How to Learn About Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian civilization can be said to have begun with the first unification under a Pharoah in 3000 BC, and the history continues through a number of time periods based upon dynasties. The civilizations were ruled by pharaohs and had rich cultures organized around an elaborate mythology and marked by extraordinary structures such as the the pyramids. Ancient Egyptian culture and history are popular subjects and much information is available to give you a better understanding of it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start with basic information pertaining to Ancient Egypt by visiting and going through the lessons on the History for Kids website (See Resources). Click on the "Egyptian History (with timeline)" option from the top of the page. The first step in understanding Ancient Egypt will be to familiarize yourself with each period in Egyptian history.

2. Go to the Lesson Tutor website once you have a basic understand of Ancient Egyptian history (See Resources). Go through each short online lesson to test the knowledge you have previously learned and to learn new information regarding Ancient Egyptian culture. Complete Lesson 4, regarding Egyptian religion, before moving onto more information.

3. Go to your library to borrow "The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt" by Ian Shaw and Paul Nicholson, or purchase the book online (See Resources). This A to Z guide will give intriguing facts concerning Ancient Egypt, including how and why the Egyptians preserved the dead, what the temple at Karnak would have looked like, and why Tutankhamun changed his name.

4. Rent or buy the book "Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt" by Maria C. Betro (See Resources). This book will give you extensive information regarding the symbols the Egyptians used in hieroglyphics and the meaning of their hieroglyphs. This is also an informative book on the mythology of Ancient Egypt and how that mythology reflected their religion.

5. Plan a trip to the National Museum of Egyptology in Cairo, which is one of the largest libraries for Egyptian history and studies. Some of the rarest artifacts can be found at this museum, including Tutankhamun's treasures, coins, royal mummies, and Old, Middle, and New Kingdom monuments.

6. Visit the Metropolitan Museum in New York City to see the museum's Egyptian collection of approximately 36,000 materials and art from the Paleolithic to the Roman period.

7. Join the Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt in London to receive the organization's newsletter, by emailing that you'd like to join at [e-mail]. The organization encourages Americans to join. For more information go to the Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt official website (See Resources).

References

• Learn Like an Egyptian
• The Egyptian Museum
• Metropolitan Museum: Egyptian Art

Resources

• History for Kids: Ancient Egypt
• Unit Study: Let's Study Ancient Egypt Pt. 1
• British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt book
• Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt
• Study of Ancient Egypt official website

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