Ancient Egypt

EgyptAncient

Author and consultant: Dr. Angela McDonald

Contents

Editor Olivia Stanford 4 The Ancient Egyptians
Project art editor Joanne Clark 6 Society
Senior editor Jolyon Goddard 8 The Egyptian Empire
10 Soldiers and war
US editor Rebecca Warren 12 Pharaohs
Design assistant Rhea Gaughan 14 Ruler of Egypt
16 Pyramids
Additional design Hoa Luc
Jacket co-ordinator Francesca Young

Jacket designer Amy Keast
Managing editor Laura Gilbert
Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones
Pre-production producer Nadine King

Producer Srijana Gurung
Art director Martin Wilson

Publisher Sarah Larter
Publishing director Sophie Mitchell

Educational consultant Jacqueline Harris
Development consultant Dr. Margaret Serpico

First American Edition, 2017 18 Making a mummy
Published in the United States by DK Publishing 20 Journey of the dead
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 22 Tour of the tombs
24 At home
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BCE/CE Scorpion

When you see the letters BCE, it means years
Before the Common Era, which began in the
year 1CE (Common Era).

2

Dung b eetle

26 Artwork Comb 48 Medicine
28 Gods 50 Children in Egypt
30 Temples 52 Writing
32 Egyptian clothes 54 Interview with…
34 Beauty 56 Studying Egypt
36 Jewelry 58 Egyptian facts and figures
38 Egyptian jobs 60 Glossary
40 Farming 62 Index
42 Food and drink 64 Acknowledgments
44 Animals
46 Boats and trade Tutankhamun

Akhenaten
Painted pot

3

The Ancient Why was the
Egyptians
Nile so important?
The Ancient Egyptians were people who lived
in the lands around the Nile River thousands The Nile’s waters made life in
of years ago, in what is now modern-day Egypt. the desert possible, creating a
They loved their country, which they thought strip of green land where crops
was the most advanced place in the world! could grow along its banks. It

also gave the Egyptians an
easy way to travel the length

of their country!

FACT FILE Where did Ancient
model of a
The main part of Ancient Egyptian they live? sailing boat
history is divided into time spans
called periods and kingdoms. The Egyptians lived where the The god
During most of these spans, there land was sheltered on all Osiris was a
were dynasties—family groups of symbol of the
kings who ruled the country. sides—by the Mediterranean life-giving
Sea to the north, deserts to the black mud
» Prehistoric Period: 7000–5500BCE of the Nile.
» Predynastic Period: east and west, and rocky
sections of the Nile,
5500–3100BCE called cataracts,
to the south.
» Early Dynastic Period:
Emmer wheat What did the
3100–2650BCE
Egyptians call Egypt?
» Old Kingdom: 2650–2175BCE
» First Intermediate Period: The Ancient Egyptians called their
country Kemet, meaning “Black
2175–1975BCE land,” after the black mud from
the Nile that turned the desert
» Middle Kingdom: 1975–1755BCE into farmland. They called the
» Second Intermediate Period:
surrounding desert Deshret,
1755–1540BCE meaning “Red land.”

» New Kingdom: 1540–1075BCE
» Third Intermediate Period:

1075–715BCE

» Late Period: 715–332BCE
» Greco-Roman Period:

332BCE–395CE

4

The delta where Who was in charge?
the Nile runs into
the sea is the In peaceful times, one Egyptian
greenest spot king or queen, called a pharaoh,
in Egypt. ruled all of Egypt. However, there
were unsettled times, and often
the ruling pharaoh was from a
foreign land that had conquered
Egypt, especially toward the end

of Ancient Egyptian history.

Queen Nefertiti

How long were

they around?

The first traces of people living
in Egypt are from 7000bce, but
the first pharaohs ruled from

3100bce. Their civilization
lasted for 3,000 years until
Egypt became part of the

Roman Empire.

pRoortmraaitnfmroumm1m0y0CE Under Roman
rule, paintings of
mummified people
were done in a
Roman style.

How big was the A soldier's sword with an iron blade Nefertiti was
briefly pharaoh
Egyptian Empire? after the
troubled reign
When it was at its biggest, the of her husband,
Egyptian Empire stretched from Akhenaten.
ancient Syria in the north down
to Nubia in the south. This was 5
under King Thutmosis III in the

New Kingdom.

Society

For most of ancient history, one pharaoh after
another ruled Egypt. He or she was helped by
family members and noblemen, all living in luxury.
Everyone else worked very hard for this special
group, doing as they were told and living simple
lives, never even catching sight of their king.

Viziers

One or two prime ministers, called
viziers, acted as “the eyes and

ears of the king.” They judged
arguments, often about land,
and managed Egypt’s wealth.

Scribes

Only 1 in every 100 people could
read and write, so scribes were
very important. They wrote
down everything to do with

daily life.

Craftsmen

Craftsmen made everything
from pots to beads. Although

thousands of examples of
works of art survive, they
were not “signed,” so we
only know the names of
a few craftsmen, such

as the sculptor
Irtysen.

6

Pharaoh Slaves

The pharaoh was a god to his Every Egyptian “belonged” to the pharaoh, but slaves
people, and Egypt’s success were a special group. Most slaves were enemies captured
rested in his hands. A few women in battles and made to work. Slavery was only common
also ruled as pharaohs, such as in the New Kingdom, which was a later part of Ancient
Nefertiti and Hatshepsut, but Egyptian history.
this was unusual.
A group of captives bound together
Priests and priestesses

Priests and priestesses ran
temples dedicated to the gods.
All priests shaved their heads
and bodies. High priests
could be as powerful as
the pharaoh!

Soldiers ! WOW!

To reward their bravery, Ancient Egyptian
soldiers were given gifts of culture survived
land and slaves, and could nearly unchanged
become very rich—if they
survived in battle. for over
3,000 years!
Merchants

Merchants worked for
temples and brought
exotic goods into the
country, which they
also traded with
ordinary people.

