(History final) Chapter 4 - Section 1

What are the two regions that make up ancient Egypt?

Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

How did the pharaoh's crown display the unification of Egypt?

Around 3100 BC, a leader named Menes rose to power in Upper Egypt, and he sought to unify Upper and Lower Egypt. The armies of Menes invaded and took control of Lower Egypt. Menes then united the two kingdoms. *As Egypt's ruler, Menes wore both the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red crown of Lower Egypt.* This symbolized his leadership over the two kingdoms. However, later on, *he combined the two crowns into a double crown.*

Which part of Egypt - Lower or Upper - was more valuable to Egypt? Why?

Lower Egypt was more valuable to Egypt because Lower Egypt was the area in which the Nile River divided into several branches that fanned out and flowed into the Mediterranean Sea. These branches formed a delta, a triangle-shaped area of land made of soil deposited by a river. In ancient times, swamps and marshes covered much of the Nile Delta. *Some two thirds of Egypt's fertile farmland was located in the Nile Delta, located in Lower Egypt. Therefore, Lower Egypt had much more fertile farmland and was more valuable to Egypt.*

How might the Nile's cataracts have both helped and hurt Egypt?

The Nile's cataracts both helped and hurt Egypt. For instance, cataracts made sailing portion of the Nile in which they lay very difficult, since cataracts are strong rapids. This was not a good thing for the Egyptians, since it was hard for them to sail the Nile River. However, since it was so difficult to sail, that also meant that it was much harder for invaders to Egypt to get into Egypt or travel along the Nile to get in. This natural thing then protected Egypt from invasions, allowing it to grow stronger and get more powerful.

How did the desert on both sides of the Nile help ancient Egypt?

The desert on both sides of the Nile helped ancient Egypt greatly. It is very difficult to travel through the desert to get somewhere, because of the extreme heat and lack of water. If invaders that wanted to get into Egypt wanted to get in, they would have to cross the desert first. This would make invaders not want to even bother to get into Egypt, and if they did, they would have an extremely hard time crossing the desert, and they probably would not even make it into Egypt. Therefore, Egypt had a natural defense system that would protect them from invaders.

How did the farmers use the Nile to grow their crops?

The farmers used the Nile to grow their crops by collecting water from the river to use to irrigate their crops and allow them to grow.

What attracted early settlers to the Nile Valley?

because area lining river had very fertile farmland, so if you settled along the river, you could have very prosperous crops. The flooding of the river also brought silt, a very rich soil, down with it, making the valley very fertile and nourishing for crops. Along with all of this, the area was abundant with water from the river, even though it was a desert, so you could have a great amount of water in order to survive. The Nile provided early Egyptian farmers with an abundance of food. The farmers grew wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables, and raised cattle and sheep. The river also provided many types of fish, and hunters trapped wild geese and ducks along its banks. In addition to a stable food supply, the Nile Valley offered another valuable advantage. It had natural barriers that made Egypt hard to invade. The desert to the west was too big and harsh to cross. To the north, the Mediterranean Sea kept many enemies away. The Red Sea provided protection against invasion as well. Cataracts in the Nile made it difficult for outsiders to sail in from the south.

Why was it important to the Egyptians that the Nile's flooding was consistent?

because the flooding water brought silt in with it, which fertilized the soil, allowing good crops to grow.

Why was Egypt called the gift of the Nile?

because the river was so important to people in this region, so the Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt by that name.