Transcript egypt - The Heritage School

EGYPT
• What do you know?
• Maps
• http://www.kendallbioresearch.co.uk/eg
yptmap.htm
• http://www.all-aboutegypt.com/egypttourist-attractions.h
Outlining
HEADING
(pg #1) - main ideas of the paragraph
-main ideas
-main ideas
HEADING
-main idea
(pg. #2) main idea
- “wadis”- a dry riverbed
Introduction
(pg. 1) -Very hot in Egypt
THE RIVER BRINGS LIFE TO THE DESERT
-four thousand miles long
-2 branches- Blue Nile (mtns. of Ethiopia), White Nile(Lake Victoria)
-Nile flows Northward
-River provides food, transportation.
(pg.2)-”The Gift of the Nile”
NATURAL FEATURES SURROUND AND PROTECT THE NILE VALLEY
-desert covers 96% of Egypt
-”wadis”- dry riverbeds
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Natural geographical buffers = dry hot heat, huge sea, swamps in the
north, rapids and waterfalls
- For 2000 years Egypt invaded only 3 times
- *Buffers = major reason Egypt flourished
WHY STUDY ANCIENT EGYPT?
-Gave us basic ideas: geometry, mathematics, astronomy,
-architecture ideas – columns, fortresses, drawbridges,
-domestication of cats, honey bees, carrier pigeons,
-tanning of leather, glass making, mosquito netting, canal and lake
construction, paper, study of human anatomy, solar calendar,
scientific method of study
The Beginnings
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(5) The Earliest Nile Dwellers
Nomads
5000-7000 years ago
-stone tools
-gatherers, hunters
Beginnings of Agriculture
Probably an accident
Farming led to settlements
Annual flood and the development of
Agriculture
• Spring snows, mountain flooding – Ethiopia
(6) Flooded once a year
• Enriched soil****
• Inundation- act of Gods
• 3 months flooded then recedes led to Catch
basins , dams
• Led to irrigation
• Shaduf
The Black Land and the Red Land
• (7)-Black land= dark silt = fertile area- richest
farm land in the world
• Kemi= silt
• Red land= desert = sand and rock
• Red land = Desret
• *difference between life in Red land and Black
Land
Building with mud bricks
• -sun dried bricks- straw, mud, sand
• Melts in the rain- repair
The Domestication of Animals-food, work, clothing, companionship
Sheep, pigs, donkeys, cattle, geese,
Bees, dogs- greyhound, cats (tufted ears)
-used sheep, goats to trample seeds
(9)Major Products
Wheat, barley, flax- most important
Others- grapes, cucumbers, dates, onions,
lettuce, chickpeas, figs….and small Popeye
figures
• Writing chapter- see handouts
• hieroglyphic project
• Religion chapter- see God chart handout
• God Chart project
Hieroglyphics
Nick and Katelyn Kelly
Hmmm… What did you say?
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HRU
• WRUD 2DAY
• B HOME L8ER
G2G
• CALL ME 2NITE
Writing
• HRU (How are you?)
• • WRUD 2DAY (What
are you doing today?)
• • B HOME L8ER (Be
home later
• G2G (Got to go.)
• • CALL ME 2NITE (Call
me tonight.).)
• Where might you see
these types of
messages?
• What makes this type
of communication
different from the
normal written word?
Communication and writing
• Why do people use this form of communication rather than
writing complete words and sentences?
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What are the advantages of using this type of
communication?
• What are disadvantages of texting?
• Do you think our ways of writing will continue to change with
technology? Explain
What is a Hieroglyph Anyway?
Hieroglyphs are what
the ancient egyptians
used to write with.
They were pictures that
meant words or
sometimes they were
two words combined.
How The Alphabet Works
• Hieroglyphs are signs, they
are usually divide into 4
categories. They used 27
signs to represent over 700
possible words or
meanings
• Alphabetic signs represent
a single sound. But the
Egyptians took most
vowels for granted.
How Did People Learn To Write It?
• How you would learn to
write it would be to
attend a special school.
• At this school you
would learn how to
write and read them.
• If you learned how to
write the langue you
would be considered a
“Scribe”.
What Are Scribes?