Farmers

Farmers were very important in
Egyptian society as they produced
food. They kept animals like cows
and grew crops like wheat and
barley. Most farmers didn’t own
their land, and they had to give
away everything they grew.

7

8 The Hittites

The Egyptian FROM THE NORTH-EAST The Hittites rose
Empire to power during
the New Kingdom.
The Egyptian Empire was built around the Pharaoh Ramses II
Nile River. Under the warrior pharaohs of the couldn’t defeat
New Kingdom, the Empire stretched deep down them, so he married
south into neighboring Nubia and far up into a Hittite princess
the north-east. However, that meant clashes and craftily made
between the local people and the Egyptians, them allies.
and Egypt made many enemies. Some of them
even managed to take over Egypt—although The Assyrians
never for long!
The Assyrians were fierce
The pyramids warriors during the Late
The most famous Period. They punished the
Egyptian landmarks, Nubian-Egyptian king
the pyramids were a Taharka for interfering
tourist attraction even with their territories by
in ancient times! destroying the great city
of Thebes.
The sphinx
King Khafre’s guardian FROM THE EAST
statue was a sphinx—a lion
with the head of a man. The Hyksos

The Hyksos were nomads who
settled in northern Egypt and
ruled in the Second Intermediate
Period. King Ahmose chased
them out of Egypt and founded
the New Kingdom.

Nile River Deir el-Medina
Deir el-Medina was a village for
Luxor temple
With its partner temple, the workmen who made the
Karnak, Luxor was a key tombs in the two royal valleys.
spot for royal festivals. They even built their own
miniature pyramids, like
this one.

FROM THE WEST Valley of Valley of the Queens
the Kings Smaller royal tombs
The Libyans New Kingdom for the pharaohs’
pharaohs were wives, such as
Several different groups buried in the Nefertari, and children
of wandering nomads Valley of the were found in the
made up the Libyans. Kings, including Valley of the Queens.
Some traded with the Tutankhamun.
Egyptians, but many Red Sea
raided western
Egyptian cities. The Egyptians

The Nubians The Egyptians were
always trying to expand
A proud people, the their territory. Under
Nubians were often strong kings, Nubia
under Egyptian belonged to Egypt, but
control. In the Late cities to the north were
Period, a line of harder to hold on to.
Nubian kings
FROM THE SOUTH managed to conquer The Egyptian Empire, shown in yellow,
Egypt for a time. on a map of the world

9

Soldiers and war

The early pharaohs used ordinary men to fight when they

went to war against their enemies. But warrior kings such

as Thutmosis III and Ramses II fought battle after battle,

so they trained men to be soldiers. They even hired

foreign soldiers, such as expert

charioteers and fierce fighters, Horses wore
to help them build the headdresses
Egyptian Empire. of ostrich
feathers and
ribbons.

Conquering kings

In this painting, the pharaoh
Tutankhamun is shown
in his war chariot, strong
and fearless. When his tomb
was discovered, it contained
a golden chariot for him
to ride in the afterlife.

Nubian army Leopard-skin
covering
Nubia was the land directly matches the
south of Ancient Egypt. king’s clothes.
The Egyptians called it the
“Land of the Bow” because Painted wooden statues of
the Nubians were expert Nubian soldiers
archers. They were often
hired to fight alongside
the Egyptians in battle.

10

WOW! Weapons

! A soldier was only as strong as his
The Egyptians weapons, which changed a lot during
rewarded brave Egyptian history. Bronze weapons were
soldiers with replaced by stronger iron ones, designs
flies made were improved, and new technology—
of gold. such as the chariot—was introduced.

Guard The king Khepesh sword
protects the wears the This type of sword was
king’s wrist Blue crown introduced into Egypt from
from the of war. the north. Khepesh means
bowstring. “strength.”The curved blade
was light in weight, but
sharp and deadly.

Flint arrowhead
Arrowheads were made
of stone and sharpened
to a very sharp point.

Dagger
This dagger has
a golden handle
and an iron blade.
Soldiers strapped
daggers to
their waist.

Battle ax
This long-bladed
weapon was
used for cutting
or throwing. Axes
with shorter blades
eventually replaced
this type of ax.

11

Pharaohs KHUFU

Ancient Egypt’s kings were called Known for: The Great Pyramid of Giza
pharaohs, and every pharaoh had Wspfraoheybermoroatowuehmnmtiusliyhdsbpihwsewharpahaevryasdeartboaoahmuhsnei.ealiAtdlotcafiaortnsuenkyaredeshltdtnomiaslomitakdtunbeehe.,aaiEwlstenghphfdyt,eopKomochtfp’oasuKlrnebfheuu.iudgmwfgouaeentsnsolytt
three tasks: to protect Egypt from
the outside world, increase the AKHENATEN
size of the country by conquering
neighboring people, and keep the
gods happy. All pharaohs wanted
their names to live on in history,
so they built huge temples and
impressive tombs. Let’s meet
some of the most famous—and
infamous—pharaohs!

The name of a pharaoh was Known for: Being totally unique
written inside an oval shape, Akhenaten was a rebel pharaoh who outlawed
all the gods except his sun god, the Aten. He
called a cartouche. Most founded a new capital city and introduced
pharaohs had more than one a strange new style of art. His odd-looking
cartouche because they had portraits fascinate us, but his people hated
him and tried to smash all his images.
more than one name.
MIDDLE
When did they rule? KINGDOM

The main part of Ancient Egyptian history Between kingdoms there
is divided into three key time periods called were unstable periods.
“kingdoms.” During each kingdom, a succession
of pharaohs ruled over the whole country. There
were unsettled periods between the kingdoms.

