Ancient Egypt

Presenters: Laura Rockswell, Nina Anderson, Tom Boyle and Cassandra

Ward

o Grade Level – 7 th

o Unit Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. find Egypt on a map

2. tell about Egyptian life and culture

3. use their Egyptian vocabulary

4. tell about the geography of Egypt

5. tell about the Pharaohs o f Egypt

6. tell why the pharaohs were important

7. tell about the mummification process

8. tell why people were mummified

9. make their own mummy case

10. tell about the importance of Hieroglyphics

11. show their name in hieroglyphics

12. tell about their first-hand experience looking at some things

dealing with Egypt

o Day 1

Objectives:

1. identify Egyptian vocabulary

2. tell the location of Egypt, the Sphinx, pyramids

3. tell what the natural resources of Egypt are

4. who the famous Pharaohs are

5. tell the Egyptian life and religion are

Materials:

1. vocabulary list

2. list of questions for scavenger hunt

3. map of Egypt

4. pencils

5. internet sources

6. Permission slip for class trip to University of Penn Museum

Plan: Children will be given a list of vocabulary terms and the

paper for the online scavenger hunt. They can use the following

websites to get them started: Ancient Egypt

(http://members.aol.com/TeacherNet/AncientEgypt.html) and the

British museum (http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html).

They will find all the information on their papers. When they are

finished they will share what they have found with the class.

Finally they will take the permission slip home with them to be

signed.

o Day 2

Objectives:

1. identify the key elements on a map of Egypt

2. tell about the geography of Egypt

3. find Egypt on a map

Materials:

1. blank map of Egypt

2. geography chart

3. library resources

4. pencil

Plan: Give out the blank map of Egypt and the geography chart.

Take the kids to the library. The librarian will be able to help them

find the sources they need to fill in the papers. Remind them that

they need to get the permission slip signed.

Day 3

Objectives:

1. locate the different pyramids

2. tell about the importance of pyramids

3. tell why pyramids were built

4. tell about the different Pharaohs of Egypt

5. tell why the pharaohs were important

Materials:

1. pyramid paper

2. fact sheet on pharaohs

3. internet sources

Plan: The students will receive a paper on the pharaohs. They will

go over the paper with the teacher. They will then receive the

paper on the pyramids. Using National Geographic Website

(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/), they will follow

the instructions on the worksheet.

o Day 4

Objectives:

1. identify why people were mummified

2. how they were mummified

3. what happened during mummification

4. the importance of the mummy's tomb

5. create their own mummy case

Materials:

1. fact sheet on mummification

2. wheat paste

3. large pan

4. long balloons

5. newspapers

6. diluted glue mixture

7. paints and paintbrushes

8. directions for making the case

Plan: The students will receive the fact list on the mummification

process. The teacher will go over the sheet with them. They will

then receive the directions and the materials for the mummy case.

Each student will make their own mummy case.

o Day 5

Objectives:

1. learn the importance of Hieroglyphics

2. learn why hieroglyphics were important

3. tell what a Cartouche is and why it is important

4. make their own cartouche

Materials:

1. Hieroglyphic Fact sheet

2. Direction for making the cartouche

3. internet website for hieroglyphics

4. the cartouche

5. markers/paints

Plan: Give the students the hieroglyphic fact sheet. Go over it with

them. Hand out the directions for the cartouche. Hand out the

materials needed. The kids will use Egyptian Name Translator

(www.eyelid.co.uk/e-name.htm) to translate their name for the

cartouche. They will print their names out and cut them out. They

will put them on the cartouche and then decorate them. They will

also hand in their permission slips for the trip.

o Day 6

Objectives:

1. learn about Ancient Egypt at the museum

2. explore all the different exhibits at the museum

Materials:

1. permission slip

2. bagged lunch

3. chaperones

4. busses

5. camera

Plan: Get on the buses. Go to the University of Pennsylvania

Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Have a fun-filled,

knowledge-enhancing day.

o Day 7

Objectives:

1. revisit all the things we did at the museum

2. tell what they liked and didn’t like about the museum

Materials:

1. review sheet about museum

2. pencil

Plan: Hand out the review sheet. Have the kids reflect about the

trip and fill in the review sheet.

