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.