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Before You Read: A Remarkable Civilization

You probably already know that the ancient Egyptians built huge pyramids in the desert as tombs for their rulers. You may not know, however, that the ancient Egyptians created these architectural marvels without machinery or iron tools. The pyramids, some of which have stood for 4,500 years, are the oldest and largest stone structures in the world. The Great Pyramid, which is the largest of all at more than 475 feet tall, contains two million stone blocks that weigh about two tons each. Impressive as they are, the pyramids are only one of the many important achievements of the ancient Egyptians, who created one of the world's earliest and longest-lasting civilizations.

What do you know about how ancient Egyptians lived and what they accomplished? With a friend, create a word web like the one below to list those parts of the ancient Egyptian civilization with which you are familiar. Then click here to read some facts about ancient Egypt that you may not know.

Egyptian Firsts

• The world's first doctor known by name was Imhotep, an Egyptian who lived around 2650 B.C. One of the world's earliest medical textbooks was written by Egyptian surgeons about 4,500 years ago. The book's explanations of treatments for broken bones, tumors, and wounds show that early Egyptian doctors had considerable knowledge of the human body and its processes.
• The ancient Egyptians are thought to be the first people to use a mainly solar calendar. While observing the sky, they saw that the star Sirius would disappear and then reappear several months later. They also noticed that the annual flooding of the Nile River always came soon after Sirius reappeared. This information helped the ancient Egyptians to develop a calendar based on a 365-day year, the amount of time it takes the earth to make one revolution around the sun. This calendar allowed them to date much of their history.

In the next activity, you'll have the opportunity to learn about daily life in ancient Egypt. Go to A Day in the Life of Ancient Egypt.