Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

178

EGYPT

Painting of the time

shows cattle being

transported across

the Nile River in

special wide boats.

Royal tombs

were filled with

food, jewelry,

clothing,

weapons, tools,

and statues

of servants.

Painters

decorated royal

tombs with

scenes of the

gods and the

Next World.

THE RICH, FERTILE SOIL of the Nile Valley gave birth to Egypt,

a civilization that began over 5,000 years ago and lasted more than

3,000 years. The Nile River made the black soil around it productive,

and the civilization of Egypt grew wealthy. For much of its history, Egypt

was stable. Its pharaohs ruled with the help of officials

called viziers, who collected taxes and acted as

judges. The Egyptians worshiped many gods and

believed that when they died, they went to the

next world. Pharaohs built elaborate tombs

for themselves; the best known are the

magnificent pyramids. The Egyptians

also made great advances in medicine.

Gradually, however, the civilization

broke down, leaving it open to

foreign invasion. In 30 bce,

the Romans finally

conquered the empire.

Inside a tomb

TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE

The quickest way to travel in Egypt was by water. Barges carried

goods along the Nile, and Egyptian traders traveled in ships to

ports around the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Using

a system called bartering, they exchanged gold, grain, and

papyrus sheets for silver, iron, horses, cedar wood, and ivory.

Mediterranean Sea

NILE RIVER

Each year the Nile River burst its banks and spread water and

fertile silt over the land. This “inundation” of the Nile Valley

made the land fertile for about 6 miles (10 km) on either side

of the river. The Egyptians planned their agricultural system

around this area, farming the land by storing the floodwaters.

The desert on either side provided a natural defensive barrier

and a rich source of minerals and stone.

Red

Sea

River

Nile

Nile

Delta

LOWER

EGYPT

UPPER EGYPT

Desert

ANCIENT

PYRAMIDS

The Egyptians
believed in an eternal

life after death in a
“perfect” version of Egypt. After

their bodies had been preserved by embalming,
pharaohs were buried in pyramid tombs. The earliest

pyramids had steps. People believed the dead king’s spirit
climbed the steps to join the sun god at the top. Later, the

pyramids were built with smooth slanted sides. However,
people could rob the pyramid tombs easily, so later

pharaohs were buried in unmarked tombs in the Valley
of the Kings and guarded day and night.

Queen’s

Chamber

Entrance

Scenes show

gods judging if

the dead person is

worthy of traveling

to the afterlife.

The internal layout

of the Great

Pyramid

Grand

Gallery

PHARAOHS
The rulers of Ancient Egypt were
called pharaohs, meaning “Great House.”
They were thought to be divine and had
absolute power: all the land in Egypt
belonged to them. People believed
the pharaohs were the sons of
Ra, the sun god. Above is a
famous pharaoh,
Tutankhamun,
who died when
he was only 18.

King’s

Chamber