3. Mummification
• Internal organs and brain removed
• Covered in preserving salt for 70 days
• Wrapped in linen cloth and put in a coffin
• You can’t go to afterlife without mouth/jaw
• Afterlife beliefs-hieroglyphics
4. Creation of pyramids
• Made out of granite
• Perfect geometry on slants
• Slaves made them serving a very
demanding Pharaoh-Pharaoh Khufu
• The great Pyramid was built for Khufu
5. Contents of Coffins
• Clothing-Valuable
• Food
• Treasure, money
• Pets
• Script-map of afterworld
6. Timeline
• 5000 B.C.- immigrants came from Palestine,
Syria, Libya, and Nubia
• 4200 B.C.- traders came from Iraq
• 3100- the pyramids were made
• 2500 B.C.- The great pyramid was made for
Pharaoh Khufu
7. The Sphinx
• It is a lion with man’s head
• Mark Lehner went for 13 years for school
• He thought there were files under Sphinx’s
paws
8. Reasons for pyramids
• The pyramid is a shape of power,
importance and knowledge
• They only buried pharaohs in Pyramids
9. King Tut’s Tomb Discovery
• Carter and Carnarvon discovered it
• In tomb- wife’s statue with beard
• Most things in chamber- no use
13. Bibliography
Abels, Harriet S. The Pyramids. Mankato: Crestwood House, 1987. 4-43.
Hart, George. Ancient Egypt. 1st ed. London: Alfred a. Knopf, 1990. 6-64.
Physical Science: Structures. Discovery Channel School. 2002.
unitedstreaming. 21 December 2006
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>
Reeves, Nicholas. Into the Mummy's Tomb. Toronto: Madison P Books, 1992. 1-54.
Editor's Notes
Have you ever heard of the Great Pyramid, or the Sphinx? They are both part of a very mysterious country in Africa… Egypt! It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and is famous for its Lion-bodied Sphinx and towering pyramids. Today, we’ll learn about all of these things, and much more!
One of the most unique elements in their culture is their beliefs in the afterlife. When a body dies, they put it through a process called mummification. First, they would remove the internal organs and brain from the corpse. Next, they put a preserving salt on and wait for 70 days. Then, the body is covered with a substance that they used as glue. Finally, it is wrapped in a linen cloth and placed in the coffin. It was believed that if you did not have a jaw or it was apart from the rest of your body, you could not go to the afterlife. We know about their beliefs in the afterlife because of Hieroglyphics.
When the Pyramids were created, granite was very popular for building structures and palaces, so they built pyramids out of it as well. On the slants for the pyramids, all angles are very identical. Scientists are still trying to find out which tool they used for this measurement. The Pyramids were made by thousands of slaves under a very demanding pharaoh Khufu. Soon after, they built the vast Great Pyramid in honor of his death.
When someone was put in a coffin to go to the Afterworld, they needed things to survive. In result, they were buried with Clothing- Their finest or best Food- That would keep and last long Treasure- to buy and trade with, to show their wealth Pets- to keep them company and for them to remember their family Script- A map of the Afterworld so that they would reach paradise
Even before the pyramids were made, they still kept track of time. In 5000 B.C., immigrants came from Palestine, Syria, Libya, and Nubia. 4200 B.C.- Iraqis came to trade with the immigrants that were already there. Finally, in 3100, the Pyramids were made.
The Sphynx is a very interesting symbol in their culture. It is a lion with a man’s head. When Mark Lehner went to Egypt, he thought that there were files under the Sphynx’s Paws. He stayed there for 13 years and learned all about the pyramids. Since he couldn’t dig under the paws, he never found out if it was true or not.
Why did the Egyptians choose pyramids? Well, they believed that the pyramid symbolized importance, power, and knowledge. Since the pyramid was so special, they only buried pharaohs in them.
Have you ever heard of king Tutankhamun? If you do, you probably know him as King Tut. He was a very famous Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. When the partners Carter and Carnarvon discovered Tut’s tomb, they found a statue of his wife with a beard on it!! The story behind this is that when Tut was king, he was only 9 years old, so he married a 12-year-old girl for help with ruling Egypt. Eventually, she ended up ruling Egypt, and her statue was up everywhere. But since they didn’t believe that women should be Pharaohs, they were wondering why the statues looked like her. They put a beard on her to hush up the fact that Tut wasn’t ruling at all. Most things that they found in the chamber were of no use beacause they were just every-day nececeties needed for the afterworld.
When the pyramids were made, the slaves only had wood and rope tools to make them. They hid the tombs inside the pyramids, so it was a long journey into the pyramid for the slaves to make in order to bring the contents of the tomb into the chamber!
As a closure, we are going to end with a video. Watch for descriptions of the inside of the great pyramid.
Here are some important things to remember: It is famous for its towering Pyramids and Great Sphinx. It also is very unique in its beliefs in mummification and the afterworld. Tut’s tomb travels all over the world from museum to museum because it is so famous and people like to come and see it. I hope that you know more about the Egyptian Pyramids now. Thanks for listening!!!
