ANCIENT EGYPT: A BRIEF JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
WHERE IS IT?
Egypt is located in the northeast
corner
of Africa
It is shaped like a lotus flower that
follows
the Nile River
It was divided into the Two Lands:
Upper
and Lower Egypt
Most Egyptians lived along the
banks of
the Nile River
HIEROGLYPHSMeans sacred writing
Early form of Egyptian picture writing
Consists of 600 different symbols
No one could read it until the
Discovery of
the Rosetta Stone in 1799
The stone had three different kinds of
ancient writing: Hieroglyphs,
Demotic, and
Greek
The puzzle of Hieroglyphs was finally
solved in 1822 by Jean-Francois
Champollion
DAILY LIFEMarriages were arranged, and women brought a dowry.Egyptians cherished their children, both boys and girls.Women had equal status to men.They had many different jobs like farmers, pot-makers, butchers, and carpenters.
Only 5% of the population could read.Most Egyptians did not go to school.The literate Egyptians became government officials or bureaucrats.
Egyptians ate a lot of bread and drank beer. They also ate fish and eggs. Egyptians wore very little clothing…it was hot!Some even shaved their heads and wore wigs.
Egyptians liked to party.They had dancers, musicians, and singers.
PHAROAHS – GOD INCARNATE
•There were180 known Pharaohs over 3,120 years •Two were women
*Hetshepsut (1472-1458 BCE) who is often shown with a fake beard and male clothing*Cleopatra (51-30 BCE) the last Pharaoh of Egypt
•The Pharaoh was considered equal to a god, and was treated as a god•He wore a false beard, the eye of Ra on his forehead, and two crowns to protect him at all times.•Archaeological evidence describes elegant and sprawling palaces.
PHARAOH’S MOUNTAINSThe first pyramids were called Mastabas, and looked like steps.
Each new Pharaoh built bigger and better pyramids.
The Great Pyramid built by Khufu took 20 years to build with over 20,000 workers.
More than 100 pyramids were built after Khufu’s.
Inside a pyramid were many passages, corridors, and chambers.
No one knows exactly how they were built. There are many theories including aliens!
THE GREAT SPHINX
Carved from rock over 4,000 years agoGuards the second Great Pyramid of Giza
Has the head of a Pharaoh (Khafra) and the body of a lion It is 240 ft. long and 60 ft. high
It was once colorfully painted and had a beard
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
•Introduced by Tuthmosis I
•Built to deter tomb robbers
•Contains about 30 royal tombs, including the tomb of King Tut
•Tombs are cut into limestone and penetrate deep down through
solid rock
KING TUT- THE BOY KINGA very minor Pharaoh.He was a sickly child and died a mysterious death at age 19.Famous due to the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter.It is a small tomb with only four rooms.Is the most complete tomb ever discovered.It contained chariots, chests, gilded beds and furniture, food, and much more.The burial chamber was filled by four nesting shrines which contained three. nesting coffins – the innermost of solid gold.It took 10 years to empty the tomb.
REFERENCESPhotos retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons
Map of Egypt – Thomas SmallSistrum – Richard WhitePyramids –Mike S.Cleopatra – Arqueo 2Hetshepsut – the vanornesValley of the Kings – Mathew KnottSphinx – Keith YahlKing Tut’s Tomb (external) – AnthonyKing Tut’s Tomb (internal) – wistfulxthinking
All other photos are the property of the author
Gros de Beler, A. (1999). Pharaohs. Paris: Chartwell books, INC.Milton, J. (2000). Hieroglyphs. New York: Grosset & Dunlop. Ryan, D.P. (2002). The complete idiot’s guide to ancient egypt. Indianapolis: Alpha.
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