The Egyptian Civilization
(Past and Present)
TIME TO LEARN
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three periods.
2. Slaves were at the bottom of the Egyptian society.
3. Queen Nefertiti ruled with her husband Akhenaten.
4. Agriculture was a major occupation.
5. The Sphinx is carved out of ta single block of stone.
6. The Egyptians followed the solar calendar.
B. Circle the correct answers.
1. The Egyptian king was called the pharaoh/sultan.
2. The two popular form of amusement were singing and recitation/dancing.
3. The chief God of the Egyptian was Amun Re/Horus.
4. Linen/oil was a major item of export.
5. The Egyptians used their knowledge of astrology/mathematics to construct pyramids.
6. Sheets of paper were made from papyrus/palm reeds.
C. Read the clues and write the names.
1. the tribe that invaded ancient Egypt.
= Hyksos;
2. political and religious leaders of Egypt.
= Pharaoh;
3. a popular board game.
= Senet;
4. the god of mummification.
= Anubis;
5. one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
= The great pyramid of Giza;
6. the Egyptian system of writing.
= Hieroglyphic;
D. Give reasons for the following.
1. Most Egyptians were engaged in agriculture.
= Most Egyptians were engaged in agriculture because of the fertile soil, regular water supply from the Nile and a vast irrigation network meant that farmers could grow crops throughout the year.
2. The Egyptians preserve their dead.
= The Egyptians preserved their dead because they believed in life after death. They considered death to be a temporary phase between this life and the next.
E. Answer the questions.
1. What has helped us to reconstruct the history of Egypt?
= Archaeological excavations, inscriptions and official documents have helped us to reconstruct the history of Egypt.
2. Describe the social classes the emerged in ancient Egypt.
= The society of Egypt consisted of many classes. The ruler was called the pharaoh and was treated as god. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptians. Statues of pharaohs were kept in temples and their achievements were inscribed on temple walls. The pharaoh took all major decisions concerning the empire.
Next came the priests. Then came the nobles, officials and scribes, followed by merchants, artisans and farmers. At the lowest rung were the slaves, most of whom were prisoners of war. Anyone unable to pay off his debts was also reduced to slavery.
3. Write about the condition of women in ancient Egypt.
= In ancient Egyptian civilization, birth of daughters was welcome. Women belonging to poor families worked on fields and looked after their house. Rich women led better lives. Many of them could read and write. We get references of some very powerful queens. For example, Queen Hatshepsut was crowned the pharaoh. Queen Nefertiti ruled with her husband Akhenaten.
4. Name some of the gods that people worshipped in ancient Egypt.
= The Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses. Each god was associated with a particular aspect of life, and each had a specific form. The chief god was Amun-Re or Ra, the sun god. He was the king of all gods, and considered the source of warmth and life. Other gods that were Thoth, the moon god, represented by Ibis, a water bird. Horus, the sky god, represented by a hawk; Anubis, the god of mummification, represented by a jackal. Each god had a separate temple and a priest, and each city had a patron god.
5. How did the Egyptians preserve their dead?
= The Egyptians believed in life after death. They considered death to be a temporary phase between this life and the next. Egyptians, therefore, preserved their dead by mummifying their bodies. They covered their dead body with herbs and spices, and then wrapped it in fine linen. Such a preserved body is called a mummy.
The mummy was put in a wooden box, enclosed in a stone coffin and then buried in a tomb. Food, clothes, jewellery, furniture and other things of everybody use were put into the tomb with the belief that the person would need them in his afterlife. The famous pyramids of Egypt are actually tombs of the pharaohs.
6. Discuss the architectural achievements of Egyptians.
= The Egyptians were great builders and constructed many pyramids and temples. The largest of the pyramids, the Great Pyramid at Giza, was built by Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu). It is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Another architectural wonder is the Sphinx, a mythological figure with the head of a man and the body of a lion. It is carved out of a single block of stone.
The temple at Abu Simbel is equally famous. Built by Rameses II, is has been constructed such that twice a year the rays of the rising sun reach the back wall of the interior of the temple.
7. Discuss the progress made by the Egyptians in astronomy.
= The Egyptians studied the movements of heavenly bodies to predict natural phenomena. They counted years by observing the star Sirius, whose appearance coincided with the beginning of the annual flood in River Nile. They also divided the sky into twelve constellations, thereby being the first to devise the zodiac.
The Egyptians were also the first to devise a solar calendar. They found that the average time between two floods in River Nile was 365 days. They also realized that the star Sirius appeared on the horizon when the flood reached Cairo, and this happened after every 365 days. These observations led them to conclude that a year has 365 days. The year was then divided into 12 months, each with 30 days. Five more days were added to the calendar to celebrate festivals.
F. Picture study.
This is a scene from the tomb of an artisan.
1. Discuss the life of the poor in ancient Egypt.
= The poor worked as servants or as labourers in rich households. Their houses were small, often consisting of only one room. The poor wore jewellery made of cheap metals decorated with pieces of brightly painted clay.
2. Write a short note on the occupations in ancient Egypt.
= Most people were engaged in agriculture. Fertile soil, regular supply of water from the Nile and a vast irrigation network meant that farmers could grow crops throughout the year. Pottery-making, spinning, weaving, glass-making, carpentry, metal-working, poultry-farming and fishing were some occupations followed by the people.
The Egyptians perfected the use of the potter's wheel. Pottery was produced in large quantities. Skilled carpenters made beautiful articles of wood inlaid with ivory and precious stones. The metal-workers made articles of gold, copper and other metals. Some people carved statues of gods and kings.