Additional Hot linked Sites

Find out size, area and weight

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/activity/main.html

Allows you to see various pyramids

http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/pic_pyramids_giza.htm

All about Egypt

http://members.aol.com/TeacherNet/AncientEgypt.html

CNN Pyramidshttp://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/9705/seven.wonders/pyramids.html

Pyramid Builders

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/7357/builders.htm

How to build a pyramidhttp://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/bldpyram.htm

More pyramid facts

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/pyramid.htm

Hieroglyphics

http://www.greatscott.com/hiero/

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

http://www.ancientscripts.com/egyptian.html

Ancient Egypt

http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/heiroglyphics.html

Pharaohs

http://www.the-telfords.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/egypt/pharaohs.htm

Ancient Egypt Geography:

Famous Places Agriculture Climate Life Around the Nile

CLASS TRIP!

Your child will be studying Ancient Egypt for the next week in class. As part of our unit of study, we have planned a trip to conclude the unit to the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. This museum offers a face-to-face look at Egyptian culture, featuring artifacts, mummies, a sphinx, and artwork. If you wish for your child to be a part of this exciting educational opportunity, please complete the permission slip below and return to school with your child no later than Tuesday. A bagged lunch will be needed, as we will have a picnic style lunch as a class. Remember, no glass bottles are permitted.

Please call your child’s 7th grade homeroom teacher with any questions. Thank you!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student Name:

Student Class Section:

Parent/Guardian Signature:

Date:

Ancient Egypt Vocabulary

Define each word:

1. Civilization-

2. Mummification-

3. Sundial-

4. Pyramid-

5. Tomb-

6. Pharaoh-

7. Hieroglyphics-

8. Papyrus-

9. Temple-

10. Dynasty-

11. Nile River Valley-

12. Sphinx-

13. Mediterranean Sea-

14. god-

Ancient Egypt Online Scavenger Hunt

You and your partner must research Ancient Egyptian Civilization using the internet. Use the key words below to maneuver your way around the internet to find your answers. Record your finding and the website address from where you found your information. The first group to finish the entire sheet first wins a prize! Happy hunting!

1. Location of Egypt:

2. Important Natural Resources in Ancient Egypt:

3. Location of Pyramids-What is so special about the pyramids?

4. Location of Sphinx –What is so special about the Sphinx?

5. Two famous Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. When did they reign?

6. Forms of communication:

7. Daily Life:- shelter:- work:- dress:- food:- recreational activities:

8. Religion:- forms of worship:- gods/goddess:- Afterlife:

Map of Ancient Egypt

Identify and color the key elements on the map of Ancient Egypt. Create a legend symbolizing famous places, agriculture, water beds/rivers, and climate.

Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

Pharaoh Khafre

Khafre (2576-2551 BCE), fourth King of the fourth dynasty, Old Kingdom. The son of Khufu, Khafre (or Khephren to the ancient Greeks) is best known as the owner of the second pyramid at Giza. As with the other Kings of that dynasty, written records that date to his reign are scarce; even information on family relationships and the lengths of individual reigns at that time may often be conjectural. Two of his wives are known: Meresankh II, the daughter of his brother Kawab, and his chief wife, Khamerernebty. His eldest son, Menkaure, builder of the third pyramid at Giza, succeeded him. Two other sons are recognized: Nikaure and Sekhemkare. His daughter Khamerernebty II became Menkaure’s chief queen. Khafre succeeded his brother, Djedefre, who had ruled for eight years. Ideologically, Khafre continued Djedefre’s promotion of the cult of the sun god re by using the title “ the Son of the Sun” for himself and by incorporating the name of the god in his own.

Khafre built his pyramid at Giza next to that of his father. His pyramid complex has survived better than many others, in part because of the innovative construction method of using massive core blocks of limestone encased in fine lining slabs. The whole complex served as a temple for the resurrected god-King after his funeral, with statues incorporated into the design of both the mortuary and valley temples. There exist emplacements for more than fifty-four large statues of the King. None of the statues from the mortuary temple has survived, and it has been suggested that they were recycled in the New Kingdom.

All the lining slabs were also removed in antiquity, and with them any inscription and reliefs; only the megalithic core blocks remain. Khafre’s valley temple, however, is one of the best preserved from ancient Egypt, Fragments of several statues of the King were discovered there, including the famous statue of the King seated on a lion throne with the falcon of the Horus behind his head, reflecting the belief that the King was a living incarnation of the god. Each of the two entrances to this temple were once flanked by a pair of sphinxes 8 meters (26 feet) long.

The only remaining inscriptions in the building are around the entrance doorways; they list the King’s names and titles, those of the goddess Bastet (north doorway), and those of Hathor (south doorways). Recent work in front of the valley temple has revealed the location of a ritual purification tent and two ramps with underground tunnels that extend toward the valley.