OLD KINGDOM

Khufu
2551–2528BCE

12

SENWOSRET III HATSHEPSUT

Known for: Being gloomy Known for: Being a woman-king!
Senwosret III was a harsh ruler who kept local nEtbhTrgeuahepydriilspshtientqen.lgwufeSaewwhrseeeintataedhcmmmihtshaaaepepnddlepeliasaneh,dnabweudrurelostotdhrefksolmhPfsouieoyndnsfwt.ttoae,arsarstio.omkHuuintoashgtlsyest,haswpehsrhtpoooeswuunfditnhogefr
governors firmly in their places. He built a chain
of mighty fortresses in Nubia, south of Egypt,
to control gold supplies and trade. Why do the
statues of this pharaoh look so gloomy? Maybe
it was because he worked so hard.

TUTANKHAMUN RAMSES THE GREAT

Known for: Treasures! Known for: Being big-headed
TEhaMhugfiisttosyeafprtraneitntokhttyhnhoealtayr“om,nntmAoeu3krnb,nmh0yw0ewae0nhlaa”atesrartsnetefhtoanietesf.ruwUrbturhnaoelesefyso,-owukraptpiteunehtrngnheeaeewactdvreahaalgioymnle,crhm1aoe9eutfe2us1dd2re9inCedi.nEed.btdoy
Ramses II, also known as “Ramses the Great,”
was a warrior king with more than 100 sons
and daughters. This pharaoh carved his name
all over Egypt—sometimes over the names of
earlier pharaohs. In his temples, he worshipped
the gods—and also himself!

NEW KINGDOM Ramses the Great
1279–1213BCE

Senwosret III Hatshepsut Akhenaten Tutankhamun
1836–1818BCE 1473–1458BCE 1353–1336BCE 1332–1322BCE

13

Interview with Cleopatra

Ruler of Egypt

Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra VII, held
her country together in difficult times.
She stood up to the mighty Roman
Empire, charming her way into the
hearts of its greatest generals. Her
beauty is legendary, even though her
portraits paint her differently! Here’s how
an interview with her might have been.

Coins were made Q: What was your childhood like?
with Cleopatra’s
face on them in A: It was unsettled! My family was always
her lifetime. squabbling over who should be in power.
Even as a girl, I knew it should be me.
This head is
thought to be Q: Did you expect to become
of Cleopatra. It was pharaoh, then?
carved in a classical
Greek style. A: I wanted to be. After my father lost
his throne, my mother and my sisters
ruled before me briefly, but they weren’t
strong like me.

Q: What has been your
proudest moment?

A: Outsmarting my brother—
and enemy—Ptolemy to meet
Julius Caesar, the leader of
Rome. I smuggled myself into
Ptolemy’s palace, where Caesar
was staying, wrapped in a carpet.
You should have seen their faces
when I appeared!

14

Q: Do you think of yourself as Greek, Cleopatra
like your ancestors, or Egyptian? worshipped the
A: Both really. I’m Greek like Alexander goddess Isis, whose
the Great, my ancestor, but Egypt is in symbol was a snake.
my heart. I’m the first in my family to
learn the Egyptian language. Q: Do you see Rome as an ally or
Q: Have you done a lot of traveling?  as a threat?
A: Oh yes! I’ve been up and down my
own country, and far beyond. I went to A: Well, Rome controls Egypt, so I’ve
Rome with Caesar and stayed in Arabia, made sure it’s my ally! I’m very good at
Palestine, and Syria, when my horrid charming its leaders—Caesar, Pompey,
brother sent me away. and Mark Antony.
Q: Where is your favorite place?
A: It’s the city of Alexandria, in Egypt. Q: What will people remember about
My palace there is wonderful, but there’s you in years to come?
also Ascalon, in Palestine. They loved me
so much when I was there that they put A: My good looks and my determination!
my face on their coins. No matter what challenge life throws at
me, I always find a way past it.
CaCelseaorp’sastotrhane,sCttaeanmedspaslrebioeonhf,iDninednahdweeraralaln.cdarJvuinliugsin
Q: What are your hopes for your
children?

A: They’re all going to be great leaders,
just like me.

Q: Is there anything you’re afraid of?

A: Losing my position. The people are
so quick to riot, and I worry about
Rome’s new leader Octavian taking
my beloved Egypt from me.

Mysterious end

Soon after Octavian, later called Augustus,
became Rome’s leader, he put Cleopatra in
prison. She died in 30BCE at the age of 39.
Stories tell us a poisonous snake
killed her, but the truth is still
unknown. After Cleopatra’s
death, Egypt became part
of the Roman Empire.

15

Pyramids The capstone at the
top was covered in
Pyramids were tombs for pharaohs electrum, a mixture
when they died. These huge buildings
protected the king’s body and made of gold and silver.
sure he would never be forgotten.
Building pyramids took years and
required hundreds of men. Some
kings died before their pyramid was
finished. Other kings managed to
build more than one pyramid.

How did they build them? Workers heaved the
limestone casing
Here’s how the building of the Great blocks into place.
Pyramid at Giza might have looked.
Stonemasons cut and shaped huge
blocks of stone. Workers heaved them
into place on wooden rollers along
rubble ramps that clung to the
sides of the pyramid.

The inner, rough blocks Workers dragged
were cut from a nearby the heavy blocks on
quarry with hand tools.
wooden rollers.
Each stone block
weighed about

2.8 tons (2.5 tonnes)!

16

Limestone casing blocks
were smoothed by hand
once they were in place.

The ramp was
dismantled as the
casing was finished.

The Great Pyramid at Giza

Pyramids today
More than 100 pyramids were
built in Ancient Egypt and nearby
Nubia, but not all of them have
survived well. The Great Pyramid at
Giza, today without its limestone
casing, is the last standing of a
group of very old structures now
known as the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World.

The ramp was made
of rubble—stone
chips and mud.

The fine limestone casing ! WOW!
blocks were brought to The pharaoh
the site by boat from the Snofru built
nearby Tura Quarry. three pyramids,

each one about
330 ft (100 m) tall!

17

Making a mummy

The Egyptians believed that they still needed their physical
body in order to have an afterlife. And not only that, it
had to be perfect. It took nearly three months to make the
body indestructible and beautiful. It could even have parts
replaced—some mummies have been found with two left legs!

