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The Kingdoms of Egypt!
There is evidence that Egypt was
not at peace 5,000 years ago such as ruins of walls and paintings of battles! Again we see how important art is in
discovering the past!
 <-Menes wanted to reassure both kingdoms that he intended to represent ALL the people of Egypt and that's why he
chose a double crown as the symbol of his rule! UNIFICATION!
<the double crown (had a cobra on it)
The early pharaohs had to work to build unity with Egypt because the country was once 2 warring kingdoms.
Local
leaders collected taxes, served as judges,and managed the use of floodwaters!
The Egyptians believed that
the sun god Ra gave life to Earth and the pharaoh, the child of Ra, gave life to Egypt and its people. The pharaoh had
religious responsibilities and believed that he was entrusted with keeping order in the land, which Ra protected!
 <<<RA!
The Mediterranean Sea formed the northern border of the Old Kingdom.
Memphis
is located in lower Egypt.
Pyramids were built as for the pharaohs.
 <The Great Pyramid at Giza
Building of the pyramids gives PROOF of the cultural importance of the
pharaohs to Egypt because such effort and expense would be directed only toward someone of overwhelming importance.
Local rulers resisted the orders of the later pharaohs to build pyramids because the building of the pyramids was a ginormous,
expensive event that hurt Egypt's economy; resistance on the part of the local rulers to build the later pharaohs' pyramids
weakened Egypt's unity.
When completed, the Great Pyramid (A.K.A.-Cheops) consisted of approximately 2.3 million
blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tons a piece. How many pounds are in a ton? (bring the answer
to class)
Cheops was 481.4 feet but has since lost 31 feet. How do you think the 31 feet were lost?
The pharaoh's body was placed in the highest chamber.
Hieroglyphics are individual picture signs that stand for objects such as an  <eye, or a sound.
Hieroglyphics require fewer symbols which are needed when letters are used that stand for
single sounds, not whole words.
Scribes were offered security and status which was respected especially because
scribes were necessary and useful. Writing made it possible for the pharaoh's scribes to keep records of taxes
and of the pharaoh's goods.
The ROSETTA STONE helped unlock the meaning of hieroglyphics as it contained hieroglyphics
and translations into Greek and demotic. Jean Champollion understood Greek so he translated the hieroglyphics.
   <Jean Champollion
Jean Champollion was a scholar of the Near East by the age of 11 and a professor of
ancient history at a French university by 18.
Jean Champollion worked on decoding the Rosetta Stone for 14 years
but he never saw it! Instead, he worked on copies of its inscriptions.
Decoding the hieroglyphs enabled scholars
to read ancient Egyptian records and to learn about the Egyptian economy, government, and way of life.
Mr.
Champollion was born in 1790 and died in 1832.
WHAT DOES THE ROSETTA STONE SAY?
Go to
this site for the answer and a lot more on the Rosetta Stone:
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html
Long-distance traders switched from bartering to use mediums of exchange because paying with bulky products was
less practical than paying with coins.
The Old Kingdom is historically sequenced as follows: unification,
growth and development, disunity, and destruction.
The Old Kingdom laid the groundwork for a lasting
Egyptian civilization by organizing a powerful government and by building awesome stone monuments that made Egypt beautiful.
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