• Scribes are people who
attended a 5 year school
on how to read or write
hieroglyphics.
• They were usually men but
experts have found that
there was women doctors
and in order to be a doctor
they had to be able to read
hieroglyphics.
Scribes For a Thought
• Not all people could
learn how to write,
Most often it was the
children of scribes.
• But many craftsmen
were able to get there
kids into the school.
But, it was very rare
What Did They Write on and With?
 They used a plant called
papyrus and cut thin layers
off the stem. Then laid it
flat as in the picture. They
then used a mallet. Finally
they used a smoothing
stone to smooth it out.
 They wrote with reed pens
which they dipped into ink.
 They also carved, and
painted on tombs and
temple walls
Did They Use Colors?
Yes, Actually hieroglyphs were often written in
red and black ink and on papyrus.
They used many colors to do tombs and
temple.
How Were Hieroglyphs Found?
• By The Rosetta Stone
• The Rosetta Stone was
found in a village called
Rosetta (Rashid).
• The Rosetta Stone was
found in 1799
About The Rosetta Stone
• They think the Rosetta Stone was made in 196
b.c.
• The Rosetta Stone was found by French
soldiers who were rebuilding a fort in Egypt.
• The Rosetta Stone was text written by the
priests in Egypt to honor the Pharaohs. It
would list all the good things the Pharaohs
have done for the people and priests.
Compare and Contrast
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Past
Use Pictures
Only a few people knew
how to write and read.
They had to use papyrus.
Use Reed Pens
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Present
We don’t use pictures
Many people know how
to write and read our
language.
We use paper from
trees.
Use Pencils.
Higher level of
technology
Who owns the Rosetta Stone?
• There is a debate on
who should “own” the
Rosetta Stone.
• The British, French or
Egypt• What do you think?
• Check on the link to see
a ppt debate-
• http://www.yellowsprings.k12.oh.us/ysmls/student4.htm
Bibliography
Mr.M. used the following sources
• http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/explo
re/school.html We used this for all about
scribes and the Rosetta Stone.
• http://schools.mukilteo.wednet.edu/ex/Librar
y/ancient%20egypt/ancient_egypt%20student
.htm We used this whole site for everything
Writing project
• Get into your nomes and find the writing
section in your nome booklet.
• Do the Hieroglyphic project as directed
Mummies
• When you think of a mummy
what comes to mind? Most of us
usually picture an Egyptian
mummy wrapped in bandages
and buried deep inside a
pyramid.
• While the Egyptian ones are the
most famous, mummies have
been found in many places
throughout the world, from
Greenland to China to the Andes
Mountains of South America.
Mummies
• A mummy is the body of a
person (or an animal) that has
been preserved after death..
• Mummies are made naturally or
by embalming, which is any
process that people use to help
preserve a dead body.
• The ancient Egyptians believed
that mummifying a person's
body after death was essential to
ensure a safe passage to the
afterlife.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MUMMIES?
• Mummification in ancient Egypt was a very long and
expensive process. From start to finish, it took about seventy
days to embalm a body.
• Since the Egyptians believed that mummification was
essential for passage to the afterlife, people were mummified
and buried as well as they could possibly afford. High-ranking
officials, priests and other nobles who had served the
pharaoh and his queen had fairly elaborate burials.
• The pharaohs, who were believed to become gods when
they died, had the most magnificent burials of all. In the case
of a royal or noble burial, the embalmers set up workshops
near the tomb of the mummy.
Steps of mummification
• The art of Egyptian mummification consisted of many steps.
• First, the body was washed and ritually purified.
• The next step was to remove the deceased person's inner
organs. A slit was cut into the left side of the body so that the
embalmers could remove the intestines, the liver, the
stomach and the lungs.
• Each of these organs was embalmed using natron, which
served to dry out the organs and discourage bacteria from
decaying the tissues.
• The organs were then individually wrapped using long strips
of linen and placed in canopic jars. The lids of these jars were
fashioned after the four sons of Horus, who were each
suppose to protect a particular organ.
Canopic Jars
• Qebehsenuef, the
falcon head -- intestines
Duamutef, the jackal
head -- stomach
Hapy, the baboon head
-- lungs
Imsety, the human
head -- liver
Don’t need that brain
• After the removal of the inner organs, the
body cavity was stuffed with natron. The
brain was then removed through the nose
using long hooks. Since the ancient Egyptians
considered the brain unimportant, it was
probably thrown away.
