Land of the Pharaohs Notes

The Nile and the "Two Lands"

• Upper Egypt had higher elevation and Lower Egypt emptied into the Mediterranean Sea
• The Nile was the major provider of life
• around 3100 BC, the two lands were united by one Pharaoh 
• Pharaoh was all powerful, worshipped as a god and intimately connected to the other major gods/goddesses 
• Egyptians relied on a harmony and balance of the universe called "maat"
• Pharaohs had multiple wives 
• Women could inherit money, land, and divorce their husbands, though few wielded true political power
• Earliest Egyptian writing formed 3100 BC and were small pictures called hieroglyphs
• Hieroglyphs represented religious words, or parts of words and most commonly adorned temples
• Hieratic script was shorthand developed by scribes and priests 
• Egyptian astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days
• Egyptian doctors wrote extensively on health issues and created potions/cures
• Wooden sailboats allowed people to transport things on the Nile 
• Pyramids were massive stone tools, originally covered in marble but the marble was stripped off