Next to the valley temple, the Great sphinx lies inside its own enclosure. Its position next to Khafre’s causeway and certain architectural details indicate that it was an integral part of the pyramid area; that colossal lion statue with the head of the King, carved out of a sandstone outcrop, represents Khafre as the god Horus presenting offerings to the sun god. From the eighteenth dynasty forward, the Sphinx was a symbol of Kingship and place of pilgrimage; and a small chapel was erected between its paws.

Political events of Khafre’s reign can be deduced only from scant archaeological remains and rare inscriptions, which show that his workmen were exploiting the diorite quarries at Toshka in Nubia and that expeditions were sent to Sinai. His name was found on a list of other fourth dynasty Kings at Byblos, implying diplomatic and commercial links.

Like his father Khufu, Khafre was depicted in folk tradition as a harsh, despotic rule: His pyramid complex was used as a quarry in the late New Kingdom, and the lining slabs and statues were removed to adorn other temples and royal establishments. By the Late period, however; the cults of the fourth dynasty kings had

been revived, and Giza had become a focus for pilgrimage.      

*Information gathered by Dr. Zahi Hawass, care of: www.guardians.net/egypt/famous.htm

More Famous Pharaohs:

Akhenaton - was pharaoh of Egypt from about 1350 to 1334 BC, and husband of Nefertiti who was known for her beauty.. Akhenaton was the last important ruler of the 18th dynasty and he substituted a religion based on one god. He established the cult of Aton, the sun god, the sole creator of the Universe. Akhenaton was originally called Amenhotep but changed his name Akhenaton meaning "Aton is satisfied". He moved his capital from Thebes to Akhenaton, a new city devoted to the celebration of Aton he ordered the obliteration of all traces of the polytheistic religion (belief in many gods) of his ancestors. He also fought bitterly against the powerful priests who attempted to maintain the worship of the state god Amen. Even the work of artists changed to much more realistic statues and pictures.

After the death of Akhenaton his son-in-law Tutankhamen moved the capital back to Thebes and restored the old polytheistic religion.

Tutankhamen - was the son-in-law of Akhenaton. He became pharaoh at about 9 years of age. His uncle Ay, who probably had something to do with the sudden and mysterious death of Akhenaton, was the highest minister and he ruled Egypt for Tutankhamen while he was a boy. Tutankhamen was married to Ankhsenoomun. He was only 18 when he died and he may have been murdered by Ay who probably did not want to lose power. Ay married Tutankhamen's widow, even though he was her grandfather, in order to help retain power. The reason that Tutankhamen is so well known today is that his tomb, containing fabulous treasures, was found early this century (1922) by British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Caernarvon.

Cleopatra VII - ascended to the Egyptian throne when she was only 17. She died at the age of 39 and was the last pharaoh. Cleopatra was Greek. She was the last of the Ptolemy dynasty who were of Macedonian (Greece) descent. The demise of the Ptolemies power coincided with the rise of The Roman Empire's power. Having little choice, and seeing city after city falling into Rome's grip, the Ptolemies decided to ally with the Romans, a pact that lasted for 2 centuries. During the reign of the late Ptolemies Rome gained more and more power over Egypt and was even declared guardian of the Ptolemeic dynasty. Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII, had to pay tribute to the Romans to keep them away from his kingdom. Upon his death the fall of the dynasty seemed even closer. Cleopatra not only had to contend with the Romans but her younger brother also wanted the throne. To try and hold power she had a strong friendship with Julius Caesar and with Mark Antony, Roman leaders of invasion armies. Mark Antony's wife Octavia was very angry that her husband had abandoned her so her brother Octavian set off from Rome to defeat Antony and Cleopatra. He did this at Alexandria and Mark Antony, who was dying from his wounds, asked to be taken to Cleopatra. He died in her arms and was buried as a king. Cleopatra was captured and she decided to kill herself. It is said that she used a poisonous snake called an asp. With the death of Cleopatra a whole era in Egyptian history was closed.

Information obtained from:

http://www.the-telfords.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/egypt/pharaohs.htm

Tomb Exploration

While visiting a pyramid on the National Geographic website http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/ , you and your partner will create a map below of the areas you explored. Provide at least 3 interesting facts you found while exploring the tomb. Be creative and use lots of color!

Mummification

The ancient Egyptians believed in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. This belief was rooted in what they observed each day. The sun fell into the western horizon each evening and was reborn the next morning in the east. New life sprouted from grains planted in the earth, and the moon waxed and waned. As long as order was maintained, everything was highly dependable and life after death could be achieved provided certain conditions were met. For example, the body had to be preserved through mummification and given a properly furnished tomb with everything needed for life in the afterworld.

Mummification, the preservation of the body, was described in the ancient Pyramid Texts. With the death of Osiris, god of the dead, the cosmos fell into chaos and the tears of the gods turned into materials used to mummify his body. These materials included honey, resins and incense.

