, and southward to the "Fourth Falls" of the Nile. Since then, ancient Egypt has been divided several times and has been invaded by foreigners. In 525 B.C., the Persian Empire annexed ancient Egypt; later, the Alexander Empire and the Roman Empire occupied ancient Egypt one after another. Ancient Egypt's civilization of nearly 3,000 years did not continue.

Ancient Egyptian science and culture made high achievements, among which astronomy, mathematics and medicine are the most outstanding. The solar calendar is one of the outstanding achievements of ancient Egyptian astronomy. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics is one of the earliest scripts in the world.

Pyramids

On the west bank of the Nile, the pyramids blown by the yellow sand are like a group of weathered old men of history, silently telling the long and deep history of ancient Egyptian civilization. The pyramids are the symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization, reflecting the high level of social and economic development of ancient Egypt, and are the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient Egyptians.

Pharaoh's rule

The construction of the pyramids reflected the unlimited power of the ancient Egyptian king. The king of ancient Egypt was called Pharaoh. As the supreme ruler of the country, the pharaoh combined military, political, financial, and divine powers in one. Religiously, the pharaoh was considered the "son of God" and had supreme authority. When a minister met the king, he had to prostrate himself on the ground and kiss the ground under his feet. When the king became angry, he often beat his ministers with the king's staff.

With the intensification of social conflicts, the king's authority was challenged in many ways. After the Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of the ancient kingdom era became smaller and smaller, reflecting the gradual decline of royal power.

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