Ancient EgyptBy: Kota Masuda

IntroductionAncient Egypt was a civilization that lasted about from 2800Bc to 1300Bc. It developed along the River Nile in northern Africa. It is interesting to study ancient Egypt to learn about the legacies, food, architecture and pharaohs who lived in ancient times.

Architecture

The Ancient Egyptians were very clever builders and architects. They didn’t have trucks or cranes but they still managed to move heavy blocks of stone using logs. Also, the Egyptians used simple tools to make enormous buildings. They used logs, ropes, ramps, and spoons to make lifting easier. Prisoners were forced to be builders or a farmers. In Ancient Egypt there were 3 different types of stones. There was limestone, sandstone and granite. Sandstone was used for making pyramids and other public buildings. They used rectangular shaped stone to make pyramids. When a Pharaoh died, they put the pharaoh in a mummy. But the builders didn’t want the Pharaoh to be stolen so, they made secret rooms to put pharaohs in. They put the mummy in the center of the pyramid because, it will be harder for the robbers to steal the mummy. As you can see, the pyramids are famous and amazing pieces of ancient architecture.

Food

In Ancient Egypt many different crops were grown in the rich soil around the river Nile. The most important crops were grains. Poor Egyptians bought grain and made bread because it was cheap. Rich Egyptians bought expensive wine and bread. The Egyptian farmers loved it when the Nile flooded because it made the soil more fertile. But the Egyptians had to harvest every crop before the next flood. In cooking, Ancient Egyptians used many spices and also used honey to sweeten their food. People used spices to put on chicken and ate many of their meats with wine. The Egyptians didn’t have forks so they used their hands to eat. Rich people even had servants who were slaves or criminals. They had to bring napkins and water and even had to cook for the rich person. Therefore, the river Nile provided the Egyptians with a healthy diet of vegetables each year and their cooking methods made the foods delicious.

Writing

Ancient Egypt was the first civilization to invent writing. The Egyptians began writing 5,500 years ago. Their writing was called hieroglyphics and it had 700 words. You could read it from top to bottom, left to right or right to left! But only the Egyptians could tell which way the writer was writing! Historians only began to understand hieroglyphics when they discovered a rock called the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone has three different languages on the one stone. It has Greek, Hieroglyphics and demotic with the same exact text on the stone. This helped historians understand the meaning of Egyptian hieroglyphs. So, that is why we can read hieroglyphics today.

Legacies

The Ancient Egyptians left many great inventions as legacies for the future civilization. For example, the ancient Egyptians were the first to invent boats. Egyptians used boats to trade, carry passengers and to carry stones. Also, Ancient Egypt was one of the first civilizations to use paper called papyrus. Egyptian wrote hieroglyphics on papyrus and children used papyrus as they studied. The Egyptian also invented many new medicines, canals, the shaduf (for irrigation) and even the 365 day calendar! Also Egyptian invented toys. They invented dolls, balls and chess. But the Egyptians most important legacy was the ruler. Egyptian used rulers for math, school and for building the pyramids. If the Egyptian didn’t invent the ruler there wouldn’t be any pyramid in Ancient Egypt!

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ancient Egypt left many legacies for the future. They were the first to invent writing and grow crops so successfully. The ancient Egyptians were very clever to build architecture that lasted for thousands of years and the lives of their pharaohs are still fascinating today.

Reference List

Author Date Title

James Mason 1999 Ancient Egypt Resource Book

Joanna Defrate 1993 What Do We Know About The Egyptians

Annabel Martian 1995 The Egyptians

Jane Shutter 1998 The Ancient Egyptians

Kate Graham 1995 Ancient Egypt

Date accessed Website

25.10.12 www.historyforkids.org