Introduction
Egyptian civilization began over 5,000 years ago, about the time when the first king united the two halves of the country.The Egyptians developed a way of life that lasted for over 3,000 years. One thing we know for sure: They were a highly intelligent and organized civilization.
Task
Problem: You are a laboratory and research specialist for a prominent archeological firm. Your team has just return from Egypt. You were exploring an ancient tomb near the location of where the ancient city of Thebes was. You came across two different carvings on the wall of the tomb. The first seems to be some type of code, the second, another code written within a frame like structure. You have photographed these two carvings and have brought the pictures back with you to the labratory for research.
Your job is to research what these symbols and drawings were, what they say and why they were important. You have been asked to produce an informational write-up for an archeology magazine. Use the guided questions and the internet to help you with your write-up. You will be working as a team, but every person needs their own write-up.
Process
Objective: Students will research and report on the importance and relevance of found Egyptian symbols.
Below you will find the the websites, questions and picture you will be examining. The websites will help you answer your questions.
Websites:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_egyptian_hieroglyphics.php
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cartouches.htm
http://www.historyforkids.net/egyptian-writing.html
http://www.ancientegyptianfacts.com/ancient-egyptian-cartouche.html
http://history-world.org/hieroglyphics.htm
http://www.classic-play.com/welcome-to-egypt-hieroglyphics/ (Use this link to decipher the codes)
Questions:
1. What are these symbols called?
2. Why were these ancient symbols important?
3. When were these symbols developed?
4. What types of things were recorded using these symbols?
5. What do we call the people who wrote with these symbols?
6. Did everyone learn to write with these symbols? Explain your answer.
7. What is the weird oval frame around the symbols in the bottom picture? Explain its significance.
8. For many years modern people were unable to read or decipher these symbols. What discovery finally allowed us to decipher this form of writing?
9. What are some interesting facts you learned about these symbols?
10. Decode, in English, the two messages below.
Evaluation
