Discover Ancient

Egypt
Travel back in time to meet the pharaohs of ancient Egypt with this hands-on
history series.

Table of Contents
The Great Pyramids
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Valley of the Kings
Egyptian Pyramid Model
Ancient Egypt Soliders and Strategy
Ancient Egypt Hieroglyphics
Draw Your Own Cartouche: Personalized Hieroglyphics
Queen Nefertiti Facts
Ancient Egypt: Queen Hatshepsut
King Tut
Make an Egyptian Sarcophagus
Make a Mummy!
Why Was the Sphinx Built?
Ancient Egypt Word Search
Egyptian God Horus

Ancient Egyptian Life

Wonders of Egypt: The Great Pyramids
Air Vents
Pharaohs Chamber

Grand Gallery

Queens Chamber

Ascending Passage

Descending Passage

Egyptologists, scientists who study ancient Egypt, have dated the

Great Pyramids of Giza to being created at least 5,000 years ago.
The pyramids are the final resting place of many pharaohs who
ruled over ancient Egypt. Archaeologists still debate
today about how the pyramids were built. The main theory is that
large ramps were built up alongside the pyramids as new stones
were pulled up by teams of men and put into place.

Stone carvers, painters and craftsmen dug the tunnel passages and
decorated walls with depictions of the pharaohs journey into the afterlife.
Even the base triangle shape is meant to help with their ascension to the
afterlife. Along with items of gold and jewels buried along with them,
there were even mummified animals like cats and bulls.

What do you think?

What kind of building would you make?
What would it be made from?
What kinds of rooms would be inside?
What would it be used for?

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Wonders of Egypt: The Lighthouse
The lighthouse at Alexandria was built on a small island where
the Mediterranean Sea met the Egypt delta. The lighthouse is
also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is estimated that
the lighthouse stood about 400 to 450 ft. tall. It was designed to
be impressive and functional, the fire burning as light at night
and smoke during the day. It is speculated that a mirror of highly
polished bronze was used to make the beam of light.The massive
lighthouse was lost to the sea after three massive earthquakes in
about 900 BC and two more in the 1300s. Afterward, a large castle
was erected in its place. In 1994 pieces of the foundation were
found by divers.

What do you think?

Since there was no electricity in ancient Egypt, how do you
think the lighthouse was lit? use your knowledge of ancient
times to describe how it worked, and how it might have been
kept running every day.

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Map for the Valley of the Kings
KV1

Pharaoh Ramesses VII

The Valley of the Kings is where all the great pharaohs are buried. There is also the lesser known
Valley of the Queens, where the wives, princes and princesses are buried, as well as some noble
people. The Valley of the Kings is near the city of Thebes, now called Luxor. One of Napoleon
Bonapartes expeditions came across the valley in 1799.
Since then, 63 different tombs have been found there. Some of them go down into
the earth 650 feet. Most are richly adorned with paintings and carvings of life in
Egypt and Egyptian beliefs of afterlife with the gods. The most famous tomb
discovered was that of King Tutenkhamun. Compared to other tombs his was tiny,
and it was undisturbed by grave robbers. Around the 18th dynasty Egyptians left
behind building pyramids to carving tombs into the cliffsides of the valley. It is
not known why the use of pyramids as burial tradition stopped.

KV7

Pharaoh Ramesses II
KV62

Some Egyptologists think that the valley was started by Queen Hatshepsut.

Tutankhamun

What do you think?

What factors could affect a decision to abandon burying leaders
and statesmen in pyramids, or, what might be the appeal of
using the cliffs, if any?
KV35

Amenhotep II was a succesful military leader during Egypts 18th dynasty.

Pharaoh Amenhotep II

King Tut ascended the throne still a child; his reign returned the country to
polytheistic religion and away from his fathers institution of the one sun god.

Ramesses II, or Ramesses the Great, lived to be over 90 years old.

Ramesses VII ruled during a time of economic decline, little else is known about him.
His tomb was discovered in the 1980s.

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Soliders and Strategy
Over its three thousand year history up until the Romans, Egypt was the largest and wealthiest
power in the world at that time. There were three main divisions of their military:
the ground infantry, chariots and a navy that protected the Meditarranean Sea. The Egyptians also
developed and mastered many weapons; the finest was the bow and arrow. They used long spears
tipped with copper arrows, too. The Nile River is where 90 percent of Egypts population lived.
On either side of the river and to the south were deserts of Africa. The deserts were a natural barrier
that discouraged most countries from crossing it, and in that way provided Egypt
protection from invaders.

What do you think?

St

ar
t
Ca you
rr r i
to y th dea
an em s h
pa oth ov ere
ge er er !
.

