How well do you know ancient Egypt?
Ancient Egypt lasted for about 3,000 years. Six questions, from easy to hard, about how its people wrote, worked and lived.
Did you know?
- Ancient Egyptians used a form of toothpaste made from ingredients such as crushed rock salt, mint and pepper. A recipe for it survives on a papyrus from the Roman period in Egypt.
- Cats were highly valued in ancient Egypt, partly because they protected grain stores from mice and snakes. Harming a cat could bring severe punishment, and some cats were mummified.
- The Great Pyramid was originally covered in polished white limestone casing stones that reflected sunlight. Most of the casing was removed over the centuries and reused in other buildings.
Life along the Nile
Ancient Egyptian civilisation lasted roughly from 3100 BC to 30 BC, longer than almost any other. It depended entirely on the Nile, whose yearly flood left fertile soil along its banks in an otherwise desert land. Farmers, scribes, craftsmen and builders created a society famous today for its monuments, art and writing.
The gift of the Nile
Each summer the Nile flooded and left a layer of rich black mud. Egyptians called their land 'Kemet', the black land, after this soil. They measured the flood, planned crops around it and developed a calendar linked to the river's cycle, which made farming reliable.
Scribes and writing
Only a small part of the population could read and write. Scribes trained for years and kept records of taxes, harvests, trade and building projects. Everyday documents were written in a faster script called hieratic, while hieroglyphs were used mostly on monuments.
Builders and engineers
Egyptian builders moved enormous stone blocks using ramps, sledges and levers. Recent research suggests they wet the sand in front of sledges to reduce friction. Their skill in measuring and organising labour made the pyramids and temples possible.
Medicine and science
Egyptian doctors wrote medical texts describing injuries, illnesses and treatments. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, one of the oldest surviving surgical texts, explains how to examine and treat wounds in a practical, step-by-step way.
Rediscovering Egypt
Interest in ancient Egypt grew in Europe in the 19th century, and archaeology slowly replaced treasure hunting. Today Egyptian and international teams use technologies such as satellite imaging and scans to study sites without damaging them.
Food and daily life
Most Egyptians were farmers who ate bread, onions, lentils, fish and vegetables, and drank a thick, nutritious beer made from barley. Workers' villages near building sites show that bakeries and breweries produced food on a large scale. Tomb paintings and small models placed in tombs depict ploughing, fishing, weaving and baking, giving historians a detailed picture of everyday work thousands of years ago.