Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest and most powerful civilizations in the history of

the world. It lasted for over 3000 years from 3150 BC to 30 BC. 

The Nile River 

The civilization of Ancient Egypt was located along the Nile River in northeast Africa.
The Nile was the source of much of the Ancient Egypt's wealth. Great Egyptian cities
grew up along the Nile as the Egyptian people became experts in irrigation and were
able to use the water from the Nile to grow rich and profitable crops. The Nile provided
food, soil, water, and transportation for the Egyptians. Great floods would come each
year and would provide fertile soil for growing food. 

 
Pyramids of Giza by Ricardo Liberato

Kingdoms and Periods 

Historians usually group the history of Ancient Egypt into three major kingdoms called
the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. It was during these times
that Ancient Egypt was at its strongest. The times between the Kingdoms are called
intermediate periods. 

Culture 

Ancient Egypt was rich in culture including government, religion, arts, and writing. The
government and religion were tied together as the leader of the government, the
Pharaoh, was also leader of the religion. Writing was also important in keeping the
government running. Only scribes could read and write and they were considered
powerful people. 

Pyramids and Treasure 

The Pharaohs of Egypt were often buried in giant pyramids or in secret tombs. They
believed that they needed treasure to be buried with them to help them in the afterlife.
As a result, archeologists have a lot of well preserved artifacts and tombs to examine in
order to find out how the Ancient Egyptians lived. 

End of the Empire 

The Ancient Egyptian Empire began to weaken in about 700 BC. It was conquered by a
number of other civilizations. The first to conquer Egypt was the Assyrian Empire,
followed a hundred or so years later by the Persian Empire. In 332 BC, Alexander the
Great of Greece conquered Egypt and set up his own ruling family called the Ptolemaic
Dynasty. Finally, the Romans came in 30 BC and Egypt became a province of Rome. 

Fun Facts about Ancient Egypt

 Egyptian men and women wore makeup. It was thought to have healing powers,
plus it helped protect their skin from the sun.
 They used moldy bread to help with infections.
 They were one of the first civilizations to invent writing. They also used ink to
write and paper called papyrus.
 The Ancient Egyptians were scientists and mathematicians. They had numerous
inventions including ways to build buildings, medicine, cosmetics, the calendar,
the plow for farming, musical instruments, and even toothpaste.
 Ancient Egypt plays a major role in the Bible. The Israelites were held captive
there as slaves for many years. Moses helped them escape and led them to the
Promised Land.
 The Pharaoh kept his hair covered. It was not to be seen by regular people.
 Cats were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt.

Recommended books and references: 

 Sightseers: A guide to Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs by Sally Tagholm. 1999.
 Eyewitness Books: Ancient Egypt written by George Hart. 2008.
 Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs by Gail Gibbons. 2004.
 The Penguin Historical Atlas of Egypt by Bill Manley. 1996.
 What Life Was Like on the Banks of the Nile by the Editors of Time-Life Books. 1997.
 Ancient Civilizations: The Illustrated Guide to Belief, Mythology, and Art. Edited by
Professor Greg Wolf. 2005.

What is a Sphinx? 

A Sphinx is a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a person. In
Ancient Egypt a lot of times the head was that of a Pharaoh or a god. 

Why were they built? 

The Egyptians built sphinx statues to guard important areas such as tombs and
temples. 
 Khafre's Pyramid and the Great Sphinx by Than217
The Great Sphinx of Giza 

The most famous Sphinx is the Great Sphinx of Giza. It is one of the largest and oldest
statues in the world. Archeologists believe that it was carved around 2500 BC and that
the head is meant to be the likeness of the Pharaoh Khafra. The Great Sphinx faces the
sunrise and guards the pyramid tombs of Giza. 

How big is it? 

The Great Sphinx is huge! It is 241 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 66 feet high. The eyes
on the face are 6 feet tall, the ears over three feet tall, and the nose would have been
nearly 5 feet long before it was knocked off. It is carved out of the bedrock in a trench at
the Giza site. 

