SECTION 4: EGYPTIAN

ACHIEVEMENTS

BIG IDEA

The Egyptians made lasting

achievements in writing,

architecture, and art.

MAIN IDEA

The Egyptians developed a writing system using

hieroglyphics.

Topics in the Section:

Egyptian Writing - Writing in Ancient Egypt- The Rosetta Stone- Egyptian Texts

EGYPTIAN WRITING

Egyptian Achievements: Hieroglyphs

one of the world’s first writing sytems

• Egyptians created hieroglyphics, which means “to teach”, as a form of writing. – The Egyptians had over 600 symbols –

mostly pictures of objects. – 3300 B.C. the Egyptians wrote on stone

of other hard material. Later they developed papyrus, which is a paper-like material made from reeds

At first hieroglyphics were carved in stone.

Egyptians invented one of the world’s first writing

systems, using a series of images, symbols, and

pictures called hieroglyphics

(hy-ruh-GLIH-fiks).

Hieroglyphics – The ancient Egyptian writing

system that used picture symbols.

Each symbol

represented one of

more sounds in the

Egyptian language.

Hieroglyphs• Hieroglyphs

– Pictures that were used to write the ancient Egyptian language

– Originally used to keep records of the king’s possessions. Scribes could easily make these records by drawing a picture of a cow or a boat followed by a number.

• As the language became more complex, more pictures were needed. Eventually the language consisted of more than 750 individual signs.

Later, they were written with brushes and ink on

papyrus (puh-PY-ruhs).

Papyrus

How to make papyrus paper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FNtqAkzpuU

Papyrus – a long-lasting, paper–like material made from

reeds that the ancient Egyptians used to write on.

Because papyrus

didn’t decay, many

ancient Egyptian

texts still survive,

including

government

records, historical

records, science

texts, medical

manuals, and

literary works such

as The Book of the

Dead.

The Book of the Dead

Many texts are still available today,

including the famous The Book of the

Dead, which is about the afterlife.

Hieroglyphics could be written either horizontally or

vertically. They could be written from right to left or

from left to right. These options made hieroglyphics

flexible to write but difficult to read. The only way to

tell which way a text is written is to look at

individuals symbols.

CARTOUCHE

The Rosetta Stone• Today we are able to translate Hieroglyphics into

English because of the discovery of Rosetta Stone.

Hieroglyphs

Greek

Demotic

<----------------

<----------------

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During

Napoleon's

Invasion of

Egypt -

Discovered

in 1799 Carved in 196 BC

It was called the Rosetta

Stone because it was

found in the city of Rosetta

Rosetta Stone

-A huge stone slab

inscribed with

hieroglyphics,

Greek and a latter

form of Egyptian

that allowed

historians to

understand Egyptian

writing

The discovery of the Rosetta

Stone in 1799 provided the

key to reading Egyptian

writing, as its text was

inscribed

both in

hieroglyphics

and in

Greek.

Video Clip: The Rosetta Stone

Click Picture to See the Video Clip

Achievements• Pyramids There were about 80 along the banks of the Nile River. The largest is the Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu in about

2600 B.C. It stands about 481 feet high and covers 13 acres. The pyramids functioned as huge burial tombs for the

Egyptians’ dead pharaohs and queens.

• Ship-building They used the Nile River like a highway to transport people and

goods to foreign lands. The first ships were made out of bundles of papyrus reeds tied

together to make a canoe-like vessel. As the ship trade flourished, the hulls of the ships were made

of cedar, and oars and sails were added for greater speed.

• Hieroglyphics These were pictures and symbols that served as one of the first

written languages in the world.

• Calendar Calendars were developed in 4241 B.C. with 365 days in a

year. It was based on the flooding of the Nile River. New Years was on June 1, not January 1!

READING CHECK

• (COMPARING )

How is our writing system similar to hieroglyphics?