If you could build a city anywhere, where would you put it?
Keep in mind that people need fresh water to drink, and grow food.
How well protected would it be geographically compared to ancient Egypts natural features?

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Script and Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics

Hieratic

Demotic

Hieroglyphics were started in Egypt. They were

images carved in to temples and many buildings
in ancient times. The images represented sounds
that twhen combined make a word. Sometimes
the images represents what the images is,
like water
, reeds
,or the sun
.

Hieratic is a writing that came after hieroglyphics. It is

seen by most experts to be a common version that the
people of ancient time used for their own writing. It is
often seen on papyrus with ink and reed pen, rather than
carved in stone. The writing was used by scribes who
needed a shorthand version of hieroglyphics.

Demotic writing is similar to Hieratic writing.

It is the last known ancient Egyptian writing.
Demotic is seen in the latest periods of Egyptian
times, before the invasion of the Romans.
By this time, most Egyptian citizens could read
read and write. Small stones are found all throughout
Egypt with this type of writing on it. Some are lists,
other are simple personal notes.

Greek and Roman writing is partially based on

ancient Egyptian writing, and thus, our own
modern writing is based on it.

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Script and Hieroglyphics 2
A

Draw and write your name inside this CARTOUCHE.

Ancient pharaohs would carve their names into all the buildings
they made and statues of themselves.

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Draw Your Own Cartouche: Personalized Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egypt is a fascinating topic for kids and adults alike, particularly
hieroglyphs, the writing system used by the ancient Egyptians. Has your
child ever wondered what her name would look like written in hieroglyphs?
Bring history to life by helping her create her own cartouche like the
Egyptians did thousands of years ago. The Egyptians used cartouches, or
oval enclosures, to outline the names of pharaohs and queens and set
them apart from other hieroglyphs.

What You Need:

Pencil
Paper
Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
Computer with Internet connection for accessing the hieroglyph
reference sheet

What You Do:

1. Have your child start her cartouche by sketching out a large oval on a plain sheet of paper.
Sometimes, the Egyptians made the border look like rope which some kids might like better than
just a plain oval.
2. Using the hieroglyph reference sheet, encourage her to copy the appropriate hieroglyphs into the
cartouche to represent her name. Have her draw the hieroglyphs in pencil first, then go over them
with pen.
3. Once she has drawn all the hieroglyphs, have her color the cartouche.
4. Hang her cartouche on her bedroom door, on the refrigerator, or the family bulletin board.
You can also make cartouche Christmas ornaments! Instead of paper, consider using foam core or
cardboard for a sturdier cartouche. Make a hole in the top of the cartouche and string a ribbon through,
then hang. Add glitter, sequins, and other finishing touches to make the ornaments more festive.

Did You Know?

No one knew how to read hieroglyphs until the Rosetta Stone was translated by Jean Francois
Champollion in the early nineteenth century. A cartouche with the name Ramses helped him decipher
the hieroglyphs!
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Ancient Egyptian Life

Great Queens - Nefertiti
Draw a Headdress or Crown!
Queen Nefertiti
Nefertiti, sometimes called Great Royal Wife, lived around
the mid 1300s BC. She was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten,
and is believed to later on taken on the role of co-consort to
him. The Pharaoh and his queen became worshipers of
of Aten, the sun disc, changing the known religion of
worshiping many gods to worshiping one god only.
She became famous after a stunning bust of her
was found by archaeologists.

Up until then most ancient Egypian art had not shown

accuracy in human facial features. Her bust is accredited
to the pharaohs sculptor at the time, Thutmose. She is also
believed by some to be King Tutankhamuns aunt.

What do you think?

Why do you think most ancient Egyptian art did not show
accuracy in human facial features?
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Ancient Egyptian Life

Great Queen - Hatshepsut
What do you think?
Hatshepsut was considered to be a successful
female pharaoh. She lived between 1508 and 1450 BC.
She came to power after her husband, Thutmose II, died.
Hatshepsut took on all the practices of a great pharaoh
including donning a false beard and traditional Egyptian
kilt. Her statues show her in more female clothing
sometimes as well.

Why do you think she wore masculine garments?

Do you think it was necessary for her to rule?

During her reign she built and expanded trade routes

with neighboring countries that brought in new
luxuries like myrrh trees.

Hatshepsuts tomb,
at Deir el-Bahari,
is considered very unique
for its shape and design,
as are the tall obelisks
she had constructed in
other parts of Egypt.

Vocabulary Terms
Myrrh - A plant that is found in Africa prized for its sap.
Obelisk - A tall 4 sided stone monument with pointed top.
Royal- A family that rules an area often over a long time.