How did it originally look? 

Over the past 4500 years weather and erosion have taken their toll on the Great Sphinx.
It is really amazing that so much of it is left for us to see. The original Sphinx would
have looked a lot different. It had a long braided beard and a nose. It also was painted
in bright colors. Archeologists think that the face and body were painted red, the beard
was blue, and much of the headdress was yellow. That would have been an amazing
site! 

What happened to its nose? 

No one is entirely sure exactly how the nose got knocked off. There are stories
that Napoleon's men accidentally knocked off the nose, but that theory has proven
untrue as pictures have been found without the nose prior to Napoleon's arrival. Other
stories have the nose getting shot off in target practice by Turkish soldiers. Many people
now believe that the nose was chiseled off by someone who considered the Sphinx
evil. 
Legend of the Sphinx 

 
The Sphinx partially covered by sand by Félix Bonfils

After the Sphinx was built, over the course of the next 1000 years it fell into disrepair.
The entire body was covered in sand and only the head could be seen. Legend has it
that a young prince named Thutmose fell asleep near the head of the Sphinx. He had a
dream where he was told that if he restored the Sphinx he would become Pharaoh of
Egypt. Thutmose restored the Sphinx and later became Pharaoh of Egypt. 

Fun Facts about the Sphinx

 There was also a famous Sphinx in Greek Mythology. It was a monster that
terrorized Thebes, killing all those who could not solve its riddle.
 It was the Greeks who gave the name "sphinx" to the creature.
 The beard was likely added to the Sphinx during the period of the New Kingdom.
 A portion of the beard can be seen in the British Museum in London.
 Efforts are being made to preserve the Sphinx, but it continues to erode.

What did they wear? 

Looking nice and being clean was very important to the Egyptians. Most everyone, men
and women, wore jewelry of some type. The rich wore jewelry made of gold and silver,
while the poorer people used copper. 

n general, men and women had different roles in the society of Ancient Egypt. However,
unlike in many ancient civilizations, women were considered men's equals under the
law. Just like men, women could run businesses, borrow money, and own property. 
  
Queen Nefertari on Tomb Wall 
Photo by the Yorck Project
Education 

Because women did not become scribes or work in the government, they did not learn
how to read or write. They were taught homemaking skills and how to manage a
household by their mother. 

Marriage 

Girls in Ancient Egypt got married very young. Usually around the age of twelve or
thirteen. The Egyptians did not have big marriage ceremonies and most marriages were
arranged by the two families. 

Typical Roles 

Women typically worked around the home. They prepared food, cooked meals, cleaned
the house, made clothing, and took care of the children. Poor women would help their
husbands work the fields. Wealthier women would manage the servants or perhaps run
a business of their own. 

Preparing Food 

Preparing food for the family was a full time job for most peasant women. They would
tend the garden, ground grain into flour, knead flour into dough, and cook bread. 

Wealthy Women 

Wealthy women would have had servants to do most of the housework and cooking.
They would spend their time managing the servants and planning large banquets.
Sometimes wealthy or high-ranking women became priestesses working in a temple for
one of the Egyptian goddesses. 
Priestesses and Goddesses 

Only women from important and high-ranking families would have been allowed to
become priestesses. Working in a temple was considered an honor. There were many
powerful women goddesses in the Egyptian religion including Isis (the mother goddess),
Hathor (goddess of love and motherhood), and Nut (goddess of the sky). 

Other Jobs 

Not all women worked in the family home or conformed to the typical roles of women. In
Ancient Egyptian society this was okay. Women owned businesses selling products
such as cosmetics, perfume, or clothing. Some women worked as entertainers in the
courts as musicians or dancers. 

Rulers and Leaders 

Although women had less opportunity than men, they had the same legal rights. In
some cases, this allowed a woman to rise all the way in power to become pharaoh. Two
of the most famous women pharaohs were Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII. 

