Ancient Civilizations

Excavations on Cairo's westernmost outskirts have revealed what archaeologist Mark Lehner calls a "royal production center," at lower right, that fed and equipped pyramid workers at Giza. To the left lies a cemetery dug into a cliff containing some of the builders' tombs.

Who Built the Pyramids? Not slaves. Archeaologist Mark Lehner, digging deeper, discovers a city of privileged workers.

Archaeologists believe Egypt's large pyramids are the work of the Old Kingdom society that rose to prominence in the Nile Valley after 3000 B.C. Historical analysis tells us that the Egyptians built the Giza Pyramids in a span of 85 years between 2589 and 2504 BC. Interest in Egyptian chronology is widespread in both popular and scholarly circles. We wanted to use science to test the accepted historical dates of several Old Kingdom monuments.

How do we know that the settlement located at the foot of the Giza Plateau belongs to the same period of time as when the Egyptians were building the pyramids? Two kinds of evidence tell us that we are excavating a 4th Dynasty site (2575-2465 BC): ceramics and sealings.

The ancient Egyptians used clay to form many items, but none were more common or necessary than the vessels for storing or serving food. Beginning in the early Predynastic Period (ca. 4500 B.C.) and continuing throughout Egyptian history, ceramic jars, often filled with food offerings, were regularly left in tombs. In addition, thousands of shards, the remains of everyday vessels, have been recovered from settlement sites such as el-Amarna, Kahun, and Deir el-Medina. Illustrations from tomb and temple walls also supply information on the variety and quantity of pottery containers used by the Egyptians.

Ancient Egypt had by tradition a great variety of gods and what today can be labeled as "spirits" and "divine forces". The total number of them was over 2.000 but many had similar characteristics and appeared all over the country by different names. This great diversity is due to the fact that before the country was united the Nile Valley was split up into about forty self ruling areas (later to be provinces - so called nomes) where the ruling tribes had their own deities.

Ancient Egyptian art has been divided into several era galleries each covering two or three historical periods. There is some doubt about the absolute dates involved here; for more information see the paragraph on chronology before the list of Egyptian Pharaohs.

Introduction -- Anthropoid sarcophagus of Amunemopet, Predynastic Period -- Male idol, Old kingdom I -- Heti as a cross-legged, Scribe, Old kingdom II -- Sarcophagus of Kaiemneferet The Funerary Arts -- Canopic jars Middle Kingdom -- Lid and two end panels from a coffin of the official Nakht Hemunu -- Statue of Hemiunu, enthroned New Kingdom I -- Statue of the lioness goddess Sekhmet Treasury -- Jewels of a princess New Kingdom II -- Relief with the image of Pharaoh Tuthmoses IV Temple and Tomb -- Funerary stela of the Lady Cherankh Graeco-Roman -- Cartonnage and Faiyum portrait of a noblewoman

Welcome. Sample the symbols of Egypt's kings and queens. The artifacts are but a mere sampling of the opulent treasures exhibited at the Florida International Museum in 1996. We hope this tour brings many moments of pleasure as you explore the colors, textures and history of each piece.

National Geographic presents Herod's Lost Tomb is an exciting hidden-object game that takes you on an archeological journey of King Herod the Great. It gives players an opportunity to experience an exciting, real-life archaeological adventure!

How to make papyrus

Reading and content level for middle school students

Mummies

Timeline of Ancient Egypt

map

Map of Ancient Egypt

Although it might seem unusual, you can learn about life in ancient Egypt from the monuments of death. The Egyptians considered death an altered continuation of life, not an ending.

Great site for your research on your artifact

School site: full of great web resources for the Ancient Egypt unit

new exhibit featuring treasures from boy king Tutankhamun's tomb and artifacts tied to rulers spanning 2,000 years of Egyptian history.