| Ra was the most important god to the Ancient Egyptians. He was the sun god |
Gods |
| Isis was a mother goddess worshipped for her devotion to her family |
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| Osiris was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld |
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| Horus, god of the sky, was also important to the ancient Egyptians |
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| Thoth was the god of wisdom. He was often depicted as a baboon |
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| Egypt’s first laws were written under King Menes around 2950 BCE |
Laws |
| Pharaohs were in charge of settling disputes. They often delegated to others |
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| Ma'at was the goddess of justice and laws followed her teachings |
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| Crimes came in two categories: against the state or against individuals |
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| Justice was also given by oracles who proclaimed the will of dead pharaohs |
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| Mummification was necessary if you wanted to get into the afterlife |
Mummies |
| Animals were mummified too: crocodiles, falcons, and lots of cats |
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| Internal organs were removed and put inside canopic jars |
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| A finished mummy was placed inside a stone coffin called a sarcophagus |
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| It took seventy days to create a mummy |
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| The Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics: pictures representing words |
Writing |
| Hieroglyphics were first used around 3200 BCE |
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| Hieroglyphics were written in any direction. The reader had to figure out which |
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| The ancient Egyptians invented and wrote on a type of paper called papyrus |
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| Hieroglyphic writing was seen as art as well as words |
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| The Rosetta Stone is one of the most important artifacts ever found |
Artefacts |
| The Ankh symbol of life was put on the mouths of dead pharaohs |
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| Pharaohs carried a crook and a flail, symbols of the god Osiris |
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| Amulets in the shape of scarabs (dung beetles) were popular |
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| Many artefacts have been found at Saqqara, cemetery of Egypt's capital |
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| The word “pharaoh” means “Great House". It refers to their palace |
Pharaohs |
| During ancient Egypt's 3,000 year history there were 32 pharaoh dynasties |
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| Tutankhamun became the most famous pharaoh when his tomb was found |
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| Hatshepsut was a lady who became pharaoh after the death of her husband |
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| The last pharaoh was Cleopatra VII. She died in 30 BCE |
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| The word "barge" comes from ancient Egyptian "bꜣjr": a cargo ship |
Language |
| The word "ivory" comes indirectly for the Egyptian word for "elephant": ꜣbw |
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| The word "migraine" comes from the Egyptian for "half-head" or "headache" |
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| The word "oasis comes" from Egyptian "wḥꜣt": cauldron |
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| The word "pyramid" is not Egyptian. It is Greek for "wheat cake" |
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| The Pyramid of Giza was the world's tallest building for more than 6,000 years! |
Pyramids |
| Despite what the Bible says, the pyramids were not built by slaves |
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| Ancient Egyptian astronomers aligned the pyramids with the stars |
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| When first built the pyramids were covered with polished limestone |
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| The earliest Egyptian pyramids were not smooth - they had steps |
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| The drink of choice was beer. Ancient Egyptians drank it every day |
Foods |
| The staple food in ancient Egypt was bread. It's a staple in modern society too |
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| The wealthy in ancient Egypt drank wine |
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| Priests ate very well - and this shortened their lives |
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| Eggs were also eaten - including ostrich eggs |
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| Music was important to the ancient Egyptians |
Pastimes |
| They liked to play "senet", one of the oldest known board games |
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| Another popular board game was "mehen" |
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| The Egyptians used chariots in war. It appears that they raced them too |
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| They also liked to listen to stories. Most of these were about their gods |
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