Interesting Facts about Women in Ancient Egypt

 Husbands and wives were generally buried together in the same tomb. Pharaohs
were the exception and were usually buried separately from their wives.
 Family was very important to the Ancient Egyptians. Most men only had one wife
and both men and women were expected to be loyal to their spouse.
 Women wore long, lightweight dresses made of linen. They also wore jewelry
and makeup to protect their eyes and skin.
 Although women had equal rights under the law, they were generally considered
lower than men in Ancient Egyptian society.
 Egyptian Harvest 
from The Oxford encyclopedia of ancient Egypt

Makeup was important as well. Makeup was worn by both men and women. They had
cosmetic cases they would carry around. The main type of makeup used was eye
paint. 

Because it was so hot, most people wore white linen clothes. Men wore kilts and
women wore a straight dress. Slaves and servants would wear patterned fabrics. 

Where did they live? 

The average family lived in a village of sun baked mud houses. The houses were fairly
small with few windows or furniture. They had flat roofs that the people would sleep on
in the summer when it was too hot inside. 

What did they eat? 

The main staple of the commoner was bread. They also had fruits, vegetables, lamb,
and goats for food. They had clay ovens to cook in and usually used dishes made of
clay. The main drink was beer made from barley. 

What kinds of jobs did they have? 

Ancient Egypt was a complex society needing people doing many different tasks and
jobs. Some of the jobs they had included:

 Farmers - most of the people were farmers. They grew barley to make bear,
wheat for bread, vegetables such as onions and cucumbers, and flax to make
into linen. They grew their crops near the banks of the Nile River where the rich
black soil was good for crops.
  Craftspeople - There were a wide variety of craftsmen jobs. They included
carpenters, weavers, jewelers, leather workers, and potters. How skilled a
craftsman was would determine his success.
 Soldiers - Becoming a soldier was an opportunity for a person to rise in society.
Most of the soldiers were footmen. There was a well defined hierarchy in the
Egyptian army. In peacetime, soldiers would help with government projects such
as moving stone for a pyramid or digging a canal.
 Scribes - Scribes were important people in Ancient Egypt as they were the only
people who knew how to read and write. Scribes came from wealthy families and
took years of training to learn the complex Egyptian hieroglyphics.
 Priests and Priestesses - Priests and Priestesses were responsible for the
temples and held religious ceremonies.

Seafood from the Yorck Project

Fun Facts about Ancient Egyptian Daily Life

 The bread the Egyptians ate was so rough that it caused their teeth to wear
away.
 The inside of houses was often painted with scenes from nature or colorful
patterns.
 Women could hold important jobs in Ancient Egyptian society including high
ranking positions such as priestesses, supervisors, and administrators. Some
women reached the highest ranking posts in the land. Hatshepsut was a woman
who became one of Egypt's most powerful Pharaohs.
 The average peasant girl married young, around the age of 12.
 Most people bathed daily, often in the Nile River.
 Religion played a big part in the lives of the Ancient Egyptians. They believed in
a wide variety of gods and goddesses. These gods could take different forms,
usually as animals. The same animal may represent a different god depending
on the area, temple, or timeframe.


Ra by Unknown


Major Gods and Goddesses 

There were some gods and goddesses that were more important and prominent
than others. Here are some of the more important ones: 

Ra - Ra was the sun god and the most important god to the Ancient Egyptians.
Ra was drawn as a man with a hawk head and a headdress with a sun disk. At
one point Ra was combined with another god Amun and the two made an even
more powerful god, Amun-Ra. Ra was said to have created all forms of life and
was the supreme ruler of the gods. 

Isis - Isis was the mother goddess. It was thought that she would protect and
help people in need. She was drawn as a woman with a headdress in the shape
of a throne. 

Osiris - Osiris was ruler of the underworld and god of the dead. He was the
husband of Isis and father of Horus. Osiris was drawn as a mummified man with
a feathered headdress. 

Horus - Horus was the god of the sky. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. He
was drawn as a man with the head of a hawk. The ruler of the Egyptians,
Pharaoh, was thought to be the living version Horus. In this way Pharaoh was the
leader of the Egyptian religion and the people's representative to the gods. 

