Egyptian Achievements

Chapter 4 Section 4 Egyptian Achievements Doctors/Medicine  Egyptian doctors known throughout Mediterranean region

 Ancient Egyptians believed disease/death were caused by: o Gods o Spirit o Supernatural force

 Believed magic or medicine cured diseases  Sometimes they tried both Doctors  Egyptian doctors first specialists in medicine  Egyptian doctors first to use: o Splints o Bandages o compresses

 Specialized as: o Dentists o Eye doctors o Animal doctors o Surgeons

 Embalmed dead and performed autopsies o Masters at: o Sewing up cuts o Setting broken bones Medicine  Doctors created medicine and magic spells/prayers to cure diseases  Honey and milk used to cure coughs  Honey used to dress wounds  Aloe used to treat worms, headaches, chest pains, burns, ulcers, and skin diseases  Caraway and mint used to cure bad breath 2

 Sandalwood used to aid digestion and stop diarrhea  Baldness cured with a mixture of dog toes, dates, and a donkey hoof Hieroglyphics  Definition- Egyptian writing in which pictures stand for words or sounds o Hieroglyphics were the greatest contribution of early Egyptians

 One of the oldest writing forms in the world  Began in Early Dynastic Period around 3300 BCE o Egyptians used for 3,500 years!

 Egyptian hieroglyphs did NOT have vowels when written o Had vowel sound when spoken

Writing and Reading Hieroglyphs  Hieroglyphic writing system used over 600 symbols o Each symbol represented one or more sounds

 Hieroglyphs written horizontally or vertically o Read from:  Left to right  Right to left  Top to bottom o Direction symbols were looking determined direction to read hieroglyphs

 If written in columns, then read top to bottom

What did the Egyptians write?  Scribes wrote: o Prayers, spells, and texts for worshipping gods and honoring the dead o Pharaohs’ laws o Lists of grains and animals paid as taxes o Fairy tales o Adventure stories o Medical prescriptions o Business agreements 3

 Hieroglyphs also used as decorations (examples: carved in jewelry and on temple/tomb walls)

Deciphering Hieroglyphs  Hieroglyphics were known about for centuries o Historians/archaeologists could NOT translate . 1799 CE French soldier discovered a large stone  Inscription on stone written 3 different ways 1. Hieroglyphs 2. Demotic script (a type of Egyptian writing) 3. Ancient Greek

 Stone taken to Europe and translated  Scholars knew Greek, and were able to translate hieroglyphics

 Translation completed by: o Jean François Champollion

 Hieroglyphics provided important information about history of ancient Egypt o Many hieroglyphs are still being translated today

 The Stone discovered in 1799 known as the Rosetta Stone Contributions of the Egyptians  Invented paper called Papyrus o Paper was made from reed plant called papyrus  Making paper: o Papyrus reed stems cut into thin strips o Strips pressed together to make a sheet o Sheets pasted together to make scrolls . Some scrolls were 100 feet long (30 meters)  Egyptians invented ink to write on papyrus . Egypt’s dry climate preserved many ancient writings, which can still be read today Egyptian Texts 4

 Historians today can read: o Government records o Historical records o Science texts o Medical manuals o Variety of literary works

Example of an important Egypt text: o The Book of the Dead . Collection of spells and directions for the afterlife . Spells helped dead reach kingdom of Osiris . The god Thoth was the supposed author of papyrus scrolls o Other texts tell stories of gods and kings Other uses for Papyrus  Made into: o Baskets o Sandals o Bundled together to make columns for houses o Rafts o Riverboats Mathematical Contributions  Egyptians used number system based on 10  Used fractions and whole numbers  Invented a decimal system  Used geometry to survey (measure) land  Calendar based on flooding of Nile River o Nile flooded about the same time ever year o Egyptian calendar had 3 seasons, 120 days each o 5 special feast days to honor gods  Egyptians had a 365 day year! Famous Structures

 Most famous structures are the pyramids 5

 Egyptians also built massive temples o They believed temples were homes of the gods

 Egyptians visited temples to: o Worship o Offer gifts to gods o Ask gods for favors

Chapter 4 Section 4 Egyptian Achievements (continued) Famous Temples  Temple of Karnak o Huge columns support roof o Columns and walls covered in paintings and hieroglyphics

 Hatshepsut’s Mortuary temple

 Ramses the Greats temple at Abu Simbel o 66 foot tall statues of Ramses o Carved out of a sandstone cliff Features shared by Egyptian temples  Rows of stone sphinxes lined the entrance way to temples o Sphinx- Imaginary creatures with bodies of lions and heads of humans or other animals  Entrances to temples were HUGE thick gates o Entrances sometimes flanked by obelisks-  Obelisk- A tall four-sided pillar that is pointed on top  Some weighed more than 100 tons

 Walls lined with statues of gods and pharaohs

 Sanctuary- most sacred part of temple 6

o Located at far end of temple

 Pharaoh and priests only ones allowed in temples Masterful Artists  Ancient Egyptians were highly skill artists  Art in temples attracts tourists from all over the world

 Greatest ancient Egyptian art found in royal tombs  Egyptians took great care to make this art, because they believed the dead enjoyed art in the afterlife Paintings  Egyptian art was lively and colorful

 Painted temple and tomb walls

 Egyptian artists painted: o Historical events o Crowning of kings o Creation of temples o Major religious rituals o Everyday life . Scenes of hunting and farming  People were painted in a specific way o Heads and legs seen from side o Upper bodies and shoulders seen straight on . Important figures (pharaohs) appear HUGE . Servants appear smaller . Animals usually drawn realistically

Carvings and Jewelry  Ancient Egyptians were skilled stone and metal workers o Tombs contained huge statues and detailed carvings  They made beautiful jewelry for men and women o Jewelry included: . Necklaces 7

. Collars . Bracelets o Pharaohs’ burial items made from gold

 Treasure hunters have emptied pharaohs’ tombs o With the exception of only a few: . King Tutankamen (King Tut) tomb virtually undisturbed . Discovered in 1922 CE, by Howard Carter o Tut’s tomb contained: . Boxes of jewelry . Robes . Burial mask . Ivory statues o Great deal of information learned from Tut’s Tomb