Life and Death in Ancient Egypt WORLD HISTORY READERS Level 4-⑤ Life and Death in Ancient Egypt

Life and Death in Ancient Egypt A map of ancient Egypt How was Egypt ruled around 5,000 years ago? It was divided into two regions, and each region had its own king. A sculpture of Amenhotep III What happened to the two regions? They were eventually unified and ruled by one king called a pharaoh.

The Nile River How important was the Nile River in ancient Egypt? Along the Nile River How important was the Nile River in ancient Egypt? It was very important. Life depended on it. In fact, all the cities were along the Nile. A fish on a wall at the temple of Luxor Why were people happy when the Nile River flooded? The flooding made the land that it flooded fertile. It meant that people could grow more food for themselves and their animals.

The Afterlife What was the afterlife? Egyptian people What was the afterlife? What did people need in the afterlife? It was another life that the Egyptians believed they lived after they died. To them, it was just as important as life. Their (preserved) bodies Things they used in life such as food, clothes, gold, chairs . . .

The Ancient Egyptian Life The Pyramids in Giza How can we describe the ancient Egyptians? Advanced Why? A temple near Luxor They built pyramids, monuments, and temples that still amaze people today. Scientists still study how the pyramids were built. Where are the pyramids? On the west bank of the Nile River

Hieroglyphs Did the Egyptians have an alphabet? Columns covered in hieroglyphs A painting with hieroglyphs No, they wrote in hieroglyphs—signs or pictures that make up a written language. They used more than 700 hieroglyphs. The hieroglyphs were carved on stone or written with pen and ink on papyrus. Why did they build pyramids? Paintings on the walls of a temple The pyramids were tombs for the dead pharaohs. They all had many chambers and passages inside.

The Discovery of a Famous Tomb Tutankhamun and his wife What was special about the tomb of Tutankhamun? When explorers opened the tomb, they found many things inside. Explorers had never found a tomb with so many things inside. Usually, thieves had already taken all or most of the valuable objects. Tutankhamun’s death mask What did they find in his tomb? Statues Eating and cooking utensils Gold objects Walls of gold Clothing Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus with his mummy Tools Shrines Chests of gold jewelry Chairs Couches

Mummies and Mummification A mummy and sarcophagus How did the Egyptians preserve the human body after death? An embalmer would mummify the body. At the end of the mummification process, the body was smaller and thinner and became a mummy. The mummy was then wrapped with bands of linen and put in a special box called a sarcophagus. A close up of a mummy Were all Egyptians mummified? What happened to poor people after they died? No, only rich people. They were buried in the sand.

The Egyptian Gods Ancient Egyptian gods An Egyptian talks to the god Horus. A gold statue of the goddess Serket Did the Egyptians believe in one god? A statue of Ra, the sun god No, they believed in hundreds of gods. Often, the gods were represented by a human body with an animal head. Ra was the god of the sun and had the head of a falcon. Horus also had the head of a falcon. He was the god of the sky. Bastet was the goddess of protection and had the head of a cat. Geb was the earth god and had the head of a goose. The ancient Egyptians believed that earthquakes were Geb’s laughter.

Everyday Life What was life like for the ancient Egyptians? An Egyptian musician Egyptian life on papyrus What was life like for the ancient Egyptians? Because of the warm weather and the plentiful crops, life in Egypt was easy and pleasant. The people made linen and papyrus out of plants. They had wooden and copper tools. The Egyptians loved the religious life, painting, telling stories, playing music, and dancing. What crops did they grow? Grain (to make bread and beer) Fruit (figs, grapes…) Vegetables (onions, leeks, cabbages, beans, cucumbers, lettuce...) Egyptian art featuring a cow What kind of animals did they keep? They kept animals such as cattle, pigs, goats, ducks, and geese.

The Greatness of the Egyptian Empire Karnak Temple in Luxor Did the Egyptians have an army? Yes, they had a powerful army, but they preferred a peaceful and beautiful life. Who was Ramesses II? He was the most well-known pharaoh of Thebes. He was also known as Ramesses the Great. He ruled for over 60 years. Ramesses II Pharaoh Seti I and Osiris

The Fall of an Empire Queen Cleopatra Cleopatra and her son Caesarion Walking around the Pyramids What happened to ancient Egypt? Was ancient Egypt an important civilization? The Greeks conquered Egypt, and later the Romans made Egypt a part of their empire. Yes, it is one of the greatest civilizations in history.

Vocabulary cabbage n. eyeliner n. a round vegetable with large green, purple-red, or white leaves that can be eaten cooked or uncooked eyeliner n. makeup put in a line just above or below the eyes in order to make them look more attractive

Vocabulary falcon n. goose n. a bird with pointed wings and a long tail that hunts small animals goose n. a bird like a large duck with a long neck

Vocabulary leek n. linen n. a long, white vegetable with green leaves on top that tastes and smells like an onion linen n. cloth woven from flax fibers

Vocabulary mason n. sarcophagus n. a skilled worker who builds or works with stone or brick sarcophagus n. a stone coffin from ancient times