Before mummification evolved, the corpse was placed in a sleeping fetal position and put into a pit, along with personal items such as clay pots and jewelry. The pit was covered with sand, which absorbed all the water from the body, thus preserving it. Burial pits were eventually lined with mud bricks and roofed over, and the deceased were wrapped in animal skins or interred in pottery, basket ware or wooden coffins. With these "improvements", decay was hastened because the body no longer came in contact with the hot sand. To solve this problem, the internal organs of the deceased were removed and drying agents were used to mummify the body.

Canopic jars. One of Horus's four sons was represented on the lid of each jar. The human-headed Imsety looked after the liver; Hapy, a baboon, guarded the lungs; Duamutef, a jackal, protected the stomach; and Qebehsenuef, a falcon, cared for the intestines.Royal Ontario Museum

The practice of mummification began in Egypt in 2400 B.C. and continued into the Graeco-Roman Period. During the Old Kingdom, it was believed that only pharaohs could attain immortality. Around 2000 B.C., attitudes changed, however: everyone could live in the afterworld as long as the body was mummified and the proper elements were placed in the tomb. But since mummification was expensive, only the wealthy were able to take advantage of it. Although mummification was not a strict requirement for resurrection in the next world, it was certainly regarded as a highly desirable means of attaining it. The prayers in the Book of the Dead were intended to help the deceased make a successful transition to the afterlife.

The art of mummification was perfected in the Third Intermediate Period (1070-712 B.C.). Around 450 B.C. (Late Period), the Greek historian Herodotus documented the process:

As much of the brain as it is possible is extracted through the nostrils with an iron hook, and what the hook cannot reach is dissolved with drugs. Next, the flank is slit open . . . and the entire contents of the abdomen removed. The cavity is then thoroughly cleansed and washed out . . . Then it is filled with pure crushed myrrh, cassia, and all other aromatic substances, except frankincense. [The incision] is sewn up, and then the body is placed in natron, covered entirely for 70 days, never longer. When this period . . . is ended, the body is washed and then wrapped from the head to the feet in linen which has been cut into strips and smeared on the underside with gum which is commonly used by the Egyptians in the place of glue.

Bob Brier, Egyptian Mummies

Natron, a disinfectant and desiccating agent, was the main ingredient used in the mummification process. A compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (salt and baking soda), natron essentially dried out the corpse. Obtained from dried-up river

beds, it was packed around and inside the body in linen bags, and left for 35 to 40 days to draw moisture out of the tissues. By removing the organs and packing the internal cavity with dry natron, the body tissues were preserved. The body was filled with Nile mud, sawdust, lichen and cloth scraps to make it more flexible. Small cooking onions or linen pads were sometimes used to replace the eyes. Beginning in the third dynasty, the internal organs (lungs, stomach, liver and intestines) were removed, washed with palm wine and spices, and stored in four separate canopic jars made of limestone, calcite or clay. Prior to this, the abdominal contents were removed, wrapped and buried in the floor of the tomb. However, the heart was left in the body because it was considered the centre of intelligence.

Materials used in mummification: 1. linen 2. sawdust 3. lichen 4. beeswax 5. resin 6. natron 7. onion 8. Nile mud 9. linen pads

10. frankincense

Mummification tools:

Brain hooks(replicas based on examples from the Rijksmuseum, Leiden)Oil jar(Royal Ontario Museum 948.1.17)Funnel(replica)Embalmer's knife(Smithsonian Institution 221.389)

The corpse was then washed, wrapped in linen (as many as 35 layers) and soaked in resins and oils. This gave the skin a blackened appearance resembling pitch. The term "mummification" comes from the Arabic word mummiya, which mean bitumen, a pitch substance that was first used in the preservation process during the Late Period. The family of the deceased supplied the burial linen, which was made from old bed sheets or used clothing.

In the Middle Kingdom, it became standard practice to place a mask over the face of the deceased. The majority of these were made of cartonnage (papyrus or linen coated with gesso, a type of plaster), but wood and, in the case of royal mummies, silver and gold, were also used. The most famous mask is Tutankhamun's.

Mummy maskWood covered with painted gesso500-300 B.C.Canadian Museum of Civilization XXIV-C-63

Mummy maskMoulded and painted

linenRoyal Ontario

Museum 910.15.3

The ancient embalmers used very few tools, and once their work was completed, they sometimes left them in or near the tomb. The basic tool kit included a knife to make the abdominal incision, hooked bronze rods to extract brain matter, a wooden adze-like tool to remove internal organs, and a funnel to pour resins into the cranial cavity through the nose.

