First Children Encyclopedia

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead?


History of people


84


The pyramids


The ancient Egyptians


believed in life after death.


The pharaohs built


magnificent tombs for


themselves, called


pyramids.


Beautifully
decorated
mummy

Mummy
of a cat

These men are carrying stone blocks for
building, as the ancient Egyptians did.

The ancient Egyptians lived by the banks


of the River Nile about 3,500 years ago.


Their powerful rulers were called pharaohs.


Ancient Egypt

Building skills
Egyptian builders did
not have modern tools
and machines to help
them. The workers
carried huge stone
blocks into place, or
sent them on barges
along the river.

Hands^ on


Mummification


When an important


person died, the body


was “mummified”.


Some of the inside


parts were removed.


Then the body was


treated with chemicals


and wrapped in bandages.


Try writing
out a message
using only Egyptian
hieroglyphics. You could
also make up your own
set of hieroglyphic
symbols.
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