5. Daily life in ancient Egypt revolved around the Nile and
the fertile land along its banks. The yearly flooding of
the Nile enriched the soil and brought good harvests
and wealth to the land.
6. The ancient Egyptians believed in many different gods.
Each one with their own role to play in maintaining
peace and harmony across the land.
Some gods and goddesses took part in creation, some
brought the flood every year, some offered protection,
and some took care of people after they died. Others
were either local gods who represented towns, or
minor gods who represented plants or animals. They
believed that it was important to recognize and
worship these gods and goddesses so that life
continued smoothly.
7. The ancient Egyptians believed that
Ra was swallowed every night by the
sky goddess Nut, and was reborn
every morning.
Since jackals were often seen in
cemeteries, the ancient Egyptians
believed that Anubis watched over
the dead.
The ancient Egyptians believed that
Atum was the first god to exist on
earth.
8.
9. The most powerful person in
ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The
pharaoh was the political and
religious leader of the Egyptian
people, holding the titles: 'Lord of
the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of
Every Temple'. As 'Lord of the Two
Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of
Upper and Lower Egypt. He owned
all of the land, made laws, collected
taxes, and defended Egypt against
foreigners.
As 'High Priest of Every Temple',
the pharaoh represented the gods
on Earth. He performed rituals and
built temples to honour the gods.
10. The structure was based upon the population, the
sources of wealth, the farming and fishing, the
manufacturing, the mining, the commerce and
banking, energy, warfare, slavery, and taxation.
11. 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'
12.
13. Symbolism: Symbolism also played an important role in
establishing a sense of order. Symbolism, ranging from the
pharaoh's regalia (symbolizing his power to maintain order) to
the individual symbols of Egyptian gods and goddesses, is
omnipresent in Egyptian art.
Scultpure: The monumental sculpture of Ancient Egypt is worldfamous, but refined and delicate small works exist in much
greater numbers. The Egyptians used the distinctive technique
of sunk relief, which is well suited to very bright sunlight.
Painting: All Egyptian reliefs were painted, and less prestigious
works in tombs, temples and palaces were just painted on a flat
surface. Stone surfaces were prepared by whitewash, or if rough,
a layer of coarse mud plaster, with a smoother gesso layer above;
some finer limestones could take paint directly. Pigments were
mostly mineral, chosen to withstand strong sunlight without
fading.
14.
15. The rich ancient Egyptians ate meat (beef, goat,
mutton), fish from the Nile (perch, catfish, mullet) or
poultry (goose, pigeon, duck, heron, crane) on a daily
basis. Poor Egyptians only ate meat on special
occasions but ate fish and poultry more often.
A variety of vegetables were grown and eaten by the
ancient Egyptians including onions, leeks, garlic,
beans, lettuce, lentils, cabbages, radishes and turnips.
Fruit including dates, figs, plums and melons were
eaten for dessert.