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Welcome to Read Listen Draw!

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Sail down the Nile for Twenty-Five
Interesting Facts About Ancient Egypt.

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1.

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Ancient Egyptian civilisation lasted more
than three thousand years, from a united
kingdom around 3100 B C to Roman rule in
30 B C.

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2.

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Life depended on the Nile for water, food,
transport and fertile land.

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3.

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Vast deserts bordered the narrow green
valley, providing stone, minerals and
natural boundaries.

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4.

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The Nile’s annual flood once spread water
and rich silt across fields, helping
farmers grow crops.

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5.

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Egyptians divided their agricultural year
into three seasons connected with
flooding, growing and harvesting.

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6.

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Papyrus reeds became boats, baskets, rope
and a writing material, while Nile mud was
shaped into bricks for houses.

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The river was also the easiest highway for
moving people and heavy goods.

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7.

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A pharaoh was Egypt’s ruler and was
expected to protect order, honour the gods
and govern the land.

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8.

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Running the kingdom required officials,
tax collectors and trained scribes who
recorded harvests, workers and supplies.

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9.

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Although society was unequal, Egyptian
women could own and inherit property, make
contracts and bring cases to court in
their own names.

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10.

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Egyptian hieroglyphs were used for
thousands of years on monuments, tombs and
many objects.

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11.

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The signs did more than show pictures:
they could represent whole words, sounds
or clues that helped explain meaning.

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12.

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Scribes also used faster, more flowing
scripts for letters, accounts and everyday
records.

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They wrote with reed pens and black and
red ink on materials including papyrus,
pottery pieces, wood and stone.

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13.

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King Djoser’s Step Pyramid was Egypt’s
first great stone pyramid.

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14.

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Giza’s three main pyramids were royal
tombs for Old Kingdom kings Khufu, Khafre
and Menkaure.

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15.

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The Great Pyramid once had a smooth outer
layer of pale limestone.

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16.

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Archaeology shows organized Egyptian crews
built pyramids with skilled workers,
rotating labourers, sledges, ropes and
ramps.

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17.

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Most homes were built from sun-dried mud
brick, which suited the hot, dry climate
better than expensive stone.

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18.

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Flax was spun and woven into linen, the
light fabric used for much Egyptian
clothing.

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19.

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Bread and grain-based beer were everyday
foods, joined by vegetables, dates, fish
and other foods when available.

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20.

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Egyptians enjoyed music, toys and board
games.

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Senet was played for centuries, though its
complete rules have not survived.

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21.

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Ancient Egyptians honoured many gods and
goddesses connected with forces such as
the sun, the Nile, protection, healing and
the afterlife.

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22.

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Mummification was meant to preserve a
body.

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Embalmers dried it with a natural salt
called natron, treated it with oils and
wrapped it in linen.

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23.

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Mummification could be costly, so people
received different kinds of burial.

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Some animals, including cats, birds and
crocodiles, were also mummified for
religious reasons.

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24.

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The Egyptian civil calendar had twelve
months of thirty days, plus five extra
days, making a year of three hundred and
sixty-five days.

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25.

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The Rosetta Stone carries one decree in
hieroglyphic, Demotic and ancient Greek
scripts.

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Comparing them helped scholars unlock the
sounds and meanings of hieroglyphs.

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Today, Egyptian and international
archaeologists combine inscriptions,
objects, buildings and scientific tests to
keep learning.

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Which fact will you draw?