Page 19 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Ancient Egypt SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Buildings p.48
▸ ▸ Governments
Thousands of years ago, between 7000 bce and 395 ce, p.123
Egypt was led by powerful rulers called pharaohs. The ▸ ▸ Life cycle p.146
Egyptian people farmed the land next to the Nile river and ▸ ▸ Rivers p.211

built amazing monuments for their pharaoh and the gods. ▸ ▸ Ships p.224
▸ ▸ Weather p.271
Nile River
The Nile was very important in
Egyptian life. Farmers grew food
along the river’s banks and people
used it to travel up and down the
whole country.
Trading ships
sailed the Red Sea,
bringing back
exotic treasures. Pyramids
The pyramids were tombs built
to protect the pharaoh when he
The Sphinx of Giza
Giza (a lion statue died. They were filled with
with a man’s head) treasure for the pharoah to use in
guards the pyramids. the afterlife. The largest pyramid
Every year, rain causes is nearly 460 ft (140 m) tall.
the river to flood,
watering the land The mummy
and all its crops. People fished was put in a
in the waters painted wooden
of the Nile. mummy case.
Egyptian society
The Pharaoh ran Egypt with
the help of rich people called
noblemen. Everyone else in
Egyptian society worked very Some pharaohs
hard for them. were buried
in the Valley Luxor
of the Kings.

Words were
Pharaoh Ramses II carved Houses written with
Pharaoh picture signs,
two great temples out of were built of called
rock at Abu Simbel. He made mud-bricks, hieroglyphs.
himself one of the gods baked in
worshipped the sun.
inside. Living forever
The Egyptians
Noblemen turned their bodies
into mummies when
Abu Simbel
they died. The body
was dried out using
salt, then wrapped in
bandages. This way,
Farmers and other workers they hoped they
would live forever.

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