The priests who made
mummies started by putting
on jackal masks. They were
making themselves into the
jackal god Anubis, who they
believed created the first
ever mummy.

The brain was not thought to be
important, so it was removed
through the nose with a hook!

The lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines The body was then washed, inside and
were carefully taken out of the body and out, with sweet-smelling oils.
put into special pots called canopic jars.

18

To dry out the
body and stop it
decaying, natron
salt was poured
all over the body
and put inside it
in bags. It took
40 days before the
body was ready for
the next stage.

Makeup and hair dye
were used to make the
body as beautiful as
possible. Sometimes, the
toenails and fingernails were
covered with thin sheets of gold.

Next, the body was wrapped in strips of linen
cloth. As it was covered, dozens of charms were
placed in the bandages. Over the bandages were
placed larger linen sheets.

Finally, a mask was put
over the head and the
body was placed in a
coffin. Many coffins
had human faces, always
young and perfect, even
if they belonged to a very
old person!

19

Book of the Dead 3

Beautifully illustrated, this was
a guidebook to the afterlife. It had
many spells to keep a dead person
safe or transform them into all
sorts of things, and rules for when
they met the gods.

1 2 Weighing of the heart
To get to paradise, the dead
Anubis prepares person must pass a test. Their
the mummy heart must weigh exactly the
A priest dressed as the god same as the Feather of Justice.
Anubis makes the dead However, if it doesn’t…
person into a mummy.
Their journey begins. Negative confession 4
In the underworld, the dead
person meets the gods. In the
negative confession, they must
tell the gods they’ve done
nothing bad during their life.

Journey

of the dead Facing the monster
… the heavy, wicked
When a person died, their journey into the afterlife heart is tossed to the
began. The Egyptians imagined the afterlife as a maze monster Ammut, who
of roads, with gates to pass through and gods to please gobbles it up. For these
along the way. Every dead person had to pass a test people, their journey
before they were allowed into the afterlife. If they now ends.
passed the test, they became very powerful.

20

Paradise at last 6 Royal burial
The journey ends
in the kingdom of Kings did not have to pass a test, like
the dead, where ordinary people. They joined the sun god
there are flowers,
food, and and sailed across the sky forever. Treasure
everything was buried with them—even their coffins
anyone could were covered in gold. All the coffins below
ever want. belonged to the pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Gold coffin with Face mask
feathers carved
5 Passed the test! all over it like
protective wings
Good people escape
the monster and Wooden coffin
become very inlaid with
powerful. They colorful glass
are able to turn and covered
themselves into with gold
anything, including
a snake with legs! Gold coffin,
originally
Body and spirit covered in a
thick layer of
A person’s spirit, known as the Ba, looked black resin
like a bird with a human head. It could fly
out into the world of the living. A dead
person needed special spells to make it
come back to them in the afterlife!

The Ba hovering over its mummy The base Goddesses protect the When
of the coffin corners of the huge, Tutankhamun’s
fastened to its stone outer coffin, or mummy was
lid with silver sarcophagus. discovered,
and gold pins. a gold mask
covered its face.

21

Tour of Valley of the Kings
the tombs
Valley of the Kings
During the time known as the
New Kingdom, kings stopped This map shows the tombs
building pyramids. Instead, the in the main part of the
royal family was buried in huge rock-cut Valley of the Kings, known
tombs in two guarded valleys, called the as the East Valley. There is
Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the also a smaller West Valley
Queens. The tombs had colorful paintings, with a few tombs. So far,
treasures for the afterlife, and booby traps we know of 65 tombs in
just in case robbers broke into them! total, but new ones are
still being discovered!

Valley of the Queens Thutmosis III

This valley, for royal wives and This warrior king was creative
children, is smaller than the Valley when it came to his tomb,
of the Kings, but it contains numbered KV34. Its entrance
more tombs—about 90. is unusually high up in a cliff
Its star attraction is the face, and the burial chamber is
tomb of Nefertari, shaped like an oval cartouche.
the wife of Ramses II.
Its paintings were
restored in 1992 and
now look brand new.

Nefertari The king’s stone coffin, KV
or sarcophagus 34
22

Tutankhamun ! WOW!

The most famous tomb Some tombs
in the valley, KV62, was in the Valley of
discovered in 1922. It the Kings were
was still full of treasures
and held Tutankhamun’s for pets!
body. It had been robbed
twice in the distant past, Mystery tomb
but sealed up again.
In the tomb numbered
One of Tutankhamun’s KV55, a coffin was found
golden thrones with its face and all names
on it hacked away. Some
KV Egyptologists think that
62 KV this might be the tomb
of the hated king
55 Akhenaten.

KV This coffin in KV55 was
17 deliberately damaged.

KV stands for Seti I
“Kings’ Valley.”
taKThnhiendegndmsie,goeKhpstVtes1sbk7tey,taobaumnetlidofbuns, ltgfataeormdsmtooobunSsiniefttostirhcIe.eitiIsVltinapislagltei.nhyteoinlfogtnhogefest

The gods of the night sky

23

At home A door led into
a private room
Towns in Ancient Egypt were built on the edges of the for storage or
Nile River, and modern towns have been built right sleeping.
on top of them, so there’s not much left of the ancient
towns to tell us what the houses were like. But the 4
village of Deir el-Medina, built in the desert beside
the valleys containing the royal tombs, shows us
what everyday life was like.

House in Deir el-Medina 3
2
The builders who built the royal
tombs lived in Deir el-Medina with
their families. This picture shows a
typical medium-sized house in the
village. About 20 people would
have lived in it!

High 1
windows
let in light,
but not too
much heat.

