Month: July 2009

Ancient Egyptian Writing

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July 28, 2009

5:49 am

3 Comments on Ancient Egyptian Writing

Class Work

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Rosetta Stone in BM, our photo

A photo of the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum (taken in 1995)

Here’s a quotation from an article about the 20-year history of the internet, by Guy Rundle in The Age on Sunday 15 March:

Five thousand years ago, the invention of writing in Mesopotamia [Sumer] separated information from presence – a few strokes of cuneiform on a clay tablet established that meaning, intent, communication could be separated and transmitted without a person there to present it.

From this event flows every modern institution of the state…”

Sphinx and Great Pyramid JB

Photo of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx kindly provided by John Bayley

Ancient Egyptian writing:

http://www.ancientscripts.com/egyptian.html

Use this site to write some notes on the nature of hieroglyphic writing for your Emit assignment.

A Biography of Jean-Francois Champollion

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/abcde/champollion_jean-francois.html

The Story of the Decipherment of Hieroglyphics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/decipherment_01.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/decipherment_02.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/decipherment_05.shtml

These links tell you the story of a man who started learning dead languages (and writing his diary in them) when he was as young as you are. He knew that understanding an ancient language would unlock secrets. Read the story of his determination and final achievement.

Activities on Ancient Egypt

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July 26, 2009

4:15 am

2 Comments on Activities on Ancient Egypt

Class Work

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As you play the Mummy Maker game, try to learn about all the steps of mummification. You may need some clues from Miuty the cat.

Don’t worry too much about making a mistake. You can learn from your mistakes, and you can always play the game again.

The game tells you what the ancient Egyptians believed that made them mummify bodies with such care and skill. Fill in the blanks below as you read.

Play the Mummy Maker Game at the BBC website by clicking here

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MUMMIFICATION BELIEFS

Copy this into a blank Word file and fill in the answers. Then paste it into your workbook. Don’t forget to save your work!

Fill in the blanks below:

The ancient Egyptians believed that after you died, your__travelled to the ______. You would be judged by _____, the Lord of the Underworld. Your ___ and ___ would be reunited if you were judged to have been a ____ person. Then you could live eternally in ______.But your soul had to be able to ______ your body, so the ______ had to look as it had looked when you were alive. That’s why they _______ people.

The person who did this skilful but messy job was called an _______. He had to remove _____ and _____, and wrap the body in such a way as to give it ______ protection.

Convert your name to hieroglyphs here

Landing in the Desert Sands of Ancient Egypt

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July 14, 2009

4:50 am

1 Comment on Landing in the Desert Sands of Ancient Egypt

Class Work

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Nile at night JB “Egypt is the gift of the Nile.” (Herodotus)

Another photo from the magical lens of John Bayley

Thanks for all your interesting comments, 7E. Here’s a little introductory quiz on ancient Egypt.

After you have done this quiz, read the websites below it about farming and the importance of the Nile and the life of farmers in ancient Eypgt. Armed with this knowledge, start writing your assignment. 

Click on these links to discover more about the Nile River and its importance to ancient Egypt.

http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/river-nile-facts.html

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml (for serious readers only!)

 

Click on these links to discover details of the lives of peasant farmers:

http://www.egyptologyonline.com/Work%20&%20Trade.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1624_story_of_africa/page89.shtml (This site explains that it was peasant farmers rather than slaves who were responsible for the great monuments of ancient Egypt.)

 

For a detailed account of how the ancient Egyptians made beer and bread, go to:

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/breadmaking.htm