Steps continued
• The body was then placed on a slanted embalming
table and completely covered with natron. This
allowed fluids to drip away as the body slowly dried
out.
• This part of the process took about forty days, after
which the natron was removed, inside and out, to
reveal a dried, shrunken body.
• After another cleaning, the body was rubbed with
unguents to aid in preserving the mummy's skin. The
head and body cavity were stuffed with packing.
Steps continued
• The mummy was then prepared for bandaging. First, the
embalming cut in the side of the body was sewn up and
covered with a patching depicting the protective eye of Horus.
The body was adorned with gold, jewels and protective
amulets. Fingers and toes were covered with protective gold
caps and individually wrapped with long, narrow strips of
linen. Arms and legs were also wrapped, then the entire body
was wrapped to a depth of about twenty layers.
• The embalmers used resin to glue the layers of wrappings
together. The wrapped head was covered with a mummy
mask. Finally, the last layer of bandages went on and was
given one last coating of resin. The mummy was the ready for
burial.
Finally
• Once the mummy was finally prepared, it was time for the
funeral. The mummy and its canopic jars were transported by
sled from the embalming tent to the tomb.
• People were hired to demonstrate their grief by crying and
throwing dust on their hair.
• At the site of the tomb, religious ceremonies were held to
prepare the dead for the afterlife.
• In particular, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was
believed to allow the mummy to see, hear, eat and drink in
the spirit world.
THE AFTERLIFE
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The Egyptians believed that every
person was composed of three
essential elements: body, Ba, and ka.
The body is the physical body and is
unique to each individual. As a
person gets older, so the body ages
and changes - the Egyptians'
expressed the idea of growing up as a
process of "making changes" - and
death is the last change.
Each person also has a Ba. In this
sense, Ba is very similar to what we
call "personality,” "character," or
“soul.” In the afterlife, the Ba is
represented as a bird with a human
head
The Ba or Soul
of a dead person
Ka and reunification
• Each person also has what is
called a ka, or life-force, and
it is the ka which is the
difference between being
alive and being dead. Unlike
the Ba, the ka is not
individual, but common to
all living people and the
gods: in the beginning, the
creator made ka, and ka
enters each person's body
at birth.
• In the next world, or
underworld, the goal is to
live with ones ka. In order
for this to happen, the ka
needs to be summoned
back to the body and
recognize it. But since the
body is bound in its
wrappings, it must rely on
its Ba to seek out its ka.
Becoming one again
• In seeking a union with the ka, the Ba must overcome many
potential dangers in the underworld.
• But if it does succeed, it will reunite with the ka and form
what is called akh.
• The Egyptian's believed that there are only three kinds of
beings that live in the next world: the dead, the gods, and
akhs.
• Akhs are those who have successfully made the transition to
new life in the next world, where they live with the gods.
• The dead are those who have failed to make the transition. It
is said that they have "died again," with no hope of renewed
life.
The Underworld
• The Underworld was apart
from this world. One could
not see it or get to it by
normal means, though.
• The Underworld could be
reached only through your
imagination, and through
your knowledge of the path
of the sun.
The Underworld
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The Underworld was a strange and
mysterious place.
mummies were said to sink into this
place which was endless, dark, and
chaotic.
It was believed that the Underworld
was separated from the real world by a
wide stream, and that a great river also
flowed through it.
There was water, plants and trees in
the Underworld as well, where the
dead, once they achieved resurrection,
would grow crops to live on.
This region of the Underworld is
sometimes called the Ealu-fields.
From the tomb of Sen-Nedjem
(20th Dynasty, 1186-1070 BC),
showing Sen-Nedjem and his wife
in the fields of Ealu.
From the tomb of Sen-Nedjem (20th Dynasty, 1186-1070 BC), showing
Sen-Nedjem and his wife in the fields of Ealu.
The Dangerous Journey
• According to the book of Amduat,
the Underworld was divided into
twelve departments, or hours,
and twelve portals that represent
the twelve hours of night
between the time that the sun
sets in the west, and the time it
comes up again in the east.
