Believe it or not, the history of Ancient Egypt is much richer than just mummies.The ancient civilization of Egypt is regarded as one of the major civilizations known to humankind. On top of that, Ancient Egyptians have left us with the Great Pyramids that are a part of the seven wonders of this world.What’s more interesting is that the knowledge of Ancient Egypt has always been riddled with mysteries. Be it the spooky mummy stories, or Europe’s obsession with the mythology of Ancient Egyptians, it remains as one of the most studied ancient civilizations. Most of the kids are enthusiastic about knowing about this ancient world and how the people went around in a day. Hence, we thought of creating this guide to give you an opportunity to peek into the ancient history of Egypt.So, do keep reading if you’re interested in learning Ancient Egypt for kids.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about ancient China trades and the Argentina flag meaning here on Kidadl?The History Of Ancient EgyptAs you may know, the ancient Egyptian civilization grew beside the River Nile and river islands.The history of Egypt is divided into different ruling eras as per the pharaohs that dominated the ancient lands. However, it began way before that when the first hunter-gatherers decided to call the banks of the Nile River their home. By 5500 BC small tribes were said to have settled by the fertile land present beside the river. The time between 3150–2686 BC brought the Early Dynastic Period that was contemporary of the Mesopotamian civilization. It was closely followed by the period of Old Kingdon in 2686–2181 BC. This is when the towering glories of Egypt such as the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx were established. It was followed by the First Intermediate Period (2181–2055 BC) when the focus shifted to more localized rulers. Another time of prosperity was brought by the Middle Kingdom (2134–1690 BC). But that’s not all, the history of Ancient Egypt is traced as far as into AD 641 when Muslim warriors occupied Egypt to establish the modern capital of Cairo.Interestingly, Egypt is divided into upper Egypt that has the southern Nile, and Lower Egypt with the northern Nile. The reason is that the major river Nile flows from south to north and finally mixes with the Mediterranean Sea.Earlier, Egypt was known by the name Kemet or black land. It’s because of the black silt deposited in the Egyptian territory.The Culture Of Ancient EgyptLike any other civilization, Ancient Egyptians also spend their time building a complex culture throughout the time that they had.One of the most common identifiers was the writing system of the Egyptians, which also makes Ancient Egypt prominent and famous. The writing was done with the help of hieroglyphs, and it’s one of the oldest systems of writing in the world. Egyptians even used papyrus as a writing medium which predates the use of paper.As you might know, death formed an important part of Egyptian men. The pharaohs or the Egyptian kings built huge pyramids as a way of remembrance even after death. The Book of the Dead came into being during the New Kingdom and it works as the key literature depicting the culture that revolved around death and the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians believed that once you die, the soul has to make a journey to prove the tasks it has performed while being alive.The People Of Ancient EgyptThe Ancient Egyptians left paintings and sculptures for us to understand how the life of the people would have been on the banks of the Nile River.Social class played an important role among the Egyptian people and they abided by it diligently. On top of that, most classes did make use of slaves in Ancient Egypt who worked as gardeners, servants, farm labor and even scribes. The pharao or king was through to be the emissary of Ancient Egyptian Gods, hence they weren’t questioned. Along with trade, Egypt’s population depended on agriculture to sustain themselves. Deben was the currency used by the Ancient Egyptians, each one weighed around 3.1 oz (90 g) and was usually made of copper.Ancient Egyptians mainly wore clothes made from cotton. Men and women wore kilt-like garments, and both applied makeup, especially kohl on occasions. Most Egyptians would have walked barefoot, but some from the upper caste did wear sandals.One key of Egypt’s resources was sun dried mud brick that was used to build houses in which the people lived. The climate in Ancient Egypt must have been dry throughout the year including fairly hot winters.Because of the Nile River, the favorite sport of Ancient Egyptians is said to be swimming. Even the kids were made to learn to swim as early as possible. A popular board game among people was Senet that was based on the Egyptian belief in eternity.When it comes to their daily life, the Ancient Egyptians believed in omens, magic, healing powers, and different gods and goddesses. Hence, even the common folks laid a lot of importance on living a moral life to have a dignified afterlife.Crocodiles were a fearsome part of Ancient Egypt’s wildlife.Important Symbols And Contribution Of Ancient EgyptMost of us are aware of the many gods the Ancient Egyptians worshipped as well as the Ancient Egyptian pyramids. But, Ancient Egypt also had a lot of symbols and key contributions that are still just as important.Let’s start with the symbols. It’s astonishing to know that Egyptians used more than 700 hieroglyphs in their writings. The three common symbols seen in use were ankh, djed, and was sceptre. The ankh is described as a cross with a looped top. This essential symbol stood for a lot of things including the blending of male and female principles, the morning sun, and even eternal life. On the other hand, the djed is a broad-based column that narrows at the top and is crossed by four parallel lines. This is popularly referred to as the god’s backbone and some regard it as a fertility pole. In comparison, the sceptre is described as a staff with a canine’s head. This can very well stand for Anubis or even an ancient dog.Now, coming to the contributions, Ancient Northern Egypt has given us a lot of things. At that time, the Ancient Egyptians used to trade sailboats by crossing the Nile River. As we have told already papyrus was one of the first writing mediums, and it was used in the Arab world as late as the eighth century AD. However, the most interesting contribution was that of toothpaste.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Ancient Egypt for kids: ancient world facts for curious kids then why not take a look at American freedom symbols facts: discover curious history facts!, or fascinating facts about Jupiter we bet you didn’t know?
Believe it or not, the history of Ancient Egypt is much richer than just mummies.
