Ancient Egypt Facts for Kids

I guess there would be hardly any human on this earth who isn't mesmerized by the history of the Egyptian civilization! I mean the stories about the pharaohs, mummies and the Sphinx makes one want to go to the ancient Egyptian era and witness all of this in person. However, that would not be possible until time machine is actually invented outside movies! Therefore, if you are a fan of ancient Egyptian culture like I am, you would try to learn more about the ancient Egypt through books, web, and television. Egypt has fascinated me since childhood. I mean, it was impossible for me to believe that there are still mummies present in the land which were buried even before Christ came to this world! Although, there is still a lot more to be discovered, this article will take you through the already discovered facts that have made the entire world marvel. So are you ready to take your mind to the land of ancient Egypt where the pharaohs lived thousands of years ago?

Ancient Egypt Facts and Information

The ancient Egypt was very different from the Egypt now. They were highly intelligent people whose creation and inventions make the entire world marvel with amazement even today! Looking at the humongous Egyptian pyramids and temples, who would believe that all this was created even before technology was invented! They were also the first ones to use medicines to treat ailments, and also the first ones who divided the day into 24 hours. Surprised? Well, this is just the beginning of the facts that we have in store for you.

Civilization
As we all know, Egypt is one of the most powerful ancient civilization that has ever existed! A lot has been discovered about their civilization, however, scientists are still trying to uncover a lot more mysteries that are still buried under the deserts of Egypt. For now, let us have a look at what the buried sources have helped us understand about their life.

• Most of the ancient Egyptians lived along the valley of the river Nile. Scientists believe them to have stayed there since 5000 BC! This is because the land around river Nile was fertile and allowed people to grow crops for food, transportation and fulfill their needs for water.
• During the ancient Egyptian civilization, the Nile valley was divided into the Upper Egypt; also known as the White Crown, and the Lower Egypt; also known as the Red Crown. It was in 3200 BC, when King Menes conquered the Lower Egypt and the land was united, with the capital city being Memphis which means 'Balance of the Two lands'.
• The Red land of Egypt consisted of the deserts surrounding and protecting the country from both the sides. This made it difficult for the neighboring enemy to invade the land of Egypt. The other part of Egypt was known as the Black land which consisted of the fertile land in the banks of river Nile.
• The ancient Egyptians consisted of the upper class, the middle class and the lower class. Only boys that belonged to the upper class could attend schools. The boys that were from the middle or lower class had to learn activities that their father did, like pottery, farming, weaving, etc. Girls had to learn skills from their mothers.
• Egyptian kids were not allowed to wear clothes until they entered their teenage. This is believed to be due to the hot weather of Egypt. The girls had to wear a dress and the boys wore a skirt.

Achievements
Do you have any idea how intelligent the ancient Egyptians were? In fact, there are many important inventions that took place in the ancient Egypt. Mentioned below is a list of achievements that were made by the ancient Egyptians.

• They were great builders and constructors. The proof for the same is seen even today when we have a look at their huge pyramids, temples and of course, the great Sphinx.
• An Egyptian named Imhotep, who scientists believed to have lived almost 5000 years ago, was the first scientist that existed in the history!
• They invented cement, irrigation systems, reservoirs and various techniques to measure the flood levels.
• Egyptians were also among the first people who invented paper, ink and writing. In fact, they were the ones who started recording the historical events in writing.
• They were also great mathematicians. They worked with mathematical aspects like geometry, decimal system, fractions and also complicated equations. It was using these calculations that they divided the day into 24 hours and also invented the calendar with 365 days.
• Coming to the field of medicine, the Egyptians were the first ones to use anesthesia and set broken bones. In fact, they also treated various ailments and infections using mold. Also, baldness was treated using animal fats of lion, snakes, crocodile, hippo and ibex.

Egyptian Beliefs and Superstitions
Apart from the aforementioned practical achievements that the ancient Egyptians made, they were also popularly known for their beliefs and superstitions. There were certain animals or elements that held an important meaning in the ancient Egyptian civilization. Have a look at the beliefs and practices that were a major part of the Egyptians.

• Make-up was an important part of an Egyptian life. The men wore black make-up around their eyes and the women wore green. It was not to look good. In fact, they believed that this painting around the eyes would protect their eyes from the Sun.
• The Egyptians used to worship cats and considered them to be holy and sacred. Almost every house in the ancient Egypt had a cat as they believed that its presence and magical powers protected them against evil. Also, if anyone ended up hurting a cat, the person was punished to death.
• Another ancient belief popular in the ancient Egypt was that if anyone died due to a snakebite, the person receives immortality.
• One thing that has made Egypt famous all across the world is the discovery of mummies! The ancient Egyptians believed that death lead a person to another life. They also mummified the personal things of the deceased person that they may need in the after life. These things included water, food, clothes, money, first aid kit and even slaves and pets.
• During mummification, the soldiers used to remove the brain, intestines and a single nostril from the body and placed them in jars. However, they kept the heart intact, as they believed that the heart was the organ responsible for a person's intelligence.
• The Egyptians considered the Scarab beetle to be a sacred symbol of hope, restoration, and growth in life. The symbol of the Egyptian Scarab beetle was used in seals, jewelry and was considered to be sacred.
• Like cats, even crocodiles were special to the people of ancient Egypt! The temples kept crocodiles as pets and dressed them with precious jewels. They were also kept open. This is so because the Egyptian God of water and marshes named Sobek had a crocodile head. And we all know how important water of the river Nile was for the Egyptians.

Egypt was, and still is a land full of magic and mysteries. Which is the reason why it has been a favorite spot for archeologists all this while. Although a lot has been discovered about the ancient Egypt, I bet there are still a lot of things which are undiscovered. I guess this is one of the reasons behind the charms of Egypt. So tell me, what fascinates you the most about Egypt?