• But time in the Underworld is
not the same as time on Earth.
Each hour in the Underworld
represents an entire lifetime.
• The sun god, Ra, travels in
his boat on the great river,
bringing order and life to
each department in turn.
• Along the way his boat may
come across the sandbank
of Apophis, a monster of
chaos in the shape of a
giant serpent and the
enemy of Ra, who attempts
to wreck Ra's boat.
Ra in the Underworld
• But Ra is defended by several
gods and goddesses who ride
with him and do battle with
Apophis.
• As Ra comes to the door of each
department, the gates open
automatically for him.
• When he enters he shines
sunlight on the darkness and
speaks magic words from the
Book of Gates and all the
mummies throw off their
protective wrappings and begin a
new life.
Ra’s power
• The resurrected live an
entire life as long as Ra
remains in their
department.
• When Ra goes on to the
next department, the
mummies re-wrap
themselves in their
bandages and return to
their tombs, darkness
returns, and they begin the
wait for Ra's next return.
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O gods who are in the Underworld,
who are behind the ruler of the West,
who are stretched n their side,
who are sleeping on their supports,
raise your flesh,
pull together your bones,
collect your limbs,
unite your flesh.
May there be sweet breath to your
noses.
Loosing for your mummy wrappings.
May your head-masks be uncovered.
May there be light for your divine
eyes
in order that you may see the light by
means of them.
Stand up from your weariness.
The Book of the Dead
• Among the obstacles that could stand in the way of
reunion of Ba and ka, and resurrection, the most
important was the Judgment of the Dead.
• We know of the Judgment mostly from one of the
latest and most popular collections of spells known
as the Book of the Dead.
Judgment of the Dead
• A scene from the Book of
the Dead depicts the
Judgment of the Dead.
Anubis watches the scales;
on the right, Thoth records
the results; The Devourer
next to Anubis, waits to eat
sinful hearts.
• In the scales are shown the
deceased's heart on left,
and the feather of Maat on
the right.
The weighing of the heart
The heart
• The heart of the deceased was placed on one side of a
balance. The heart was special to the ancient Egyptians: it was
considered the center of a person's personality, and it
provided a link between one's life in this world and the next.
• It would assure memory of ones earthly identity in the
afterlife. So important was it that the Egyptians took special
care that the heart be left in the body of the deceased, along
with a spell from the Book of the Dead to give the heart back
to the dead in the afterlife. (This unlike the brain, which was
extracted and discarded.)
• On the other side of the balance was placed a feather, symbol
of Maat, goddess of truth, justice and order.
The confession
The deceased then would begin immediately reciting a
formula that dealt with confessing and proving their
truthfulness.
As the dead person recited these things the scales would start
to balance.
• The scales of the balance would either stay balanced,
indicating that his heart was not heavy and he thus told the
truth,
• Or they would tip, indicating that his heart was made heavy
with lies.
• Anubis would be present to verify the results and bring the
scales in balance,. Thoth, the god of the written word,
would record the results.
Yea!
• Assuming all went well, as it usually did if one
made it to the Hall of Two Truths, a general
verdict would be given in which the
truthfulness of the judged is verified.
• He is allowed to receive offerings and take
bread with Osiris, confirming his transfer to
the order of the afterlife, and is given a parcel
of land on which to live eternally.
The Appealing nature of this world
• The appealing thing
about his idea for most
Egyptians was that you
could realize your
dreams in the next
world.
• Poor people, crippled
people etc could be
reborn into a better way
of life for themselves.
Famous Mummies
• There are many
“famous” mummies
that have been
discovered throughout
the world.
• Some of the most
famous are King Tut,
Hathshepsut, the iceIncas, and Ramses
The famous “death mask” of King Tut
Mummification process continued• To mummify a body,
embalmers had to
remove the internal
organs first. To preserve
the skin, they rubbed it
with palm oil and dried it
in a special kind of salt
called 'natron'.
Afterwards, the body was
unwrapped and sealed,
getting ready for the
tomb.
• Preserving the face was
important but difficult,
because they had to
remove the brain. So,
instead of cutting the
head open to remove it,
they inserted hooks
through the nose.
