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Ancient Egypt

What was life like in early Egypt?Ancient Egypt was split into two kingdoms (Upper and Lower Egypt) which were unified, and the crowns of their leaders were amalgamated into the typical crown of pharaohs.The ancient Egyptian hierarchy (farmers and slaves, craftsmen, merchants, scribes, soldiers, nobles and priests, pharaohs).The river Nile was central to ancient Egyptian life and settlements were largely focused on its banks for farming, fishing, transport and health.

What are hieroglyphics?The ancient Egyptians used a script called hieroglyphics to record stories and depict scenes from daily life and the afterlife. Scribes were specially trained for up to five years to be able to write in hieroglyphics and they were often the children of previous scribes. Everyday Egyptians would not have been able to read or write- this was usually only pharaohs, scribes and priests/nobles. Hieroglyphics don’t include vowels.

What did the Ancient Egyptians believe?The ancient Egyptians were polytheistic (believed in several gods). Ra (the sun god) was the most important God in the Old Kingdom. They believed he created all life. Bastet was the protector of the Lower kingdom, and was believed to protect against disease and evil. She was also associated with pregnant women. Sekhmet was the warrior goddess associated with healing and would protect soldiers in battle. Each god ruled an aspect of life (such as the river Nile, food and crops, medicine etc). Sun temples were built to honour Ra and this is where ancient Egyptians would worshipThe centre of each temple had an obelisk

What did the Ancient Egyptians believe happened when you die?Most Egyptians only lived to be around 30, so the afterlife was very important to them. They used mummification to prepare the deceased for their journey to the afterlife, including removing their organs, covering them in resin, drying their bodies and wrapping them in cloth. Their organs were placed into specific canopic jars allocated by a god to protect them. In the afterlife, they believed that your heart would be weighed against a feather. If you had lived a good moral life, your heart would be lighter than the feather and you would pass into the afterlife.

How were the pyramids built?Pyramids are tombs for the most important people in Ancient Egyptian life (pharaohs, high priests)The largest pyramid was the Pyramid of Giza, which was build for Pharoah Khufu during the Old Kingdom- it was the tallest structure in the world for more than 3800 years.There were different chambers within the pyramid structure (King’s chamber was for the pharoah’s body, Queen’s chamber for his wife, and a grand gallery for all of their treasures and possessions). Skilled artisans built the pyramids (rather than slaves) and a system of pulleys and dragging ropes were used to haul the stones upwards.