7A -- Egypt-- Hyksos to 1498 BC Hatshepsut

 

A queen with a beard? It was a fake, but it was one of the ways that Hatshepsut tried to legitimize her reign as pharaoh, a traditionally male position

1. Lesson Pages from Supplemental Materials:

·         From Adam to Us: p. 130-132 (additional activities for these pages are in the accompanying Map Book and Student Workbook)

·         Story of the World, vol. 1: p. 90-96, 135-138 (additional activities for these pages are in the accompanying The Story of the World: Activity Book One)

 2. Study material for family discussion (older students can read on their own, parents can read and summarize for younger students):

The time of the Hyksos rule may have been when the Israelites were enslaved. The Hyksos were not true Egyptians, and would not have appreciated Joseph’s contribution to Egypt. They may have felt some uneasiness about another non-Egyptian group that could rise up to rival them. The Hyksos came from Canaan, the land where Jacob and his sons had lived before they moved to Egypt.

Sometime during this dynasty, a major event happened in the Mediterranean. A volcano on the island of Thera, which is now called Santorini, exploded in what some believe is the most powerful blast in history. It is also believed that the resulting tsunamis and effects like weather caused or at least majorly contributed to the end of the Minoan civilization. https://www.livescience.com/4846-eruption-thera-changed-world.html

The Hyksos were driven from power in Egypt by Ahmose I, who founded the 18th dynasty. The fifth ruler of this dynasty, Hatshepsut, was a female pharaoh. Eventually, some years after her death, most images of her were destroyed. But no one knows for sure who did this or why. There are a few theories. A mummy who most likely died of cancer has been identified as Hatshepsut, but many experts question if this mummy is really the queen.

Meanwhile, remember the Hittites? The people who liked to fight, drive fast war chariots, build with stone, and worship a god of storms? They were kind of fierce and it was causing problems for their leaders. When someone made it to the throne, they often ended up being assassinated by someone else who wanted to be king. So one of their kings, Telipinu, made an edict that spelled out exactly who could be the next king after someone died. The Hittites of this time were also becoming skilled in working iron, not just from meteorites as most people of the time obtained their iron, but it was a difficult process and weapons made of iron were probably expensive and not common.

Another nation rising up at this time was the Myceneans. These were the dominant people of Greece between the time of the Minoans and the Greek Dark Ages.

3. Attention Getter: Ask the students what a female would have to do to become a leader in this country. Now if you have a girl in your group have her come up and put a fake beard on her face. (Or have a mother put one on). Ask if the students think something like this would help.

4. Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYRy_wZEJI (Hatshepsut)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWrCg90kuts (Hatshepsut)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsJekC5QiFM (Thera volcano)

The Hittites 2003 - YouTube (Telipinu, from 27:11 to 33:47, daily life of the Hittites is 33:47 to 47:35—teens should watch) *** I had to change links because the old video was deleted, so add 1:19 to all given times***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq42a1014c0 (Myceneans, Note: there is a city of Thebes on Greece, not to be confused with Thebes in Egypt. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnoqlCV__z4&pp=QADQAwE%3D (Nubia, 8:43 to 10:57)

5. Mapping: Find Avaris at modern Tell el-Dab’a on the Nile Delta. This was the capital of the Hyksos Dynasty. At the same time the Hyksos ruled, there were strong rulers in Thebes, who eventually rose up against the Hyksos. Find Hatshepsut’s home city of Thebes in Upper (southern) Egypt. Student page 51 in The Story of the World Activity Book One shows the location of Crete in relation to Thera/Santorini.

6. Poster: Draw a poster of Hatshepsut in her pharaoh’s clothing and beard with the date 1498 BC.

7. World History Reading:

·         World History Biographies: Hatshepsut: The Girl Who Became a Great Pharaoh (National Geographic World History Biographies), good for the pictures

·         Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. This book assumes a rivalry between Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III that may or may not have existed and ends with Hatshepsut’s assassination, although she may have died of natural causes.

•  Time-Life Student Library Ancient Civilizations 3000 BC – AD 500, p.78-79