Great Ancient Civilization—Egypt

Imagine writing notes to your friend using pictures instead of words.Imagine having a monkey as a pet or having your head shaved except for a single sidelock.You might have done these thingd if you had lived ancient Egypt.

Egypt is a country in northeastern Africa.It is mostly desert,dry and hot.However, the longest river in the world, the Nile,cuts through Egypt.Along the river are fertile, green lands.From the air, the Nile looks like a long,snakelike curve of green surrounded by desert.

The capital of modern Egypt is Cairo.Cairo is the largest city in Africa.It is one of the biggest cities in the world! About seven million people live there.The street are full of people. Aswan is another important place in modern Egypt.An enormous dam that supplies most of Egypt's water is located there.

THE ASWAN DAM(阿斯旺大坝)

The Aswan Dam

Egypt is mostly desert. Only the land near the Nile River can be used for farming.Over time, more and more people chose to live here.But there was not enough farmland to raise food for all these people.To creat more farmland, a dam was built at Aswan in 1902.Farmers used water from the dam to irrigate, or water their land.During dry spells,they could grow more crops.

A second dam, the Aswan High Dam, opened in 1971.Now the Nile no longer floods.The dam holds back the waters from flowing over the land.The dam also created Lake Nasser(纳赛尔水库)on the border between Egypt and Sudan.The waters of Lake Nasser can be used all year to irrigate desert land.

THE PHARAOHS(埃及法老)

The most important leader in ancient Egypt was a king, or pharaoh.Ancient Egyptians believe that the pharaoh was a god.Many people kissed the ground he walked on.Some believed he could control the weather!Everything that a pharaoh wore and used was made just for him.

Would you like you receive many golden gifts? Well, the pharaoh of ancient Egypt did.Pharaoh had large armies and were very powerful.Other rulers feared the pharaohs.They sent the pharaohs gifts.Nubia,(努比亚)a country south of Egypt, sent the pharaohs gold plates,gold jewelry,and even gold bows.

Imagine having everything you do and say written down.The pharaohs had scribes who did this.These writing were later put on the walls of a pharaoh's tomb,or grave.They were carved on the monuments that the pharaoh built. The scribe also recorded tax payment,law,and all the pharaoh's speeches.

Many celebrations were held at the royal court,where pharaoh and his family lived.Singers and dancers entertained.Musicians played harps and flutes.A storyteller told the court of the great deeds of the pharaohs. Children played games, such as leapfrog(跳背游戏) and tug-of-war（拔河）.

MUMMIES AND TOMBS(木乃伊与陵墓)

Mummies

In ancient Egypt, people belived in life after death.They believed that after people died, they would still need their body in their next life.

The ancient Egyptians invented a way to mummify, or preserve, the human body.They used a kind of salt to dry it out. Then they wrapped the mummy with many layers of cloth.Some mummies have lasted more than 4,000 years!

Ancient Egyptians also mummified animals.Some animals were mummified for religious reasons.They were considered to be sacred.Other animals were preserved and buried in a tomb to keep their owner company in the next life.Cats were especially important in ancient Egypt.

Today,scientists can learn a lot about ancient Egyptian people and how they lived by studying mummies.

For hundreds of years,in ancient Egypt, when a new pharaoh came to the throne, the people built a pyramid.These huge stone buildings were resting places for the pharaoh's body after death.

After a king died, his mummy was placed in several coffins(棺材),one inside the other.These coffins were sometimes made of gold.They were often painted with pictures and writing.Some even had portraits of the king's face.The coffins were hidden in a tomb inside the pyramid.

The pyramids were built on the west side of the Nile.This is where the sun sets.The ancient Egyptians thought the setting sun was like the arrival of death. We don't know exactly how the Egyptians built the pyramids.But it took many years and many workers.

Ancient Egyptians filled the king's tomb with beautiful furniture,gold,jewelry, and statues.Food,drinks,and clothing were also left there.These were for the spirit to use.The tombs are empty now.The mummies and treasures were stolen long ago.

Today, the Egytians do not make mummies or build such grand tombs for the dead.However, funerals are still very important.People walk in long rows behind the men carrying the body.People think joining a funeral is good luck.

HIEROGLYPHS(象形文字)

Hieroglyphs

We know a lot about ancient Egyptains because of the writings they left behind.Ancient Egyptian writing used pictures or symblos called hieroglyphs.Each hieroglyph stood for a word,idea,or sound.Hieroglyph were found inside the ancient tombs.These hieroglyphs told about important events.They also told what happened in daily life.Hieroglyphs were first used almost 5,000 years ago.They were used in Egypt for over 3,000 years.

It was hard for many people to learn hieroglyphs.There were more than 700 symbols for different sounds and letters! Unlike English,hieroglyphs could be written from left to right, from top to bottom, and even from right to left.

Over time, people stopped using hieroglyphs.They used Greek letters.They spoke and wrote Arabic.People forgot about the hieroglyphs.After a while, no one knew how to read them.

A stone found in 1799 helped us read hieroglyphs again.Known as the Rosetta Stone(罗塞塔石，令古埃及文字得以解读的一块石碑)，it was written in three languages.People matched the two languages they knew to the hieroglyphs.At last, we could read hieroglyphs again.