People wrote their names Floors were mostly
on their door frames so beaten earth and
you knew who lived where! needed a lot of
sweeping.
24

6 Reed mats were placed WHAT'S INSIDE
8 over wooden roof beams
for sitting or sleeping on. 1 Enclosed bed This
5 mysterious structure
This doorway might have been used
Workmen’s village led to the for sleeping or praying,
Deir el-Medina is almost kitchen cellar. but we don’t know!
perfectly preserved
because it’s in such a 7 2 Household shrine This
difficult spot to get to could contain a family
and no later buildings Animals wandered statue. The household
were built over it. freely through prayed here and made
Supplies and especially Egyptian houses, offerings to the gods.
water had to be brought and slept in them!
to the villagers. A small room for storing 3 False door A fake door
things—there were no set into the wall was
visitors past this point. another place for praying.
It also let the ghosts of
Village of Deir el-Medina today past family members,
whom the Egyptians
believed visited them,
into the house.

4 Seating area Guests
were seated in the
fanciest of the rooms.

5 Cellar Steps led
down to a cellar, where
treasured possessions
could be kept safe.

6 Steps to roof Egyptian
houses had flat roofs
with steps up to them.
People might sleep here
at night.

7 Quern stone Grain was
ground into flour using
a roller and a flat stone
called a quern stone.

8 Oven An open-topped
oven was used for
baking bread—all
Egyptian homes made
their own bread.

25

Artwork Wall paintings

Egyptian art is usually very Paintings on tomb walls often preserved the
colorful and beautiful, but tomb owner’s image and wishes for the afterlife.
every piece of art also had a These might include being close to the gods,
very important job to do—to such as Osiris, above. Gods and people were
preserve, to protect, or to shown with their body facing out and their
provide. Many pieces “speak,” head looking to the side.
which means they have words
on them. Every item was made
to last forever and many pieces
look as bright today as the day
they were made.

What is Papyrus
papyrus?
This sheet of papyrus is from the Book of the
Papyrus is a marsh Dead, which provided spells and knowledge
plant that grows on the for a person’s journey to the afterlife. Here,
banks of the Nile. The the sun-god Khepri is shown as a winged
Egyptians tore its stalks scarab beetle traveling across the sky.
into strips, flattened
them, and stuck them
together to form sheets
of paper also known
as papyrus.

26

Statues

Pharaohs often had themselves carved as
statues. The biggest statue ever made in
Egypt was the huge lion-bodied sphinx
with King Khafre’s head. Its job was to
protect his tomb.

Pottery Wood carvings

Pottery could be useful or decorative. Beautiful The Egyptians carved little servant figures,
pieces were often made for use in the afterlife. called shabtis, to be put into their tombs to
The writing on this blue perfume jar is the serve them in the afterlife. The spell written
name of the king Amenhotep II. It could have on this figure brings her to life, and she will
belonged to him or been a gift from him. shout “I’ll do it!” for every task given to her.

27

28 Gods Family tree

The Egyptians believed in over 100 gods Many of the gods and goddesses
and goddesses—they even borrowed some belonged to family groups. This is
one of the best known. Each god
in it represented part of the natural
world, such as the sky and stars.

from their neighbors! Many stayed popular

for thousands of years. Some gods were God of the sun
shown with the heads or bodies of
animals, and most wore a special Atum Ra was the father of the gods.
symbol on their heads to show He created himself and then the
world from a watery nothingness.

who they were. ATUM RA

God of the air Goddess of water

Shu represented the atmosphere. Lion-headed and a little bit
His name means “air” and “light.” fierce, Tefnut represented
The Egyptians called clouds the the water that the Egyptians
“bones of Shu.” needed to survive.

SHU TEFNUT

God of the Earth Goddess of the
sky and stars
Geb was the son of air and
water. He was often drawn Nut’s body was home to
lying flat on his back in order the stars and the sun.
to support his wife, Nut, She was usually shown
who was the sky. stretched over Geb, just
touching him with her
fingers and toes.

GEB NUT

ISIS OSIRIS NEPHTHYS SETH

Goddess of God of the dead Goddess of protection God of violence
magic and life
Osiris was Egypt’s first king. Nephthys was a kind goddess. Strong, but jealous of his
Isis was a loving wife and When he died he became She comforted her sister Isis brother Osiris, Seth tried to
mother, but also a powerful master of the afterlife, which after her husband Osiris died, steal the throne from him.
magician. She was one of meant he got to decide who and she helped her bring him Later he made peace with
Egypt’s most popular and Osiris’s son and heir, Horus.
lived in his underworld back to life.
longest-lived goddesses. kingdom after death.
Even the Romans loved her!

HORUS ANUBIS Hathor

God of the sky God of embalming Another important
and kingship goddess was Hathor. She
The son of Nephthys, this was very beautiful and
As a boy, Horus fought his uncle jackal-headed god looked after loved music, dancing, and
Seth and won the throne of beer! Homesick Egyptians
Egypt. He became protector the bodies of the dead. He who had traveled to
of the pharaohs. created the first mummy from faraway places built
temples for her so she
the body of Osiris. would protect them. She
is often shown as a cow
carrying the sun between
its horns.

Hathor with cow’s horns
holding the sun

29

Temples

The temples of Egypt ranged from small, rock-cut shrines, to
massive complexes the size of small towns. As the homes of the
gods, they were very secret places. They were filled with statues,
music, and the smell of incense, but not worshippers. Only the
pharaoh and the gods’
servants—priests and
priestesses—were
allowed inside.

Luxor

A festival called Opet was held each
year at the temple of Luxor. During
the festival, a huge procession brought
a statue of the god Amun from his
temple in nearby Karnak to visit
Luxor. Two rows of sphinxes lined the
route. Ramses II put huge statues of
himself at the entrance so he’d always
be the first to welcome the god.

Row of
sphinxes

Other temples Karnak Karnak
Three temples in one, Karnak
As well as Luxor, there is the largest temple complex
were more than 100 other in Egypt. It was dedicated to
temples built in Ancient the god Amun and his family.
Egypt. Some of these
temples can still be Edfu
visited today. Egypt’s best preserved
temple is Edfu. Falcons
30 sacred to the god Horus
were looked after there.

