2010+Ancient+Egypt+5

=Ancient Egypt=

Project by Kristine Moran, Corey Glassman, and Evan Klayman
Name of Civilization: Ancient Egypt

// Ancient Egypt, where you'll stay wrapped up like a mummy in our culture for the next 6000 years. //

Dates (when this empire existed, in BCE / CE) 3500 B.C.E - 332 B.C.E

Map:

Complete the acronym below by adding 3-4 bullet points and an image that relate to your civilization:

Government - Kristine Moran Ancient Egypt was ruled by a thoecracy, a type of government directly operated by officials who represent the gods on Earth. There were 31 dynasties that were lead by pharaohs including Rameses III, Tutankhamun, and Akhentaten, who had almost limitless control over their subjects. Since the Egyptian religion and government were closely intertwined, high priests also had a great deal of control.  Mask of King Tut

Religion - Corey Glassman Religion in Ancient Egypt was Polytheistic, meaning the people believed in multiple Gods. Each God had some human traits and some animal traits. Each God represented a certain part in Egypt, such as Re, the sun god, who represented Heliopolis, and Khons, the moon God from Thebes. Gods were not very far from regular life and their presence was always accepted. To show their devotion to the gods, items such as food, beer and precious items like gold were given to statues of the gods.
 * [[image:re.gif width="88" height="203" caption="Re, the Sun God"]] ||

The Afterlife was a crucial part of the Egyptian religion. Their whole lives were devoted to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Some Gods even died on purpose to reach the afterlife. To Egyptians, death was a continuation of life, not an end. When a person died, they would undergo a 70 day process of mummification, in which the body and organs were preserved by wrapping the body in many layers of cloth, and the organs were placed in a canopic jar, a jar representing one of four Egyptian Gods. However, if the deceased lived a good lifewas up to religion. First, Anubis, a jakal-headed god, weighed the heart of the deceased against a feather. If the heart outweighed the feather, that told Anubis that the person did many bad deeds during his life. If the person was a good person, their Ka (spirit) and Ba (soul) would go to the kingdom of the dead.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Anubis_standing.jpg width="139" height="243" caption="Anubis"]] ||

Religion connected to many other GREATS in Ancient Egyptian civilization. For example, the beleif in the afterlife lead to the construction of the pyramids, to pay tribute to the great pharaohs, or Government leaders. In these magnificant tombs were beautiful murals dedicated to them and the gods who would look over the Pharaoh in the afterlife. Most pharaohs were associated with one god and pharaohs claimed that gods supported them. If a good harvest was had, this showed the citizens of Ancient Egypt that the pharaoh was telling the truth. Some of these mummies are still found today because the dry climate of Egypt kept the bodies in great condition. The upper-class Egyptians were buried with their belongings and precious metals such as gold.
 * [[image:http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/04/10/gallery/pharoah_zoom.jpg width="177" height="105" caption="Body of Pharaoh Ramses I"]] ||

Economy - Evan Klayman
 * Started trading around the fourth century B.C.- Used boats to trade with countries around the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Red Seas.
 * Traded gold, barley and wheat for metals, horses, ivory, cows, spices, and even leopard skins.
 * Most Egyptians were farmers, but there were also spinners, priests, emperors, silversmiths, coffin makers, hunters, soldiers, doctors, and pyramid builders.
 * Caste system was used in ancient Egypt. Farmers, pyramid builders, and slaves were at the bottom and priests and emperors chosen by the gods were at the top.
 * Created a copper coin called a deben, which weighed about .5 ounces. For example, a pig would be bargained and end at a price at about 4 deben.



Arts - Corey Glassman Ancient Egypt had some of the most stunning artwork in the world. Even in modern times, it is regarded as some of the best artwork to ever exist. An example of this art is Ancient Egyptian architecture. These buldings usualy made of sun dried bricks, limestone, and some granite. The pyramids are an example of this architecture. They were used as tombs for pharaohs and despite their size, machinery mas not used in making them. Hieroglyphics were another important form of Ancient Egyptian art. These were pictures used to represent syllables, such as a and oo. Hieroglyphics were used in daily life in Egypt, from inventory to The book of the Dead, a stone tablet consisting of spells for an easy transition into the afterlife. These were a massive develpement in the ancient world, and modern English would not have been possible without hieroglyphics.
 * [[image:The_Pyramids,_Giza,_Egypt_.png.jpg width="216" height="190"]] ||
 * [[image:The_Pyramids,_Giza,_Egypt_.png.jpg width="216" height="190"]] ||
 * [[image:http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/hieroglyphics.jpg width="95" height="182" caption="Hieroglyphics"]] ||

Sculpture was another very important aspect in Ancient Egyptian art. Sculptures were usually made from stone, but were sometimes made from limestone and sandstone. Chisels, saws, and other sharp tools were used to carve these statues. One large and famous example of Ancient Egyptian sculpture was the Sphinx of Giza, a sculpture of the body of a large cat with the head of a Pharaoh.
 * [[image:http://ncowie.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/sphinx.jpg width="181" height="161" caption="Sphinx of Giza"]] ||

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;">Technology - Evan Klayman <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">used dams for irrigation and flood control over the Nile river to utilize the limited amount of water for farming using techniques such as drip irrigation. used this to grow fields of wheat, grain, barley, etc.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Studied Astronomy- mapped constellations and used them to chart the movement of the planets. Used geometry to chart land and plan irrigation routes from the Nile River.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Created what became the modern Calendar.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">used hieroglyphs to point out of food, water, and resources. Also used hieroglyphs to show people of high power such as the emperor and pictures of the ancient gods. Hieroglyphs found showed pictures of very accurate to-date predictions such as Space travel, Pole Shifts, and even created pictures of Believed to be Extra Terrestrials.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;">Society - Kristine Moran <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In Ancient Egypt, there was a social hierarchy where the Pharaoh was the most powerful person; the upper class consisted of nobles, priests, and scribes; the middle class encompassed craftsmen, merchants, and artisans; and the lower class included peasants, slaves, and farmers. It was difficult to change your class because people were born into their roles and often, the oldest son would continue on in their father's job. Unlike many of the civilizations of their time, Egyptian women had rights, responsibilities, and even held jobs. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Egyptian Social Structure

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Summary of your civilizations achievements: <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ancient Egypt was a civilization way ahead of its time. Ancient Egyptians created what would be known as the modern calendar, studied astrology, and invented an early monetary system. They found a way to preserve their dead and built pyramids that served as burial grounds and art. Their hieroglyphics played a part in the formation of the English language that we speak now. Without these advancements, modern civilization as we know it would be completely different. [|This one's for you Sanborn]

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Image Sources: <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">sites.google.com <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">www.king-tut.org.uk