 Thoth - Thoth was the god of knowledge. He blessed the Egyptians with writing,
medicine, and mathematics. He was also god of the moon. Thoth is drawn as a
man with an Ibis bird head. Sometimes he was represented as a baboon. 
 Temples 

Many Pharaohs built large temples in honor of their gods. These temples would
have large statues, gardens, memorials, and a place of worship. Towns would
have their own temples as well for their own local gods. 



 Luxor Temple at night by Spitfire ch

Some famous temples include the Luxor Temple, the Temple of Isis at Philae,
the Temple of Horus and Edfu, the Temples of Rameses and Nefertiti at Abu
Simbel, and the Temple of Amun at Karnak. 

Was Pharaoh considered a god? 

The Ancient Egyptians considered Pharaoh to be their main intermediary to the

gods; perhaps more of a high priest than a god. He was, however, closely
associated with the god Horus and may have, at times, been considered a god in
human form. 

Afterlife 
   
The Book of the Dead - Drawn on the walls of a tomb 
by Jon Bodsworth

The Egyptians believed that there was a life after death. They thought that
people had two important parts: a "ka", or life force that they only had while alive,
and a "ba" which was more like a soul. If the "ka" and "ba" could be united in the
afterworld the person would live in the afterlife. A key component was that the
body be preserved for this to happen. This is why the Egyptians used the
embalming process, or mummification, to preserve the dead. 

The afterlife was an important part of Ancient Egyptian culture. One of the ways they
prepared for the afterlife was to try and preserve the body as long as possible. They did
this through a process called embalming. These embalmed bodies are called
mummies. 

Coffin and mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I

by G. Elliot Smith
How did they embalm the mummies? 

The Egyptians went through an elaborate process to preserve the body and keep it from
decaying. It's a little gross, so we won't go into too much of the gory details. The main
thing they did was try to get all the water and moisture out of the body. It's water that
causes much of the decay. 

The Egyptians started out by covering the body with a salty crystal substance called
natron. The natron would help to dry out the body. They would also take out some of the
organs. With the body covered and stuffed with natron, they would let the body dry out
for around 40 days. Once it was dry, they would use lotions on the skin to preserve it,
reinforce the empty body with packing, and then cover the body in wraps of linen. They
would use many layers of strips of linen wrapping, covering the entire body. Resin was
used to glue the layers of wrap together. The total process could take up to 40 days. 

Once the body was all wrapped up, it was covered in a sheet called a shroud and
placed in a stone coffin called a sarcophagus. 

Why did they care so much about the dead bodies? 

The tomb of Sennedjem by Unknown

In the Egyptian religion, the body was needed in order for the soul or "ba" of the person
to unite with the "ka" of the person in the afterlife. The body was an important part of the
afterlife and they wanted to preserve it forever. 

Did everyone get this fancy embalming? 

Only the very rich could afford the best embalming. It was important to everyone,
though, so they got the best that they could pay for and most of the dead were made
into mummies. It is estimated that 70 million mummies were made in Egypt over the
3,000 years of the ancient civilization. 

Famous Mummies 

 
Tut's Tomb from the New York Times

There are still mummies of some of the ancient Pharaohs around. Both Tutankhamun
and Rameses the Great were preserved and can be seen at museums. 

Fun Facts about Egyptian Mummies

 Over the past few thousands of years, many of the Egyptian mummies have
been destroyed in interesting ways. Some were burned for fuel, some were
ground into powder to make magical potions, and some were destroyed by
treasure hunters.
 The heart was left in the body because it was considered to be the center of
intelligence. The brain was thrown away because it was thought to be useless.
 Sometimes the mummy's mouth would be opened to symbolize breathing in the
afterlife. It is probably this custom that led to the superstition that mummies come
back to life.
 Mummies are studied by scientists without unwrapping them by using CAT scan
and X-Ray machines.