Egyptian Civilization
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. The Greek historian Herodotus described Egypt as the Gift of the Nile.
2. Queen Cleopatra was the last ruler of Egypt.
3. Lower and Upper regions of Egypt were unified by Menes or Narmer.
4. Egypt became a province under the Roman Empire.
5. Sphinx is a mythological figure having a man's head a lion's body.
6. The slaves were at the lowest level in the society.
7. The Egyptian king was known as the Pharaoh.
8. The clothes worn by the Egyptians were mostly made of linen.
9. The Egyptians were the first to develop a solar calendar.
10. The ancient Egyptians wrote on paper made from the papyrus plant.
11. Hieroglyphics in Greek means sacred carvings.
12. The longest papyrus that had been discovered is called the Great Harris.
13. Foreign invasion of Egypt led to the decline of the civilization.
14. The Egyptians made houses of mud bricks dried in the sun.
15. The provinces in Egyptian kingdom were placed under officials called nomarchs.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. Egypt is known as 'the gift of the Nile'. Give two reasons.
= The two reasons are -
i) The annual floods deposited rich, black fertile soil on the banks of the river. The farmers grew wheat, barley, fruits and vegetable.
ii) The river was used for transporting goods across the length and breadth of the country.
2. What important materials did the Egyptians get from the desert?
= The deserts were rich in minerals deposits, including metals. The Egyptians used these metals to make simple tools.
3. Name the periods in ancient Egyptian history.
= The name of the periods of ancient Egyptian history are -
i) The Early Dynastic Period(3100BCE-2686BCE)
ii) The Old Kingdom(2686BCE-2181BCE)
iii) The Middle Kingdom(2050BCE-1650BCE)
iv) The New Kingdom(1550BCE-1069BCE)
4. Which group of people belonged to the upper class?
= The upper class comprised the pharaoh and the members of royal family, rich landowners, priests and high government officials.
5. Describe the two main occupations of the Egyptians.
= The two main occupations of the Egyptians are -
i) Agriculture:- The fertile Nile valley and irrigation system helped them to grow various types of crops throughout the year. They used a wooden hoe for ploughing. Wheat, barley, onions, peas, cotton, fruits and vegetables were the chief crops grown.
ii) Other important professions:- Besides agriculture, they were engaged in fishing, poultry, carpentry, masonry work and weaving.
6. What tells us that the Egyptians believed in life after death?
= Since Egyptians believed in life after death, they buried the mummies along with food, wine, furniture, jewellery and weapons in the pyramids.
7. What is a mummy?
= The Egyptians firmly believed in life after death. Therefore, they preserved the body of the dead by embalming it with some chemicals. These bodies are known as mummies.
8. Mention which type of sports was popular in ancient Egypt.
= People were fond of sports such as swimming, hunting and fishing. Boat race were held along the Nile for people. Gymnastics, long jump, high jump, wrestling, weightlifting and board games like Senet or twenty squares were very popular. Children played with clay balls, leather balls or papyrus balls, dolls and animals.
9. What was the role of the pharaoh?
= The pharaoh was the all powerful king. He was the head of the state as well as the chief priest. Kingship was hereditary.
10. Name the items that were imported by the Egyptians.
= Some items imported by the Egyptians were cedar wood from Lebanon, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, ebony and ivory from Central Africa, silver and bronze from Syria and olive oil from Crete.
11. How did the Egyptians were the first to develop the 365 day solar calendar.
= It was based on astronomical observations. This calendar showed a year with twelve months, each having thirty days. The remaining five days were meant for religions celebrations.
12. Why did the ancient Egyptians mummify the dead bodies?
= The ancient Egyptians mummified the dead bodies as they firmly believed that these is another life after death.
13. How was a pyramid designed? What was its use?
= The practice of building pyramids commenced with step pyramid of Djoser designed by Imhotep. Pyramids are gigantic monuments built for the burial of the pharaohs.
14. Name any two rulers of ancient Egypt.
= i) Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
ii) Pharaoh Akhenaten.
15. State the ways by which the people of ancient Egypt utilised the Nile for irrigation.
= The water from the Nile was used for irrigation. The Egyptians constructed elaborate system of canals, dams, dikes and reservoir - built to control the flow of water to the fields.
16. What was the position of women in ancient Egyptian society?
= Women were respected and treated equally with men. They could also inherit properly. Girls would learn housekeeping skills.
III. Write short note on the following.
1. Gods of ancient Egypt:- Egyptians worshipped various animals and forces of nature. Their main gods were Ra(the Sun God), Horus(God of the sky) and Osiris(the God of the Dead). Animals, such as jackal, bull and crocodile were also worshipped. Temples were built in honour of their Gods. Each God had their own temple and Priest. The Egyptians also worshipped pharaohs as Gods.
2. Mummification:- Egyptians preserved the body of the dead by embalming it with some chemicals. These bodies are known as mummies. The Mummies were buried along with articles of daily use. The pharaohs were buried along with food, wine, furniture, jewellery and weapons in the pyramids.
3. Dress of the Egyptians:- The Egyptians generally wore light clothes because of the hot climate. Men wore loincloth and women wore long, tight-fitting dresses with straps. Both men and women loved ornaments and cosmetics. Necklaces, earrings, bangles and rings were some popular ornaments.
4. Crops grown in ancient Egypt.
= Barley and wheat were the main cereal crops produced by the ancient Egyptians. The vegetables that they grew were beans, lentils, onions, leeks, cucumbers and lettuces. They grew fruits such as grapes, dates, figs and pomegranates.
5. Animals domesticated by the Egyptians:- The Egyptians domesticated animals such as cows, sheep, goats, camel, donkeys and pigs, etc.