An obelisk is a Talking to the gods
tall, carved stone
needle covered During festivals, the gods’ statues
in hieroglyphs. were carried out of the temple,
and ordinary people could ask
them questions about their future.
Of course, it was the priests who
made the gods “speak.”

A pylon is a
massive gateway.

A window lets
light into the
temple.

This groove in the
pylon’s wall once
held a flagpole.

This huge statue is of The outer walls
the pharaoh Ramses II. were once covered
in battle scenes.
Medinet Habu
Wonderful colors Dendera
survive inside The temple of
Medinet Habu. It Dendera contains
is dedicated to the an amazing ceiling
memory of the painted like the
powerful pharaoh night sky. It also
Ramses III. has pillars topped
with the face of the
Medinet Habu goddess Hathor.

31

Egyptian Headband
clothes made of
beads

Egyptian women made their own linen

cloth from a plant called flax. Flax fibers

were soaked, scrubbed, and then spun The beaded
into thread that was woven into fabric. necklace was
Priests wore animal furs. Wool clothing
a symbol of
beauty.

was rare because it would have made Tight-fitting dress
the person wearing it too hot! underneath the

see-through robe

! REALLY? Women

Tutankhamun’s tomb Wealthy women wore
contained several pairs long dresses of very
of royal underpants! fine white linen. At
first, tight dresses
were in fashion, but

later, flowing dresses
with pleated folds
became popular.

Royal shoes The king would
and crowns “walk” on his
enemies, such
A king had to look different from as the Nubian
everyone else to show his high shown here.
status. He sometimes wore richly
decorated sandals and had more Tutankhamun’s shoes
than one type of crown. These are among nearly
100 items of footwear
The sandals found in Tutankhamun’s
were decorated tomb. They are made of
with pictures of wood and leather, with
Egypt’s enemies. gold decoration.

32

Layered Multicolored
wig wig, edged
with gold

The kilt (skirt) Fine wraparound
was worn kilt with sash belt
underneath
a fine linen Men
robe.
All men wore short linen kilts.
Feet In later times, the wealthy
usually wore very finely spun linen
bare
wrappings over the kilts.
Rich men also sometimes
wore sandals.

Gods

The gods’ clothes were
very similar to ordinary
people’s, with kilts for

gods and dresses for
goddesses. However,
they were much more

colorful and fancy.

Red crown Blue crown White crown
The Red crown represented the The Blue crown was worn by kings The partner of the Red crown, the
north of Egypt, also called Lower in battle or out hunting. It had a White crown represented the south,
Egypt. It was probably made of rearing cobra, known as the uraeus, or Upper Egypt. It may have been
leather and dyed with red ocher, at the front and little circles studded made from stiff white linen, but no
a type of mineral. in its dyed leather. crowns actually survive.

33

Beauty GET
LTOHOEK!
All sorts of items have survived to tell us
the beauty secrets of the Ancient Egyptians.
Eyes and lips were brightened with color, fancy
wigs were soaked with perfume, and decorative
beads were worn. Looking good was definitely
an art—for both men and women!

Perfume cone

Perfume

The secret to perfect hair was a
strange cone on your head! These
cones were made of wax mixed with
perfume. During the evening they
melted into your hair, making it

look shiny and smell nice.

Hair Narrow teeth Comb
This double-sided
Most of the beautiful comb had wide teeth
hairstyles we see in paintings for brushing, and narrow
teeth for combing out lice!
and on statues are actually
wigs! Wigs were easier to style
and might have been thought
to be cleaner. Egyptians used

razors to shave off their
real hair.

34

Green Eyes Black kohl was
malachite used as eye
powder Eyes were decorated for makeup and
beauty, but also because it was as medicine!
thought to keep them healthy.
Green powder was made from The sharp end was
the mineral malachite and kohl used for mixing; the
was made from galena, another flat end was used for
mineral. Both men and women putting on color.

painted their eyes. Alabaster kohl
pot with lid

Tweezers were Kohl tubes
used to remove Kohl was often stored in
stray hairs.
tubes, just like eyeliner
today. These could be
made of wood, stone, or

faience, a glass-like
material. A stick was
used to apply the kohl.

Lips Kohl stick
shaped like
Red paint was used on the an arm
lips but not on the cheeks,
as pale faces were the height
of fashion for ladies, and

red lips made a nice
contrast. Paint was made
from grinding up a red
mineral called hematite.

Razor Powdered red
A razor was used for removing hematite

hair from anywhere on the Mirrors were
body to keep it cool made of copper
and clean. or bronze. The
polished metal
has become dark
over time.

35

Jewelry

In Ancient Egypt, jewelry wasn’t just decorative.
It could tell others of your high position within
society, especially if it was a gift from the king
and had his name on it. The Egyptians also
believed that some objects were magical and
could protect you from harm.

Carved
center called
a bezel

Bracelet Finger rings
This bracelet is made Rings could be used
from blue faience as seals—they were
beads and shells, pressed into soft
with a little cat amulet clay to leave a stamp.
representing the They often had
goddess Bastet. unique designs.

Scarab mystery This pendant
carved in the
What is the yellowish scarab shape of the
beetle in this pectoral found eye of Horus is
in Tutankhamun’s tomb made upside down.
of? Scientists have suggested
that the stone in this large Tutankhamun’s pectoral Earrings
chest pendant might have These attached to either
come from a lightning strike side of the ear rather than
in the desert, turning sand going through it like a
into glass, or even from modern earring. They could
a meteorite! also be worn in the hair.

36

Pectoral
This pectoral that
once belonged to
Tutankhamun hung
over his heart. The
goddesses of the
north and south hold
the sacred eye of
Horus between them.