Queen Hathshepsut
Hatshepsut, who ruled for 21 years from 1479 to 1458 BC, was one of the
most powerful female monarchs of the ancient world, who declared
herself pharaoh after the death of her husband-brother, Tuthmosis II
“Ginger”
Ginger, the naturally-preserved, pre-dynastic mummy. His well-known
photograph is often included in books about Egyptian mummies. He
(named for his red hair) is surrounded by burial goods, including the tools
he worked with during his life, as well as pottery vessels that were once
filled with food to accompany him to this afterlife.
Inca mummies
Famous high-altitude archaelogist, Johan Reinhard makes his most
exciting discovery yet, three perfectly preserved Inca mummies at the
top of the 22,000 foot peak of Argentina`s Mount Lullaillaco volcano.
Famous mummies of our nightmares
A Hollywood mummy
Tomb of the Unknown Mummy
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/In
teractiveAdventures/Tomb-unknownmummy?source=sem_G2209&kwid=mummie
s|2681126987&gclid=CLS_zZK_lZ4CFQifnAodr
yiIrQ
Check out that link for a cool game on
mummies.
Interactive map of Egypt
• http://www.kendallbioresearch.co.uk/egyptmap.htm
Mummified Chicken project
Instructions
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1. Weigh your chicken.
2. Wearing gloves, students will remove entrails from the chicken (Optional: These can be preserved in
smaller baggies and put in baby food jars. Later, students can decorate the baby food jars with clay heads,
turning them into canopic jars.)
3. At a sink, thoroughly rinse both inside and outside of chicken. Do this until the liquid runs clear.
4. Using paper towels (many will be needed), dry the chicken thoroughly inside and out, especially under
the legs and wings. This is critical, since any moisture can create problems with the mummification
process.
5. Rub the 1/2 cup of spices all over the chicken (inside and out). Any mixture of sweet-smelling (and
cheap) spices will do. The purpose is to mask the odor of the decay which is about to take place.
6. Rub salt over the entire chicken, making sure that every inch is covered (and very dry).
7. Fill the cavity with salt.
8. Place the chicken in a Zip-loc bag. Seal the bag and place in a plastic tub (or bowl) in case the bag begins
to leak. (As the process occurs, liquid will drain from the carcass).
9. Once a week for 4 or 5 weeks, open the bag and remove the chicken (be sure to wear gloves!). Weigh
the chicken each time and record the weight. The chicken must be re-spiced, re-salted (inside the cavity
and out), and replaced in a clean bag.
Mummified chicken project
9. Repeat this process each week until no more liquid accumulates in the
bag.
10. When the chicken is done, remove it from the bag. Weigh it one last
time. Then wrap it in gauze strips or ripped muslin strips. Decorate with
handmade "authentic" Egyptian amulets, medallions, jewels, etc.
11. Create a sarcophagus for the mummy using shoe boxes. Spray box
with gravel paint. Decorate with hieroglyphics and pictures of Egyptian
gods.
12. Students can bury the sarcophagus (with mummy inside) and dig it
up later in the year.
13. Students can keep a journal of the process.
Weight loss chart
• Name:
• 1 pound (lb.) = 16 ounces (oz.)
• 1. How many ounces did your chicken way at the beginning?
• 2. How many ounces did your chicken weigh at the end of the
mummification process?
• 3. How many total ounces did the chicken lose during the
mummification process?
• 4. Weight Loss fraction _______
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Weight loss percentage _______
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Weight loss decimal _______
Mummy project
• unitedstreaming:
Mummies
• Done in Egypt groups
• In class internet
research
• Maximum of 3 slides
• Group presentation
• Use the handout for
this project.
Due
Group Mummy project on Internet
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Group study
Use assigned topic
Use assigned websites
Oral presentation
Can make up to 3 slides
for presentation
• Think outside the box
• Don’t read your slides
• Use them as aids
review chapter. VI- Mummies and Burialidentify and be able to talk about these key
terms
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KA and BA
Mastaba
Steps of Mummification
Natron, Amulet,
Shawbatis
• Sarcophagus
• Book of the Dead
– Journey to the
Underworld
• Anubis, Thoth, The
Devourer, Weighing of
the Heart – other key
“players”
• Ceremony of the
Touching of the Mouth
• Mortuary Temples
Tombs and Pyramids
chapter VII and video
• Mastaba to Pyramid
• Djoser (Old Kingdom)
• Imhotep
-Step Pyramid
-over 200 feet high
-beginning of
pyramid era
Imhotep’s Step Pyramid
• The large complex at Saqqara is
about 15 kilometers south of Giza
and is most famous as the site of
Djoser’s large step pyramid and
various well preserved tombs and
other structures.
