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The Ancient Egyptians |
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Most of the information we have about ancient Egypt comes from the tombs which the Egyptians built for their dead kings. The tombs were called pyramids. It was the custom to bury everyday goods with the dead and those goods were well preserved in the underground tombs. Karen O'Reilly |
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Egypt and the River Nile Much of the land in Egypt is desert. About 5,000 years ago they settled on the rich fertile soil along the banks of the river Nile. As time passed, their kings, called Pharaohs, created a huge empire by defeating neighbouring tribes and taking control of their lands. People were divided into many different classes. Slaves were the lowest group. |
Map by Rita Dunne |
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Sowing by Emer Lynam |
The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world. Each summer it floods the land on both banks. Long ago the ancient Egyptians built dykes and canals to control the flood waters to make rich farmland beside the river. Ordinary Egyptians lived in villages along the river Nile. The walls of an ordinary home were built of sun dried bricks with slits for windows. Stacie O'Callaghan |
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The Pharaohs The Egyptian Pharaoh was not just an ordinary king. The ancient Egyptians adored their pharaohs because they believed he was a god who had come down to earth from the skies. They also feared him because he had the power of life or death over them. The pharaohs had great wealth. They used this to build pyramids, temples and statues to honour themselves and their gods. The pharaohs believed in many gods. They had jewels and pictures in their tombs to greet the gods. Tutankhamun was a famous pharaoh. He became pharaoh at 16. He died at 18. His tomb was found in the Valley of the Kings by Howard Carter in 1922. It was full of treasures. Jennifer O'Grady |
The Pharaoh was a King. This is a picture of the Pharaoh by Natasha Ray. |
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Egyptians believed in life after death. When the pharaohs died they believed that they would need his body for that life so they tried to preserve the body of their pharaohs. To do this they mummified them. They covered the bodies with oils, salts, and spices and wrapped them in layers of linen cloth. They also placed treasures and jewellery in the pharaohs' tombs. Dena Rowe |
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Building a Pyramid by Caitriona Scanlan |
The Pyramids The pyramids are very large. They are around 3,000 years old. The pyramids are the most famous Egyptian buildings. Thirty five pyramids are still standing near the Nile. Pyramids are huge mounds of enormous blocks of cut stone. Inside the mound are passages leading to rooms which were the burial chambers of the dead kings. It took more than two million stonae blocks to build the biggest pyramid. Most of the blocks weighed more than two tonnes. Leanne O'Toole The finest and best known are the three pyramids at Giza. Pharaoh Khufu built the largest of these. Jennifer O'Grady |
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Aileen Bohan |
Hieroglyphics The Egyptians were the ones who invented Hieroglyphics. It is a sort of writing. They carved into the walls of pyramids and temples. Dena Rowe |
Joanne Corcoran |
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Interesting Facts about Ancient Egypt Click the pyramid -> |
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Carrying grain in a basket by Jennifer O'Grady