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Ancient Egyptian Life

Great Pharaoh - Tutankhamun
Time Capsule

King Tutankhamun came to power

at about the age of 10. He died
young, possibly from an
accident as his body shows
what scientists believe to be an
injury to the head. King Tut
and his tomb were found in
1922 fully intact, meaning that it
had not been ravaged by tomb
robbers during the thousands of
years since his death. Inside his
sarcophagus was a second smaller
one, one that was covered
in gold and blue lapis.

What you would want to leave behind in your tomb for

people to find? Illustrate and describe it here.

Almost everything in his

tomb was covered in gold.
The discovery of his
tomb brought about a
renewed interest in ancient
Egypt from the public.
All kinds of discoveries happened after Tutankhamuns tomb
was excavated. His is the most intact tomb that has ever been
unearthed and the objects preserved inside it tell a detailed story
not only of the king but of the Egypt at that time.

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Make an Egyptian Sarcophagus

Ancient Egyptians believed that anything placed within a sarcophagus
would accompany the spirits into the afterlife. Kids can learn more about
this ancient tradition by using a shoebox to make a sarcophagus of their
own. After they've finished making and decorating a sarcophagus fit for a
Pharaoh, they'll find and make special treasures for the mummy to take
with him to the afterlife. This activity encourages creativity and teaches kids
about history at the same time!

What You Need:

Shoe box
Paper bags
Scissors
Colored construction paper
Paste or rubber cement
Markers or crayons

What You Do:

1. Begin by helping your child cut the paper bags into flat sheets, and then let him have fun crumpling
them up into balls and then smoothing them out again. The wrinkled textures are perfect for
making the sides of the tomb look old and ancient.
2. Help him cover each side of the shoebox with the crumpled up paper. Be sure to cover the lid as
well, so that the sarcophagus can be opened and closed.
3. Next, ask your child to cut out shapes and designs that remind him of Egypt. You can help him look
online for inspiration as to what sorts of symbols were frequently used. Then, have him glue these
pictures around the outside of the tomb.
4. Remind him that the Egyptians were known for their hieroglyphics. He can either look up some real
hieroglyphics online, or get creative and make up some of his own symbols and word codes. Ask
him what word each symbol represents, and what it means to his mummy.
5. Finally, ask him what sorts of things he wants inside the tomb, and have him draw and cut them
out. If he needs some ideas, let him know that food, animals, pottery, and jewelry were often
common objects place in the tombs. Once he's made all he wants, have him place the objects
inside the sarcophagus.
With the tomb complete, all that's lacking is a mummy!If your child wants a mummy, he can wrap a doll
in some toilet paper and place it inside the sarcophagus. Now, help him find a great place to display his
new creation!
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Ancient Egyptian Life

Wonders of Egypt: The Great Sphinx
The great riddle of the Sphinx of Giza is who built it. Egyptologists debate who carved
and created the great Sphinx. Unlike most temples, obelisks and great monuments of
ancient Egypt, the Sphinx does not have the name of its builder on it. The most logical
answer is that it was built by Pharaoh Khafra who also built a temple and pyramid closest
to the Sphinx. Even in ancient times the Sphinx had been buried up to its neck in sand
for a few thousand years, until Thutmoses IV cleared away the sand. Over three
thousand years the Sphinx was buried by sand again and by the late 1880s it was
again buried up to its neck. It has now been completely uncovered for restoration.

The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the face of a man. Even today
there is a theory that the Sphinx was built before the Great Pyramids
of Giza. It is also theorized that the Sphinx had the face of a lion, but
a pharaoh may have changed it to his likeness to show his power over
Egypt.

What do you think?

Create your own story of how the Sphinx came to be.

Why was it built? What does it represent?
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Ancient Egyptian Life

Word Search Fun!
Z

EGYPT
PHARAOH
CANOPIC MYRRH
PAPYRUS TEMPLE
Copyright

QUEEN
ROYAL
DATES

2012-2013 by Education.com

HIEROGLYPH MUMMY
OBELISK
ALABASTER
KILN
DEPICTIONS
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The God Horus

Horus is seen with the head of a falcon, the personification

of courage. All of the pharaohs of Egypt took on Horus as
their personal icon. Horus became the direct line from life
as a Pharaoh in this world to life as a God in the afterlife.
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Answer Sheets
Discover Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt Word Search

Ancient Egyptian Life

Word Search Fun!
E

O
B
D

I
E

A
T

N
I
S

Y
R
U
A
Y

EGYPT
PHARAOH
CANOPIC MYRRH
PAPYRUS TEMPLE
Copyright

S
H

H
R

QUEEN
ROYAL
DATES

2012-2013 by Education.com

HIEROGLYPH MUMMY
OBELISK
ALABASTER
KILN
DEPICTIONS
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