Top 10 facts about Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was a civilization in northeastern Africa that dates from the 4th millennium BCE. Its many achievements, preserved in its art and monuments, hold a fascination that continues to grow as archaeological finds reveal its secrets. They were one of the most powerful civilizations. It started in 3150BC until 30 BC – so it lasted for around 3000 years!
Do you want to know more about the Ancient Egyptians? Well you’ve, come to the right place! Check out these 10 facts about Ancient Egypt
1. They lived along the River Nile:
The Egyptians were lucky as they lived along the River Nile. This meant that they could use the water to grow crops, to get food from and for soil
It was also used for transportation.
2. Pyramids and tombs were used for Pharaohs:
You might have seen the big pyramids in Egypt, and also heard of the tombs. These were built for Pharaohs and their families after they had passed away. They believed that treasure needed to be buried with them, to help them in the afterlife.
3. They preserved bodies:
When a loved one had passed away, they believed in preserving the body which was called mummification. The Egyptians believed that this would make their soul live forever lives
4. 130 pyramids:
The Ancient Egyptians were kept busy by building pyramids! So far, over 130 pyramids have been found in Egypt. Archaeologists are still looking for more!
5. Moldy bread medicine:
Egyptians were great at coming up with things to heal the human body. They used moldy bread to heal wounds quickly and to stop the infection and a lot of the time, it worked!
It was trial and error as they had no idea how it worked!
6. Egyptian men and women wore makeup:
It protected their skin from the hot sun but they also believed it had healing powers too.They usually wore green and black make-up.The green was made from copper and the black was lead!
7. Egyptians invented a lot of the things we use today:
The Egyptians were great at inventing! They invented medicine, musical instruments, paper, pens, locks, keys, cosmetics, and even… toothpaste!
What would we do without them?
8. Cats were very special in ancient Egypt:
Cats were very important and special in Egypt.
They were considered sacred. Most Egyptian households had a pet cat, as they thought it would bring them good luck.
9. They used hieroglyphs:
Their alphabet was formed hieroglyphs.
It had over 700 of them! The word hieroglyphs come from a Greek word. It means “sacred carving”.
Ancient Egyptians believed that their language had been invented by the Gods.
10. There were over 2,000 ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses:
A lot of them were shown to have a human body with an animal’s head.
Some of the most famous ones were:
Osiris: The King of the Living
Thoth: God of Knowledge and Wisdom
Ra: God of the Sun and Radiance