Ancient Egypt's Achievements

Egyptian Achievements

Egyptian Writing

• If you were reading a book and saw pictures of folded cloth, a leg, a star, a bird, and a man holding a stick, would you know what it meant?

• In the Egyptian writing system, or hieroglyphics, those five symbols together meant “to teach.” Egyptian hieroglyphics were one of the world’s first writing systems.

• Egyptian writing are from around 3300 BC

• were carved in stone or on other hard material

• later they know how to make papyrus;a long-lasting, paper-like material made from reeds

• made papyrus by pressing layers of reeds together and pounding them into sheets. These sheets were tough and durable, yet easy to roll into scrolls. Scribes wrote on papyrus using brushes and ink.

• used more than 600 symbols, mostly pictures of objects. Each symbol represented one or more sounds in the Egyptian language.

• Hieroglyphics could be written either horizontally or vertically. They could be written from right to left or from left to right. 

• flexible to write but difficult to read

• Stylus was the sharp tool to scratch and write

The Rosetta Stone

• Rosetta Stone, a stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics.

• Historian and archeologist knew about hieroglyphics but could not decipher until 1799 A.D.

• Lucky discovery by a French soldier gave historians the key they needed to read ancient Egyptian writing

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Multiple Choice

Papyrus is a long lasting paper like material made up of...........

• papyrus plant

• rubber plant

• reed

• hard stone or metal surface

Multiple Choice

In Hieroglyphics there were more than................symbols

• 600

• 6000

• 60

• 24

Open Ended

Why was reading Hieroglyphics difficult?

Poll

Why is Rosetta Stone important for historians/ archeologist?

• Could help to discover the meaning as it the messages were written in other languages

• present the best example of art of Egyptian people so they can know about advancement in art

Temples, Tombs, and Art

• The walls of Egypt’s magnificent temples and tombs are covered with impressive paintings and carvings

• Egyptians also built massive temples beside pyramids

• believed that temples were the homes of the gods. People visited the temples to worship, offer the gods gifts, and ask for favors

• Many Egyptian temples shared similar features. Rows of stone sphinxes—imaginary creatures with the bodies of lions and the heads of other animals or humans—lined the path leading to the entrance. The entrance itself was a huge, thick gate

• On either side of the gate might stand an obelisk (AH-buh-lisk), a tall, four-sided pillar that is pointed on top

• Huge columns supported the temple’s roof

• temples were lavishly decorated

• these columns were covered with paintings and hieroglyphics, as were the temple walls. Statues of gods and pharaohs often stood along the walls as well

• The Temple of Karnak was Egypt’s largest temple. Built mainly to honor Re, the sun god

Egyptian Art

• The ancient Egyptians were masterful artists

• painted lively, colorful and detailed scenes on canvas, papyrus, pottery, plaster

• The temple art was created to honor the gods, while the tomb art was intended for the enjoyment of the dead in the afterlife

• honor, religious functions and day to day life were the subject of art

• painting has a distinctive style. People’s heads and legs are always seen from the side, but their upper bodies and shoulders are shown straight on

• Important person are bigger in size

• stone carving also excelled

• precious stones and gold were used to carve jewelries. but were robed

• In 1922 archaeologists found the tomb of King

  Tutankhamen(too-tang-KAHM-uhn), or King Tut. This tomb was filled with treasures, including jewelry, robes, a burial mask, and ivory statues. King Tut’s treasures have taught us much about Egyptian burial practices and beliefs.

Multiple Choice

Temple of karnak was made to......

• honor all the gods of Egypt

• honor Re god

• Keep the mummy of great pharaoh

• to compete in architecture with other people

Architecture - Pyramid

• were build during the flood of Nile

• each pyramid sat on square base the base facing to north

• Mathematics - geography

• to determine true north, they study heavenly bodies developed astronomy - 365 days calendar with 12 months and 3 seasons

• numbers of stone for pyramid, angel of the walls, height of it- advanced math

• base 10 number system, fraction, division

• cut stone cubes miles away, tied them in wooden sled and transport to the site

The Great Pyramid

• 2540 bc. they made the largest grandest pyramid - "The Great Pyramid"

• 10 miles from Cairo, Giza

• made for king Khufu

• 9 foot ball ground, 153 m tall, 2 million stone blocks (2.5 tons)

Multiple Choice

In which area did Egyptian get chance to master because of Pyramid building?

• astronomy and mathematics

• surgery and medicine

• art and architecture

• craftsmanship

Multiple Choice

The Great Pyramid of Giza was made for ......

• King Akhenaton

• King Khufu

• King Ramses

• Queen Hatshepsut

Open Ended

What are other Egyptian Achievements?