Ancient Egypt Overview

Overview

The lecture explores the life, tomb, and treasures of King Tutankhamun, highlighting major architectural achievements and burial customs of ancient Egypt.

King Tutankhamun: The Boy King

• Tutankhamun became king at 9 and died at 18, having little impact as a ruler.
• Egyptians believed Tutankhamun was a god and would live forever among the gods.
• He was buried with enormous treasures and artifacts for use in the afterlife.

Egyptian Pyramids and the Sphinx

• The Step Pyramid of Zoser, built 5,000 years ago, was the first stone structure of its kind.
• The Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza used 2 million stone blocks and took 20 years to build; its burial chamber was found empty.
• The Sphinx, carved during Khafre’s reign, has his face and is not a tomb.

Life Along the Nile

• Traditional life for Egyptian peasants (fellahin) remains unchanged, dominated by the Nile’s flooding and fertile soil.
• Daily tasks such as making sun-dried bricks and grinding grain have persisted for millennia.

Temples and Monuments

• The Temple of Karnak began as a small shrine but was expanded over centuries by pharaohs competing in grandeur.
• Luxor Temple, connected to Karnak, was built by Amenhotep III and modified by Ramses II.
• Thebes, capital of the Egyptian Empire, was a city of temples, obelisks, and statues.

Valley of the Kings and King Tut's Tomb

• The Valley of the Kings is the burial site for 30 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun.
• Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, finding it mostly intact.
• The tomb contained four nested shrines and three coffins, the innermost made of solid gold.
• Artifacts included a golden mask, throne, statues, games, and shabti dolls for afterlife labor.

Burial Customs and Artifacts

• Coffins and objects in the tomb were prepared years before the king's death.
• Decorations used hieroglyphics, gold, colored glass, and gemstones in cloisonné technique.
• The golden mask represented Tutankhamun as the sun god, ensuring eternal life.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Pharaoh — King of ancient Egypt, considered a god.
• Step Pyramid — Early pyramid built with stacked stone layers.
• Sphinx — Monument with a lion's body and a human head, not a tomb.
• Shabti Dolls — Figures placed in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.
• Cloisonné — Art technique using metal strips to separate colored glass inlays.
• Sarcophagus — Stone coffin housing the mummified body.
• Hieroglyphics — Ancient Egyptian writing system using symbols.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the role of burial customs and pyramid construction in ancient Egyptian society.
• Study the significance of artifacts found in King Tut’s tomb for exam preparation.