Necklaces Shells The eye of Horus
These could be were called was used for
multicolored “stones from protection.
or plain, made the mouth of
with precious the sea.” Anklets
materials or just Anklets with leg
faience beads. pendants, very
Amulets were often often made of the
fastened to them. gemstone carnelian,
were thought to
strengthen tired
or weak legs.

Fruit beads Amulets
Pendants were
commonly made in the Magical pendants
shape of plants. We see in the shape of gods
here a yellow mandrake or hieroglyphs, called
fruit, blue grapes, and a amulets, were worn or
green date palm leaf. carried to protect people
from harm. They’re mostly
made from a colored paste

called faience.

37

Egyptian Metalworker
jobs
Metalworkers had to put up with hot, fiery
In Ancient Egypt, your family furnaces as they melted down copper, gold,
played a big part in the job you silver, and eventually iron to make everything
did. If your father was rich, you from sturdy weapons to dainty pendants.
would follow in his footsteps
and become an important Amulet
official. If your father was a
farmer? Well, you’d probably Bronze
be one too. But if you were arrowheads
really ambitious, even if
your family was poor, you Scribe Writing palette
could make your own
dreams come true and Very few people could
rise up the ranks. read and write, so
scribes knew they were
important and often boasted
about their “clever fingers.” They

did all sorts of jobs, from recording
the pharaoh’s glorious deeds in
battle to writing receipts for
donkey sales.

BOATMAN Model boat
with crew,
A single boatman could sail a simple made for the
riverboat a short distance. Bigger ships afterlife

going further needed a bigger crew,
including oarsmen, a captain, and a sailor
to guide the rudder at the rear. Sometimes,

a musician helped the oarsmen
row in time!

38

Potter Scorpion charmer

People who make objects out Workers known as “controllers of the
of clay are called potters. In scorpion goddess Selket” used
Egypt, they needed a good magical powers to chase off the
eye for the best quality of dangerous animals in the desert.
clay and the skills to shape These workers were usually part of
it with simple tools. They mining expeditions and also treated
made dishes, statues, and stings and bites.
even coffins.
A sting from
Comedian a scorpion
is extremely
You might even become a comedian in Ancient painful.
Egypt. A funny man named Ahanakht left an
Temple of Ramses II,
inscription in a quarry describing himself: Abu Simbel, Egypt
“I’m a dancer, I’m a beloved prancer. I’m the
joy of his company, a man loved by his whole

town. There’s never a sad face in it!”

Priestess Architect

Alongside their duties at The most important architect was called
home, high-ranking women the “Overseer of All Works.” He designed
could become priestesses palaces, tombs, temples, and sometimes
in temples. They were very
often dancers and singers even towns. The best architects knew
who entertained the gods. how to create clever twists in tombs to
In the city of Thebes, royal trap would-be tomb robbers. They also
women took the role of knew how to guide sunlight along a shaft
“Wife of the God Amun” into a dark room as a dramatic flourish.
and practically ran the city. Two royal architects even became gods

in later times.

39

Farming Shemu
The hot summer
Egyptian farmers depended on the sun ripened crops and
Nile River. Each year, flood waters then it was time to gather
from the south, known as the them in. During the harvest,
Inundation, left behind rich seeds were collected for the
black mud, which turned the next year’s planting.
Egyptian desert into farmland.
The Nile’s height was carefully
measured—too high or too
low would mean disaster
for farmers and their crops.
Shemu – Harvest
Egyptian seasons
Mid-February to mid-June
There were three seasons in the
Egyptian year: Akhet, Peret, and
Shemu. An Egyptian year had
365 days, but no leap years. This
meant it gradually fell out of step
with the seasons. When they
matched again, there was great
celebration!

! REALLY?

The Nile River was never
worshipped—but the
Inundation was
celebrated as a god!

40

The desert sits
right beside
lush green
farmland!

AkhAkhet Mid
- etThe year began in
June to
–mid-June, when the Nile’s

waters rose. This was the time Flomodidi-nOgctober

to build—you couldn’t farm when

the land was underwater!

Peret h Fertile Nile
Crops, such as wheat, were planted as soon
as the land emerged from the flood. This was February The famous Ancient Greek
the busiest season for farmers. traveler Herodotus called Egypt
the “gift of the Nile” because
Mid-POecrteotb–eGr rtoowmtid- without its floodwaters the
land would just be a desert.

Farmers today
grow sugar cane
along the Nile.

41

Food and drink

In Egypt’s fertile soil, lots of fruit, vegetables,
and cereal crops, such as wheat, thrived. The
rich could spoil themselves with extra-tasty
treats, but even poor Egyptians ate well.
We still eat many of the same foods the
Ancient Egyptians enjoyed.

Food for the poor Lettuce Beer
Lettuce was used as a food, Even children drank
The poor mainly existed on a a medicine, and even as an beer in Ancient Egypt.
simple diet of bread and beer, offering for the gods! However, it was thick
which they made themselves. and soupy, to fill you
Some also grew their own up rather than to make
fruit and vegetables. you drunk!

Cucumber Bread Scallions
The fanciest The most common food, From early times,
food on the bread came in all sorts of scallions were a
menu—cucumber shapes and sizes. major part of the
would have been diet of poor
an occasional treat! Egyptians.

42 Nabk fruit
These small fruits grew
on thorn trees and
tasted like apples.

Radish
Easily grown,
but tough to
eat, Egyptian
radishes were
probably boiled
before eating.

Food for the rich ! REALLY?

Sweet cakes, sticky pastries, rich A rich Egyptian called
meat dishes, and all the fresh fruit Mereruka had hyenas
and vegetables they liked: rich
Egyptians ate a much more varied fattened for a feast!
diet than the poor. The main
difference in their diets was that
the wealthy ate much more meat.

Meat Cake Pomegranate Melons
Beef was the most Cakes came in all Pomegranates had to Both the fruit
prized meat and only shapes and were be traded as they didn’t and the seeds of
for the rich, but all flavored with fruits, grow in Egypt. melons were eaten.
sorts of animals were seeds, and nuts.
eaten, like pigeon.

