ANCIENT EGYPT
A great deal of what we know of Egyptian life came from the
1799 discovery by a French officer under the command of Napoleon
Bonaparte. The discovery was the Rosetta Stone! It is a slab of black basalt dating from
196 BC. inscribed by the ancient Egyptians with a royal decree praising their
king Ptolemy V. The inscription is written on the stone three times, once in
hieroglyphic, once in demotic, and once in Greek. Thomas Young, a British
physicist, and Jean Francois Champollion, a French Egyptologist, collaborated
to decipher the hieroglyphic and demotic texts by comparing them with the known
Greek text. From this meager starting point a generation of Egyptologists eventually managed to
read most everything that remains of the Egyptians' ancient writings.
Copyright © 1997 by Anthony C. DiPaolo, M.S
The
Nile River is the longest river in the world. It flows differently than most
other rivers as well. The Nile flows from South to North. So, it
looks like it is flowing up on a map. Ancient Egypt
could not have existed without the great river. The ancient Greeks spoke with
envy when they referred to Egypt as "the Gift of the Nile."
History
Timeline of Ancient Egypt
The
fertile Nile River Valley and the warm climate was the focal point of all daily
life in ancient Egypt.
The
religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians were the dominating influence in the
development of their culture, although a true religion, in the sense of a
unified theological system, never existed among them. They believed in many
different gods and goddesses, each with their own role to play. Some took part in creation, some brought the
flood every year, some offered protection, and some took care of people after
they died. Overall, the Egyptian faith was based on an unorganized collection
of ancient myths and nature worship.
Copyright © 1997 by Anthony
C. DiPaolo, M.S
Both
the religious concept and the science of creating 'mummies' became the most elaborate the world has ever
known.
Copyright ©
1997 by Anthony C. DiPaolo, M.S
The most powerful person in ancient Egypt holder of
titles: “Lord of the Two Lands” and “High Priest of Every Temple” was the
political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. He owned all of
the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners.
Pharoah: A Brief History and
Chronology
The
ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens.
The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from
before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom. There are about eighty pyramids known today
from ancient Egypt. The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at
Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. The most well-known of these pyramids
was built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the 'Great Pyramid'.
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Take a Tour
Inside the Pyramid of Kufu
In 1954, the
Egyptian archaeologist Kamal el Mallak made an astonishing discovery. In a pit
at the foot of the Great Pyramid, he uncovered the world's oldest planked
vessel.
Take A Good Look
Around Khafre Pyramid
Each block in the Khafre Pyramid weighs about two and a half tons.
The geometric synergy of The Pyramids add significant dimension to
the magnificent ingenuity of the Ancient Egyptian builders as well as their
innate mystery.
Ever Wonder How Big The
Pyramids Are??
The temples of ancient Egyptians much like any temple of the
ancient world were believed to be the home of their god and goddesses,
worshipped by the temple priests and the pharaoh.
Over three thousand years of history, the ancient
civilization of the Egyptians underwent many changes in what they believed in
and how they lived their lives.
Remaining constant, however, were the many aspects of the basic culture,
religion, and artistic style of ancient Egypt .
Craftsmen in ancient Egypt were usually trained and skilled
laborers. They were often well respected in the community and had a comfortable
lifestyle. Yet every craftsman's lifestyle and social standing depended on the
quality of his skills and experience. Thus, some craftsmen had more difficult
lives than others.
The ancient Egyptians believed that it was important to
record and communicate information about religion and government. Thus, they
invented written scripts that could be used to record this information.
Copyright ©
1997 by Anthony C. DiPaolo, M.S