 Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa  It is shaped like a lotus flower that follows the Nile River  It was divided into the Two Lands: Upper and Lower Egypt  Most Egyptians lived along the banks of the Nile River

Means sacred writing Early form of Egyptian picture writing Consists of 600 different symbols No one could read it until the Discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 The stone had three different kinds of ancient writing: Hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek The puzzle of Hieroglyphs was finally solved in 1822 by Jean-Francois Champollion

 Marriages were arranged, and women brought a dowry.  Egyptians cherished their children, both boys and girls.  Women had equal status to men.  They had many different jobs like farmers, pot-makers, butchers, and carpenters.  Only 5% of the population could read.  Most Egyptians did not go to school.  The literate Egyptians became government officials or bureaucrats.  Egyptians ate a lot of bread and drank beer. They also ate fish and eggs.  Egyptians wore very little clothing…it was hot!  Some even shaved their heads and wore wigs.  Egyptians liked to party.  They had dancers, musicians, and singers.

There were180 known Pharaohs over 3,120 years Two were women *Hetshepsut ( BCE) who is often shown with a fake beard and male clothing *Cleopatra (51-30 BCE) the last Pharaoh of Egypt The Pharaoh was considered equal to a god, and was treated as a god He wore a false beard, the eye of Ra on his forehead, and two crowns to protect him at all times. Archaeological evidence describes elegant and sprawling palaces.

 The first pyramids were called Mastabas, and looked like steps.  Each new Pharaoh built bigger and better pyramids.  The Great Pyramid built by Khufu took 20 years to build with over 20,000 workers.  More than 100 pyramids were built after Khufu’s.  Inside a pyramid were many passages, corridors, and chambers.  No one knows exactly how they were built. There are many theories including aliens!

Carved from rock over 4,000 years ago Guards the second Great Pyramid of Giza Has the head of a Pharaoh (Khafra) and the body of a lion It is 240 ft. long and 60 ft. high It was once colorfully painted and had a beard

Introduced by Tuthmosis I Built to deter tomb robbers Contains about 30 royal tombs, including the tomb of King Tut Tombs are cut into limestone and penetrate deep down through solid rock

 A very minor Pharaoh.  He was a sickly child and died a mysterious death at age 19.  Famous due to the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter.  It is a small tomb with only four rooms.  Is the most complete tomb ever discovered.  It contained chariots, chests, gilded beds and furniture, food, and much more.  The burial chamber was filled by four nesting shrines which contained three.  nesting coffins – the innermost of solid gold.  It took 10 years to empty the tomb.

Photos retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons Map of Egypt – Thomas Small Sistrum – Richard White Pyramids –Mike S. Cleopatra – Arqueo 2 Hetshepsut – the vanornes Valley of the Kings – Mathew Knott Sphinx – Keith Yahl King Tut’s Tomb (external) – Anthony King Tut’s Tomb (internal) – wistfulxthinking All other photos are the property of the author Gros de Beler, A. (1999). Pharaohs. Paris: Chartwell books, INC. Milton, J. (2000). Hieroglyphs. New York: Grosset & Dunlop. Ryan, D.P. (2002). The complete idiot’s guide to ancient egypt. Indianapolis: Alpha.