Religion, Education, Society, and more! More about Egypt Religion, Education, Society, and more!

Religion Polytheistic - believed in many gods. Chief god was sun god. (Amon-Re) Osiris and Isis - gods that the regular people related to.

Afterlife Souls had to pass test to win eternal life. Relied on Book of Dead to make trip through underworld. Book was written on scrolls and put in tombs.

Buried dead with everything needed for eternity.

Mummification To preserve the dead they practiced mummification. This took months to complete. At first only for nobles and rulers, but eventually everyone was allowed.

Tombs Many pharaohs buried in Valley of the Kings. Many tombs were robbed. King Tut’s tomb unearthed intact.

King Tut’s Tomb Unearthed by Howard Carter. Important because other tombs had been robbed, but his was untouched and gave us a wealth of information about ancient Egypt.

Class System Pharaoh at top with royal family. High Priests and Priestesses next. Merchants, scribes, artisans. Farmers

Farmers/Peasants Some were slaves Off-season served pharaoh. (Built palaces, tombs, etc) Men and women farmed.

Women Higher status and more independence than most in ancient times. Could inherit property, obtain a divorce, go to court. Could work outside of home.

Scribes Kept records of ceremonies, taxes, gifts. Learned to read, write, math skills, medicine, engineering.

Writing Hieroglyphics (form of picture writing) used to keep records.

Rosetta Stone Flat, black stone with the same message carved three ways (Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic)

Medicine and Science Performed complex surgeries and prescribed medicines. Developed calendar that became basis for ours.

Arts and Literature Statues, wall paintings, carvings. Pharaohs and gods always drawn larger.

Make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the Mesopotamian civilizations and Egyptian civilizations.