• This step pyramid is the oldest
surviving large-scale stone
structure in the world. It was
designed by Imhotep, the most
famous architect in all of Egyptian
history, who stacked six
traditional stone platforms on top
of each other.
Step Pyramid
The Bent Pyramid
• The Bent Pyramid was the
first attempt to build a true
pyramid and it still retains
more of its limestone casing
than any other pyramid in
the country.
• However it appears that the
builders started at too
steep an angle and had to
change their plans part-way
through construction.
Bent Pyramid
Pyramids at Giza
The Great Pyramids
• The great pyramids of Giza are located just south of
present day Cairo. The three pyramids were built
during the 4th dynasty of Egypt. The pyramids were
those of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren), and
Menkure (Mycerinus).
• They were constructed over 4,500 years ago in the
Old Kingdom.
• Each had a mortuary temple and causeway.
Layout of Giza Pyramids
Khufu’s pyramid
• The pharaoh Khufu reigned for 23 years from 2789 to
2767 BC, and it is the accepted orthodox view that
he constructed the Great Pyramid as his personal
tomb.
• However, the pharaoh's body was not found within
it, nor any treasure, or anything remotely related to a
funeral.
• No mummy has ever been found in a pyramid in
Egypt. Mummies have always come from mastabas
or tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
How long it took
• Estimates range from
300,000 to 10,000 men
were required to built the
great pyramids
• Herodotus said it took
300,000
• The accepted values by
Egyptologists bear out the
following result: 2,400,000
stones used ÷ 20 years ÷
365 days per year ÷ 10 work
hours per day ÷ 60 minutes
per hour = 0.55 stones laid
per minute.
• Thus no matter how many
workers were used or in what
configuration, 1.1 blocks on
average would have to be put in
place every 2 minutes, ten hours
a day, 365 days a year for twenty
years to complete the Great
Pyramid within this time frame.
• This equation, however, does not
take into account among other
things the designing, planning,
surveying, and leveling the 13
acre site the Great Pyramid sits
on.
Khufu’s (Cheops) pyramid
• Khufu is also known as
“Cheops” by the
Greeks.
• On the Giza plateau
near Saqqara
• 20 years to complete
• Base 775 feet on each
side
• Covers 13 acres
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481 feet high
@40 stories
2.5 million blocks
Avg wt. 2.5 tons
Largest = 15 tons
Most of work done
during the Inundation
each year
Khufu (Cheops) Pyramid
Khafre Pyramid
Built on higher
ground than his
dad’s to look bigger.
It also has a little of
the limestone cap
remaining.
Aerial view of
Khafre pyramid
from his dad’s
pyramid
The Sphinx
• The Great Sphinx was
carved out of limestone
near the valley temple
of the Khafre ( Chefren)
pyramid.
• The Sphinx was
believed to be a form of
the sun god, and was
worshipped in ancient
days. The Sphinx is 240
feet long.
Though there has been
some debate, most
believe the face of the
Sphinx was carved after
an image of King Khafre
Who Killed Tutankamen Project
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-done by nomes
- 3 class times
-computer time
Use the following link:
http://www.pekin.net/pekin108/wash/webquest/
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Science and Math99-104
• Like to see shapes in the
stars (constellations)
• Studied the planets,
stars
• Sirius- “dog star”
-foretells “Innundation”
• 1st Solar Calendar based
on the timing of the
appearance of Sirius
and the Innundation
• Calendar Year:
-three seasonsInnundation- flooding
Reemergence- planting
DroughtDry
started about our July 20
at beginning of
Innundation
Solar calendar
• Divided the year into
• 12 months (30 days)
• Made a myth up to help
add five days every
once in a while to make
up for Sirius not
matching up with the
Innundation.
