Ancient Egypt developed along the River Nile in north-eastern Africa. The river supported farming, transport, settlement and the growth of a centralized civilization.
Location and Development
Egypt was protected by deserts and bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara and the Red Sea. Regular Nile flooding deposited fertile soil and supported agriculture.
Political and Social Organization
- The pharaoh was the head of administration, law, justice and taxation.
- The vizier or prime minister assisted the pharaoh, while governors and nobles supervised local areas.
- Society included the ruling class, priests and officials, soldiers, artisans, farmers and enslaved people.
Contributions of Ancient Egypt
- Hieroglyphic writing and record keeping.
- Calendar, mathematics, medicine and engineering.
- Pyramids, temples, sculpture and other architectural achievements.
- Irrigation, organized government and artistic traditions.
Decline
Internal conflict, succession problems, foreign invasions and weakened administration contributed to the decline of Egyptian civilization.
