成人快手

When did the ancient Egyptian civilisation begin?

Two people in an Ancient Egyptian tomb.

The ancient Egyptian civilisation began 5,000 years ago when people started building villages next to the River Nile in north-east Africa. It lasted for around 3,000 years.

Two people in an Ancient Egyptian tomb.
A hand writing hieroglyphs on papyrus.

The river was helpful for growing food in a hot place, as well as crops that made clothes and paper.

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Watch: An introduction to Ancient Egypt

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What was life like for the ancient Egyptian people?

  • The ancient Egyptians were good farmers and builders.
  • They made paper and invented a writing system called hieroglyphs.
  • Kings and queens were called pharaohs.
  • Ancient Egyptians had lots of gods, and believed in life after death.
  • They preserved bodies of pharaohs as mummies, and buried them in tombs in huge pyramids.
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What were the pyramids?

The pyramids are giant tombs. Each side is a triangle, and they meet in a point at the top. The biggest is the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is built from 2.3 million big blocks of stone.

Near the group of pyramids at Giza is the sculpture of the Great Sphinx. A Sphinx is a mythical animal which is half lion, half human.

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Activities

Activity 1: Quiz 鈥 Introduction to Ancient Egypt

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Activity 2: Make your own pyramid treasure tomb

Make your own pyramid treasure tomb

Download our pyramid treasure tomb template. Follow our step-by-step guide to make your own pyramid. What secrets will you bury inside?

Make your own pyramid treasure tomb
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Activity 3: History Explorer game

Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about Ancient Egypt.

History Explorer: Secrets through time

History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History

History Explorer: Secrets through time
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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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More on Ancient Egypt

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