• Myth – Thoth, dice,
Moon
• Extra days- party!!
• Calendar still messed up
because we know – 365
1/4 days in a year
• Priests just add a day
when needed.
• Egyptian solar calendar
used by Roman Empire
and base for ours today
Nilometer
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There were many Nilometers in
Egypt, but the most important ones
were near the first cataract up river.
The Nilometer was important as it
measured the rise of the floodwaters
of the Nile.
If the Nile did not rise enough, the
land would experience famine
conditions. If the Nile rose too high it
would flood villages and cause
damage.
Nilometers
Every temple in Egypt had a Nilometer
because it was a symbol of life.
Using Astronomy with building
How did they find North
on construction sites
like the Great Pyramid?
• Tall circle of stones at
base of building site
• Priest notes where
certain star rises and
sets than marks ½ way
point as North
• Shadow Clock- like
sundial
• Water Clock- measured
water level as hours in a
day
Water clock
• The container is filled
and water seeps out a
small hole on the
bottom. There are lines
on the inside that
measure the hours as
the water line recedes.
How to measure
• Land needed to be
measured for tax and
ownership purposes.
• Used lines with knots
• “rope stretchers”• Geometry– Area, degrees all used
by Egyptians.
*Everything had a purpose
Measurements
• Number system based on
10 – digits, fingers, toes
• Pg. 102
• Cubits- length of forearm
(changes to standard size
eventually)
• Palm, hand (widths)- 4
fingers = 1 palm
• Foot- heel to toe
Weights
• Balances used
• Deben- fixed weight in
gold, silver or copper
• *closest thing they
came to having a
standard currency like
us.
Human Anatomy
• Advanced biologists
• Knowledge helped
create modern
• But superstitions
medicine today.
limited true study of the
human body
• Doctors did follow
scientific method while
treating a patient
What could they do?
• Set bones
• Skull surgery to relieve
pain
• Used bandages,
compresses
• Understood infections
but did not have
antibiotics
• Understood good
hygiene, bed rest
• Dentists-pull teeth, treat
infections, fix cavities,
make false teeth
Everyday life
(pgs-106-115)
• Look at modern Egypt to
see signs of the old Egypt• Farming still a main industry
• Many farming tools still
used- water wheels,
shadufs, wooden plows
• Mud brick houses
• Rural Egypt very similar to
ancient times
• Tomb paintings, writings
have much to say
Every day life- common homes
• Mud brick houses
• Mud Columns made by
using papyrus reeds as
a frame
• Crowded narrow streets
• Sleeping on roof tops
• Cooking done outside
• Courtyard for storage
and for keeping animals
Every day life- furniture
• Wood was rare- mostly
imported
• furniture was simple
• Bed- wood frame with
rush mate and
footboard
• Woven linen covers
• Wooden headrests
Every day life- Homes of nobles
• More room, more
room, more room!
• Imported trees for
shade and food
• Ornamental ponds,
• Exotic pets
• Raised floors
• Decorated walls
• Wooden tables and
furnishings
• Indoor toilets in some
homes
• Outside stables, servant
quarters, workshops
Every day life- Obelisks
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This is the largest obelisk discovered,
but it was never finished for
unknown reasons. Had it been
completed, the weight of this obelisk
is estimated to be at 1200 tons (the
next largest obelisk weighs 300 tons).
In order to transport the obelisks,
four boats were strapped together,
and three obelisks were laid
crosswise. The Egyptians then waited
for the flooding waters to carry the
boats away.
Hatshepsut recorded that work on
one of her obelisks took 7 months.
Egypt (3000 B.C.E.)
review
• Only civilization to continue to today
• 2700-2100 Old Kingdom:Great Pyramids &
Sphinx are built
• 2100-1800 Middle Kingdom: Irrigation &
canals built; conquered by invaders
• 1600-1100 New Kingdom: conquered many
lands, became a great empire, begins to
decline
Egypt review
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Made paper from papyrus
Invented the calendar
Built Great Pyramids
Invented shaduf ( a crane-like device)
Used a loom to weave cloth
Invented hieroglyphics
Legacy Project
• See handout
Chapters 8,9, and 10 (end of book)
To review see handout and file on
website