Ancient Egypt relied on the annual flooding of the Nile River for agriculture and civilization. The Egyptians had a polytheistic religion and mummified important people like pharaohs. Their system of hieroglyphic writing was developed around 3000 BC and helped reveal secrets of Egyptian culture when translated with the Rosetta Stone. Major achievements included building large pyramids as tombs for pharaohs, with the largest at Giza covering 13 acres using over 2 million stones weighing 2-5 tons each.

1. Ancient Egypt “The Gift of the Nile”

2. Geography Herodotus called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile” Each year the Nile overflowed its banks, leaving behind a thick layer of nutrient rich soil the Egyptians called “black gold” The Nile is approximately 4,000 miles long and empties into the Mediterranean Sea Without the Nile, civilization in Egypt would not have been possible

3. Map of Egypt

4. Religion The Ancient Egyptians were polytheistic, they worshipped many gods The Egyptians preserved the bodies of important people, such as pharaohs, as mummies

5. Social Organization

6. System of Writing Hieroglyphics, a form of writing that used pictures and abstract symbols and was developed around 3,000 B.C. The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799 revealed many secrets that were previously unknown about Egyptian life and culture. It took nearly 16 years to translate.

7. Hieroglyphics and the Rosetta Stone

8. Egyptian Achievements Pyramids were built as tombs for the Pharaoh. The size of the pyramid was symbolic of the pharaohs wealth and power The largest pyramid at Giza, covered 13 acres and was built from 2.3 million stones each weighing 2-5 tons The Egyptians made many advances in math and engineering

9. Great Pyramids of Giza

10. Sphinx

11. Giza Virtual Tour http:// www.egyptvoyager.com/pyramids_giza_virtual.htm