[0:00]The ancient Egyptians were an ancient civilization which existed from around 3100 to 332 BC.
[0:13]They lived in the lower end of the River Nile, which now lies in the modern country of Egypt.
[0:23]They were very successful due to their skills in medicine, farming, and construction. The land was green and filled with plants and animals. Their continued success was because of their skills at adapting to the conditions of the Nile River Valley. They knew how to predict a flood and used the water to grow more crops than they needed, giving many a comfortable life. With the land that they had, the Egyptians would grow a large variety of groups including wheat, barley, figs, melons, pomegranate and vegetables. The water used in the food from the Nile helped the soil stay fertile. Of the crops that they grew, their most important harvest was grain. The grain was used to make beer, bread, and porridge. Once the grain was safely cut, the farmers could start growing the vegetables like onions, cabbages, beans, and lettuces.
[1:38]Daily Life
[1:43]Most ancient Egyptians were farmers, but they still found great importance in staying clean and well-dressed. Most of them would bathe in the Nile using a soap made from animal fats and chalk. Followed by strong perfumes and ointments, which were used to hide their body odor and soothe the skin. As Egypt was so hot, it meant that people needed to wear lighter materials to keep them cool during the day. Most men and women would wear white sheets of linen. These were made into dresses for the women and loin cloths or shirts for the men. Linen was very common as it was made from the flax plant which most farmers would have grown. The clothing would give them some protection from the sun, but most children would be without clothing until around 12 years old. What is Ancient Egypt known for? The ancient Egyptians achieved many things, but they are most well known for building the ancient pyramids, their language of hieroglyphics, and mummification. The pyramids were the tombs that were built for the Pharaohs, which are similar to kings or queens. Pharaohs could be men or women and were the political and religious leaders of the Egyptian people. People considered them to be a half-man, half-god. The size of the pyramid was built to show the importance of the person who was buried in it. The most famous pyramid is the Great Pyramid, built for Pharaoh Khufu. It is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. When it was built, it was over 140 meters high and took 20 years to build. It stands alongside many other smaller ones. There are over 130 pyramids that have been found in Egypt, the earliest being the Pyramid of Djoser, which was built around 2650 BC.
[4:08]The pyramids themselves are made from a mixture of stones, including limestones, granite, basalt, mortar, and baked mud bricks. They were made to look like natural rocks.
[4:24]Inside the pyramid, there are a lot of hieroglyphics which tell the story of the Pharaoh. A hieroglyph was a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system, just like a letter of the alphabet. Each hieroglyph is its own image and carries an individual meaning. This type of script was used by the Egyptians for almost 4,000 years.
[4:56]Carved in stone on the walls of tombs and temple walls and also used to decorate many objects that were used in daily ancient Egyptian life. These hieroglyphics are why we know so much about the ancient Egyptian civilization and the people who ruled it. Ancient Egyptians are famous for practicing mummification, which is a method of artificial preservation that preserves a dead body. It was an expensive practice which took around 70 days to complete. The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, so they would mummify people so their body was preserved and could exist after death. Therefore, they made sure to preserve their bodies to make sure they didn't decompose. During the mummification process, the important internal organs were removed and placed into four different canopic jars. However, the heart was left in the body, as the ancient Egyptians believed that it was weighed by the gods. If the heart was light, it passed the test, meaning you could enter the land of two fields in the afterlife. The Egyptians believed that after you died, you would go into a new life. They also believed that when you did this, you take all your items that you owned with you. This means that Egyptian families would put things into the grave of their loved ones that they thought they would need. One of the most famous mummified bodies is that of King Tutankhamun, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. His mummy was discovered in 1922, almost 30 years after his death.
[7:58]That's all we have time for today. For more information and resources related to Ancient Egypt, head to Twinkl.com.
