ANCIENT EGYPT DISCOVERY

As an archeologist you are attempting to discover how important the environment was to ancient Egypt’s political, cultural and economic development. The museum you work for wants to create a diorama that will accurately depict how the environment impacted life in ancient Egypt. You are to explore and investigate ancient Egyptian artifacts, primary sources, and tomb drawings to formulate your answer.

You will be assigned several tasks in order to develop your case.

In the first task you will read pages in your text, primary sources and various hand-outs to understand the physical geography of Egypt, and the development of the political kingdoms of Egypt. You will organize this information in content charts and illustrate maps. The next task will involve the examination of pictures, artifacts and tomb paintings to gain an understanding of the development of culture and economics in ancient Egypt. Again, you will organize the information you generate from these activities. REMEMBER MAKE CONNECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Through this gathering of information you will formulate ideas that will allow you to answer the essential question.: “How did the Nile and its surroundings impact ancient Egypt; politically, culturally and economically? “When answering the question please keep the following factors in mind :

Be sure to include 5 ideas for each category!!!!!

POLITICAL:

-how and why was Egypt able to unite ?

- what did the pharaoh represent to his people and why?

- how did the temples, pyramids and Valley of the Kings represent the pharaoh’s

political power?

- what was the relationship of the geography to building an empire, how did

physical barriers contribute to isolationism?

CULTURAL:

- basis for religious ideas- gods, goddesses, Book of the Dead, mummification,

location of tombs and temples, purpose of river

-dress type for men and women and why, make-up and beauty issues ?

- housing, types, materials, why

- food, why?

-writing materials, why?

- technology why?

-education, role of women, slaves why?

ECONOMIC:

-types of occupations why?

- types of crops why?

-3 seasons and the calendar why?

-materials traded and acquired through trade why?

REMEMBER MAKE CONNECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!