What Survived from Ancient Egypt?

Pyramids The Pyramids were built as the spectacular tombs of three of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The largest and the first to be built was that of Cheops which was built between 2589 - 2566 BC. The pyramids are made of limestone blocks and each one has about 2.5 million limestone blocks. They required hundreds of thousands of workers to build them.

Sphinx The Sphinx was carved from a single block of limestone left over in the quarry used to build the Pyramids. It has the body of a lion and the face of a king or god. Scholars believe it was carved about 4,600 years ago for the pharaoh Khafre, whose Pyramid rises directly behind it and whose face may be that represented on the Sphinx.

Pharaoh Painting This painting of the Pharaoh Tuthmoses IV was carved from limestone and was found inside his tomb.

Rosetta Stone This is a slab of basalt (114x72x28 cm) that was found in July 1799 in the small Egyptian village Rosette (Raschid), which is located in the western delta of the Nile. Today the stone is kept at the British Museum in London. It contains three inscriptions that represent a single text in three different types of script.

Jewellery This jewellery belonged to a princess and was placed in her tomb with her body. It is made of gold, turquoise and other semi-precious stones.

Canopic Jars These Canopic jars were carved from limestone and held the internal organs removed from the body prior to mummification. These jars were then placed in the tomb with the mummy.

Scribe Statue This statue of a scribe (or writer) was carved from limestone and represented the small percentage of people who were able to read and write. Originally the statue had a reed pen in his right hand which is now lost.

Scarab This scarab charm was carved from red granite and was placed in the tomb with the body. On the back of the scarab the hieroglyphics probably identify the owner as these objects were commonly used as seals. This seal seems to have a stork, a lion and a palm leaf. Scarabs represented good luck.

Ushabti This small statue was made of bronze and was placed in the tomb. In the afterlife these statues would magically come to life and would perform whatever task the deceased was called upon to do in the hereafter, rather like servants or slaves.

Dog Mummy and X-ray This mummy of a dog was placed in the tomb with its owner after a natural death. This was to ensure that the pet followed the owner to the afterlife.

Cat Mummy This mummy of a cat was placed in the tomb with its owner after a natural death. This was to ensure that the pet followed the owner to the afterlife.

Tutankhamen’s coffin Tutankhamen’s coffin is made of several hundred pounds of beaten gold that has been inlayed with enamel and semiprecious stones.  The king is holding a crook and flail. The body was buried in three coffins.  When the body had been mummified, it was wrapped, covered with a death mask and sealed in this coffin. It was then covered in charcoal, sand, and lime, and sealed in another coffin, and then covered in charcoal, sand, and lime again, and then sealed in the final coffin.  The layers of charcoal, sand, and lime helped seal the body and keep it well preserved.

Acknowledgements http://www.ancient-art.com/artifact.htm bleedingeyeballs.com/basenjiart/ dogmummy.htm www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/Artifacts/ Artifacts.9.html www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians www.beloit.edu/~arthist/historyofart/ egyptian/artifacts.htm http://www.aegypten-online.de/images/giza/pyramid.jpg