Digging Deeper
Egypt's Mummies
10 Ways to Make a Mummy
Explore Ancient Egypt
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tombs, Pyramids, and Mummies
The following site might prove helpful when looking at Pyramids, Tombs, and Mummies.
Digging Deeper
Egypt's Mummies
10 Ways to Make a Mummy
Explore Ancient Egypt
Digging Deeper
Egypt's Mummies
10 Ways to Make a Mummy
Explore Ancient Egypt
Monday, October 15, 2012
Road Trip to Ancient Egyptian Monuments
Information about Deir el-Bahri
Deir el-Bahri is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile. The first monument built on the site was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II of the eleventh dynasty. During the eighteenth dynasty, Amenhotep I and Hatshepsut also built extensively there.
Mentuhotep II reunited Egypt at the start of the Middle Kingdom and built an unusual funerary complex there. The Temple of Hatshepsut is the main focal point of Deir el-Bahri. The mortuary temple was called Djeser-Djeseru, "the Holy of Holies." It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, royal steward and architect of Hatshepsut, to so serve for others to worship her and to honor the glory of Amun.
Important point: Mentuhotep II built a funerary complex there and, the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, also built a temple that is the main focal point at the site.
Important dates to remember:
Temple of Mentuhotep II: c. 2050 BC
Temple of Hatshepsut: completed during her reign, c. 1479-1458 BC
Information about Karnak
The Karnak temple is a mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemic period, although most of the buildings date back to the New Kingdom period.
Important point: Karak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut, also the most sacred of places. Also, it is important to know that there were four important temples and precints there, including: Precinct of Amun-Re, Precinct of Mut, Precinct of Montu, and the Temple of Amenhotep IV. Many other pharaohs had temples erected at the site, including Ramses III and Nectanedo II.
There are a few smaller temples and sanctuaries located outside the enclosing walls of the four main parts, as well as several avenues of goddesses and ram-headed sphinxes connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amun-Re, and the Luxor Temple.
Important dates to remember:
Precinct of Mut: started in the 18 Dynasty and additions were made until Greco Roman period.
Middle Kingdom Period: c. 2055-1650 BC
Precinct of Montu: Constructed by Amenhotep III, c. 18th Dynasty
Temple of Amenhotep IV: c. 1349 BC
Information about Giza
The Pyramids of Giza consist of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the somewhat smaller pyramid of Khafre, and the modest sized Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex. Along with the pyramids and Great Sphinx, there are a number of “queens” pyramids, causeways, and valley pyramids.
The Great Sphinx is said to be that of Khafre, and it is meant to act as the guardian of the entire complex.
Important point: The complex is the resting place of Khufu, Menkaure, and Khafre. As well as, many other individuals. It is also important because archaeologists have found several other cemeteries, that were not royal, a worker's village, and an industrial complex.
Important dates to remember:
Khufu's Pyramid: c. 2560-2540 BC
Khafre's Pyramid: Fourth Dynasty
Menkaure's Pyramid: 26th Century BC
Great Sphinx: c. 2500 BC
Information about Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th centuries BC were constructed for the pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom.
It is important to note that the Valley of the Kings was a cemetery where many pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom were buried.
Some pharaohs of importance to the Valley of the Kings are: Ramses the Great (he chased Moses!), Tutankhamun or “King Tut,” and Hatshepsut.
Many of the tombs were carved out of the rock and contained several chambers that were richly decorated. King Tut’s tomb was an important find in the Valley of the Kings because it was tomb that still contained many of the treasures that he would need in the afterlife and provided archaeologists and historians with much knowledge into how the pharaohs carried out their lives.
Information about Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt that served as a type of cemetery for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the famous step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes called a step tomb because of the number of mastabas.
Important point: It has the oldest complete stone building complex in history, Djoser’s step pyramid.
Imhotep is credited with being the architect of the step pyramid. He came up with the idea by taking the pharaoh’s burial mound, a mastaba, and stacking several mastabas on top of each other. This then created a type of step in which the pharaoh, upon death, could take his journey to the gods.
Important dates to remember:
Completion: c. 27th Century BC
Information about Abu Simbel
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt.
The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors.
The complex was relocated in its entirety (this means the whole thing) in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.
Unlike other temples that were built from the ground up, these temples were carved out of solid rock. The rock had to be carried away. The location of the larger temple was very strategic. It was strategic because at certain times of the year, the sun would cast its rays down the central hallway and the light would touch the faces of statues of Ramses II and several other gods.
Important point: Both temples were built to commemorate Ramses II’s victory at the Battle of Kadesh and also as a lasting monument to himself and his wife, Nefertari.
Dates to remember:
Completion of Temple: c. 13th Century BC
Information about el-Armana
What remains of el-Armana today are the remains of Pharaoh Akhenaten’s new-established capital city. In ancient Egyptian, the city was called Akhetaten. Akhetaten means “horizon of the Aten.” Aten was the main god of the city.
Important dates to remember:
Completed: Eighteenth Dynasty, c. 1353 BC
Important point: The city was built as the new capital of Pharaoh Akhenaten, which was dedicated to his new religion of worship to the Aten. For the Egyptians, the idea of giving up their many gods for one did not sit well with them and after Pharaoh Akhenaten’s death the city was abandoned and left to decay in the sands.