Temple of Karnak

EGYPT’S GREAT TEMPLES

MAIN IDEA

The Egyptians created magnificent temples,

tombs, and works of art.

Topics in the Section:

Temples, Tombs, and Art- Egypt’s Great Temples- Egyptian Art

Egyptians also built massive temples. Those

that survive are among the most spectacular

sites in Egypt today

Egyptians believed that temples were the

homes of the gods. People visited the temples

to worship, offer the gods gifts, and ask for

favors.

Egyptian architects are known not only

for the pyramids but also for their

magnificent temples.

The temples were lavishly designed with numerous

statues and beautifully painted walls and pillars.

Many Egyptian temples shared similar

features…………………………..

They had rows of sphinxes –

Imaginary creatures with bodies of lions and

heads of other animals or humans – they

lined the path

leading to the entrance

Sphinxes and obelisks were usually found near the entrances to the

temples.

SPHINXES

Sphinx - an imaginary

creature with a human head

and the body of a lion that

was often shown on

Egyptian statues

The entrance to many of The entrance

to many of temples have huge, thick

gate. On either side of those gates

might stand an OBELISK, a tall, four

sided pillar that is pointed on top.

OBELISKS

OBELISK – a tall,

pointed four-

sided pillar in

ancient Egypt.

TEMPLE OF KARNAK

-Huge columns supported the temple’s roof

-Columns were covered with paintings and hieroglyphics,

-Statues of gods and pharaohs often stood along the walls as well.

-The sanctuary, the most sacred part of the building, was at the far end of the temple

ABU SIMBEL

- Carved out of a sandstone cliffs

- Four 66 foot-tall statues show Ramses as pharaoh.

-Nearby are some smaller statues of his family

TEMPLE AT LUXOR

- City of 100 gates

- Monuments include the Temple of Hatshepsut

EGYPTIAN ART

Egyptians were masterful artists, Egyptians painted lively,

colorful scenes on canvas, papyrus, pottery, plaster, and wood.

Detailed work also covered the walls of temples and tombs. The

temple art was created to honor the gods, while the tomb art was

intended for the enjoyment of the dead in the afterlife.

EGYPTIAN ART

Ancient Egyptians were masterful artists and many of their

greatest works are found in either the temples or the tombs

of the pharaohs.

Most Egyptians however, never saw these paintings, because only kings,

priests, or other

important people could enter these places.

The subjects of Egyptian

paintings vary widely.

Some paintings show

important historical

events, such as the

crowing of kings and the

founding of temples.

Others illustrate major

religious rituals. Still

other painting show

scenes from everyday life,

such as farming or

hunting.

Egyptian paintings depict a

variety of subjects, from

crowning kings to illustrating

religious rituals to showing

scenes from daily life.

The paintings also have a particular style

with people drawn as if they were twisting as they walked, and in different sizes

depending upon their

stature in society.

Egyptian painting has a distinctive style.

People’s heads and legs are always seen

from the side, but their upper bodies and

shoulders are shown straight on. In

addition,

people do not always

appear the same size.

Important figures such as

a pharaohs appear huge

in comparison to others.

In contrast, Egyptian

animals are usually

drawn realistically.

Distinctive Style

In contrast, animals appear more realistically.

Other New Technologies

• Shipbuilding– Wooden boats– Multiple-oars– Sails– Rope trusses to strengthen hulls

Egyptians were also skilled stoneworkers.

Many tombs included huge statues and detailed

carvings on the walls.

They also made beautiful objects out

of gold and precious stones. They

made jewelry for both women and

men . This included necklaces,

collars, and bracelet. The Egyptians

also used gold to

make burial

items for their

pharaohs.

The Egyptians were also skilled stone and metal workers,

creating beautiful statues and jewelry.

The Egyptians were also skilled stone and metal workers,

creating beautiful statues and jewelry.

READING CHECK

• (SUMMARIZING )

What types of artwork were contained in Egyptian tombs?