Yogurt Lotus root
Because milk didn’t Crunchy and a bit
keep well in the hot sour-tasting, lotus
Egyptian sun, it was roots were eaten
made into yogurt raw or cooked.
and cheese.
Honey Dates Figs
Honey was used like Dates were eaten on their Sycamore figs
sugar to sweeten food own or mashed into jam were especially
and drinks. for cakes. prized and made
into a strong wine.

43

Animals Lion
Pharaohs admired
The Egyptians were surrounded by animals. They the lion’s strength
kept them as pets, raised them for food, and used so much that they
them to carry loads or plow fields. Dangerous created sphinxes—
animals, such as lions, were hunted—or avoided! statues with their own
Others, such as ibises, became symbols of the heads on lion bodies.
gods. These animals lived in temples and were
mummified when they died. Ibis
This waterbird
Baboon represented the
Although bad-tempered, writer god Thoth,
baboons were popular pets maybe because
in Ancient Egypt. its long beak made
marks in the mud
like a pen.

Hippopotamus Dung or scarab beetle Crocodile
This fierce river animal was Pushing a ball of dung The crocodile was the terror of
a threat to fishermen. around, this insect boatmen on the Nile and grazing
It was one of many represented the sun god animals on the shore. It was
animals of the god Seth. traveling across the sky. worshipped as the god Sobek.

Cat
Much loved,
cats were
worshipped
in later times as
the symbol of
the goddess
Bastet.

44

Falcon Match the mummy
Known as the “lord of
the sky,” the falcon was In the final stages of Ancient Egyptian history,
the symbol of the god millions of animals were made into mummies
Horus and the pharaoh. as offerings to the gods they stood for. Can you
unravel the mystery and match each mummy
with the animal inside it?

Jackal 12
The jackal was seen at 3
night in cemeteries. It 4
became the symbol of
the god Anubis, who
looked after the dead.

Fish Ibis Cat

A BC

Crocodile

D

Answers: 1A 2C 3B 4D 45

Boats and trade

Most Egyptian boats were for short journeys on the
Nile. But bigger ships were built for sea voyages
that took soldiers and merchants to faraway places.
Sometimes there was fighting, but often the aim was
trade for necessities like cedarwood for buildings or
luxuries like precious metals, stones, and spices.

Hatshepsut’s boat Strong ropes held the
mast in place.
Queen Hatshepsut’s ships brought
all sorts of exotic objects and 2
animals from the faraway land 6
of Punt. Most precious were the
incense trees for her temple garden.

WOW! Lookout 1
positions were
! at both ends
of the ship.
Five life-sized
ships were buried
with King Khufu—

one was 142 ft
(43.3 m) long!

An anchor was dropped Ropes wrapped around
from the prow to stop the the ship held the hull
to the ship’s inner frame.
ship floating away.

46

The sail, here rolled The stern of the WHAT'S ON BOARD?
up, was made of ship was shaped
the cloth linen. like a lotus plant. 1 Incense trees These
were precious because
3 The rudder was they didn’t grow in
used to steer Egypt. Incense was
4 the ship. burned to please the
5 gods, so it was very
7 important.

2 Unusual pets Baboons
and green monkeys
were brought to Egypt
to be kept as pets.

3 Ebony This glossy, dark
wood was perfect for
making special items
of furniture.

4 Ivory Tusks from
African elephants
were made into ivory
figurines and containers.

5 Leopard skins These
were used for clothing
and decorating things
like quivers, which held
arrows.

6 Storage jars and sacks
Scented myrrh resin,
gold, minerals to be
ground down for paint,
and exotic herbs were
moved in jars and sacks.

7 People from Punt
Adults and children
were part of the ship’s
cargo. They might have
traveled to Egypt to
help look after the
incense trees.

47

Medicine ! WOW!

Quite a few Ancient Egyptian books, called The Ancient
papyri, have survived that are filled with all Egyptians
kinds of remedies for curing illnesses and called the pulse
treating injuries. Egyptian doctors were clever, the “voice of the
and some of their remedies, such as honey, are
still used today. Many medicines, however, were heart!”
very strange. Don’t try any of these at home!

Do you have a wound? Do you have trouble seeing?

Bandage it with meat! Use a pig’s eye!

Wounds from cuts and bites were bandaged up Actually, just the liquid from inside the pig’s eye was
as soon as possible with fresh meat. needed—and it was poured into the person’s ear!

Did a snake bite you? Do you have a headache?

Get some beer! Boil a catfish!

The beer wasn’t for drinking. An onion was crushed The catfish’s skull was boiled in oil, and the mixture
up in it and the mixture was gargled for a whole day! was rubbed on the aching head for four days.

48

Are your eyes sore? Magic

Many medicines had ingredients that
were chosen because they were believed
to be magical. Spells were often said as
medicines were taken, too.

Put on some makeup! Magic wand
Fierce creatures were carved
Powdered eye paints were used as medicine to into ivory “wands” to chase
keep eyes healthy and free from flies. harm away, especially from
the ill or the very young.
Have you got a splinter?

Use sea salt and wasp dung! Horus stele
Water was poured over
These were mixed with dough, fat, red lead powder, this decorated stone,
and wax, and then smeared on the splinter. called a stele, to soak up
its magical spells. The
water was then drunk
to protect against
dangerous animals.

Are your eyelashes curling in?

MTaghoanidsgigirRhceetasmlpaEreaegrlleym.pTethinaetniobmnadaegdgicionadlitSs.petehll was used after
and the good

Use lizard’s blood! bs“ReWyeeISeniaeslmcatvohsimv,cdittaecohyt,reo!giroMsoiouooansduyosodavfroleelNvraseuumhrtfi,m!fsbeMyerenaiedneynrgmenisvmiicegeiasnheu,tsoas!bue”netdd!

Lashes that curled in were pulled out, and the area
was treated with lizard’s and bat’s blood, and incense.

49