Also, in order to speed up construction, most of the buildings were constructed out of mud-brick and white washed. The most important building were faced with local stone.
Deir el-Bahri is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile. The first monument built on the site was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II of the eleventh dynasty. During the eighteenth dynasty, Amenhotep I and Hatshepsut also built extensively there.
Mentuhotep II reunited Egypt at the start of the Middle Kingdom and built an unusual funerary complex there. The Temple of Hatshepsut is the main focal point of Deir el-Bahri. The mortuary temple was called Djeser-Djeseru, "the Holy of Holies." It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, royal steward and architect of Hatshepsut, to so serve for others to worship her and to honor the glory of Amun.
Important point: Mentuhotep II built a funerary complex there and, the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, also built a temple that is the main focal point at the site.
Important dates to remember:
Temple of Mentuhotep II: c. 2050 BC
Temple of Hatshepsut: completed during her reign, c. 1479-1458 BC
Information about KarnakThe Karnak temple is a mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemic period, although most of the buildings date back to the New Kingdom period.
Important point: Karak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut, also the most sacred of places. Also, it is important to know that there were four important temples and precints there, including: Precinct of Amun-Re, Precinct of Mut, Precinct of Montu, and the Temple of Amenhotep IV. Many other pharaohs had temples erected at the site, including Ramses III and Nectanedo II.
There are a few smaller temples and sanctuaries located outside the enclosing walls of the four main parts, as well as several avenues of goddesses and ram-headed sphinxes connecting the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amun-Re, and the Luxor Temple.
Important dates to remember:
Precinct of Mut: started in the 18 Dynasty and additions were made until Greco Roman period.
Middle Kingdom Period: c. 2055-1650 BC
Precinct of Montu: Constructed by Amenhotep III, c. 18th Dynasty
Temple of Amenhotep IV: c. 1349 BC
The Pyramids of Giza consist of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the somewhat smaller pyramid of Khafre, and the modest sized Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex. Along with the pyramids and Great Sphinx, there are a number of “queens” pyramids, causeways, and valley pyramids.
The Great Sphinx is said to be that of Khafre, and it is meant to act as the guardian of the entire complex.
Important point: The complex is the resting place of Khufu, Menkaure, and Khafre. As well as, many other individuals. It is also important because archaeologists have found several other cemeteries, that were not royal, a worker's village, and an industrial complex.
Important dates to remember:
Khufu's Pyramid: c. 2560-2540 BC
Khafre's Pyramid: Fourth Dynasty
Menkaure's Pyramid: 26th Century BC
Great Sphinx: c. 2500 BC
Information about Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th centuries BC were constructed for the pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom.
It is important to note that the Valley of the Kings was a cemetery where many pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom were buried.
Some pharaohs of importance to the Valley of the Kings are: Ramses the Great (he chased Moses!), Tutankhamun or “King Tut,” and Hatshepsut.
Many of the tombs were carved out of the rock and contained several chambers that were richly decorated. King Tut’s tomb was an important find in the Valley of the Kings because it was tomb that still contained many of the treasures that he would need in the afterlife and provided archaeologists and historians with much knowledge into how the pharaohs carried out their lives.
Information about SaqqaraSaqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt that served as a type of cemetery for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the famous step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes called a step tomb because of the number of mastabas.
Important point: It has the oldest complete stone building complex in history, Djoser’s step pyramid.
Imhotep is credited with being the architect of the step pyramid. He came up with the idea by taking the pharaoh’s burial mound, a mastaba, and stacking several mastabas on top of each other. This then created a type of step in which the pharaoh, upon death, could take his journey to the gods.
Important dates to remember:
Completion: c. 27th Century BC
Information about Abu Simbel
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt.
The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors.
The complex was relocated in its entirety (this means the whole thing) in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.
Unlike other temples that were built from the ground up, these temples were carved out of solid rock. The rock had to be carried away. The location of the larger temple was very strategic. It was strategic because at certain times of the year, the sun would cast its rays down the central hallway and the light would touch the faces of statues of Ramses II and several other gods.
Important point: Both temples were built to commemorate Ramses II’s victory at the Battle of Kadesh and also as a lasting monument to himself and his wife, Nefertari.
Dates to remember:
Completion of Temple: c. 13th Century BC
Information about el-Armana
What remains of el-Armana today are the remains of Pharaoh Akhenaten’s new-established capital city. In ancient Egyptian, the city was called Akhetaten. Akhetaten means “horizon of the Aten.” Aten was the main god of the city.
Important dates to remember:
Completed: Eighteenth Dynasty, c. 1353 BC
Important point: The city was built as the new capital of Pharaoh Akhenaten, which was dedicated to his new religion of worship to the Aten. For the Egyptians, the idea of giving up their many gods for one did not sit well with them and after Pharaoh Akhenaten’s death the city was abandoned and left to decay in the sands.
Also, in order to speed up construction, most of the buildings were constructed out of mud-brick and white washed. The most important building were faced with local stone.
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