The Egyptians mummified animals as well as humans -- everything from bulls and hawks to ichneumons and snakes. Some have been found in large quantities, while others are rare. Many species were raised in the temples to be sacrificed to the gods. Autopsies on cats show that most had had their necks broken when they were about two years old. Cats were highly valued members of the ancient Egyptian household. They destroyed the rats and mice that would otherwise infest granaries, and assisted in hunting birds and fishing. In the nineteenth century, vast quantities of cat mummies were sent to England to be used as fertilizer.

This practice reached its height during the eleventh and twelfth centuries B.C. in Thebes, where the present-day cities of Luxor and Karnak are located. The purpose of mummification was to keep the body intact so it could be transported to a spiritual afterlife.

Create a Paper-Mache Mummy Case

Materials Need: - wheat paste- water- large pan- long balloons- newspapers- diluted glue mixture- paints and paint brushes

1. Make a mixture of the wheat paste and water until the combination is pasty, like sour cream.

2. Blow up the long balloon. Gently squeeze parts of the balloon to get the shape of a mummy case. Tie the balloon securely.

3. Dip strips of the newspaper into the paste and wrap around the balloon until you achieve the desired shape.

4. Allow the mummy case to dry thoroughly.

5. Seal the case by brushing a coat of diluted glue mixture. This will keep the colors painted on the mummy case from running.

6. Decorate the mummy case with paints. Paint a mask on the head portion of the case and decorate in a fashion that suits you.

History of Hieroglyphics

Being able to read and write was essential for a career in the Egyptian civil service. Not much is known about Egyptian schools. Some temples ran schools but many boys seem to have studied with local scribes (trained writers). Reading, writing and mathematics were the basic subjects. Pupils learned by copying out texts in the two main scripts, hieroglyphic and hieratic. They wrote with pens made from reeds on wooden tablets, pieces of pottery, or scraps of papyrus. Surviving school texts show pupils' spelling mistakes and teachers' corrections. Discipline was strict.

SCRIBES

Scribes were employed to write official or private letters and to draw up legal documents. Other common tasks were recording the progress of all kinds of work and making lists of goods. Educated people read for pleasure so scribes wrote or copied out literature such as proverbs, stories and love poems.

PAPYRUS

The Egyptians invented writing paper. This paper was made from the pith of  papyrus, a common marsh plant. The tall stems were cut down and carried off in bundles. Each stem was stripped of its rind and cut into short pieces. These pieces were then cut lengthwise into narrow strips. It was essential to keep the papyrus pith moist.

Two layers of strips at right angles were put on a hard surface and beaten until they fused. The papyrus sheets were polished and then glued together to make scrolls.

HIEROGLYPHICS

The hieroglyphic script was mainly for royal or religious texts carved in stone. Simplified (cursive) hieroglyphs were used for writing religious texts on papyrus. Letters, records, textbooks and literature were written in hieratic, a kind of shorthand hieroglyphic. In the 7th century B.C. an even more abbreviated script called demotic was introduced.

The hieroglyphic script has about 750 signs. Most are pictures of people, animals, plants or objects. To emphasize and protect royal or holy names, the Egyptians wrote then in a frame called a Cartouche.

There are two main types of hieroglyphic symbols: sound-symbols and sense-symbols. Sound-symbols can represent from one to four consonants. The vowels were not written out. A sense-symbol can be used to write a word or placed after a word to show the area of meaning. For example, verbs of motion have a pair of legs attached.   THE ROSETTA STONE

The Rosetta Stone dates to 196 BC. It is inscribed with royal decree written in two different scripts, hieroglyphic and demonic and Greek. This helped the French scholar, J.F. Champollion to decipher the hieroglyphic script.

Hieroglyphics Project

1. Go to Egyptian Name Translator: www.eyelid.co.uk/e-name.htm2. Follow directions given on website and print out your name results3. Cut each hieroglyphic and paste onto a Cartouche made of oak tag

A Cartouche is a name plate consisting of a number of different hieroglyphic symbols. Cartouches were used for kings, queens, or other high ranking people.

4. Decorate your Cartouche to resemble Ancient Egyptian times5. Hand in when completed 6. Cartouches will be laminated for you to display on your desk!

Here is an example of a Cartouche:

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology

1. What was your favorite part of the museum and why?

2. Name three things you did not know before going to the museum.

3. What do you wish you had been able to spend more time seeing at the museum?

4. If you could describe your favorite site at the museum in one sentence, what would it be?

5. Would you recommend visiting this museum to a friend and their family? Why or why not?