Overview

Ancient Egyptian civilisation developed around the River Nile from around 3000 BC to 30 BC. It was ruled by 33 pharaonic dynasties, and this long history is traditionally divided by historians into kingdoms and intermediate periods.

This unit is an overview of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation that highlights certain key events or individuals that shape the period. It seeks to tie different elements  or themes of the civilisation together in a way that presents the long arc of its existence rather than focussing in depth on disparate elements in isolation. Each lesson is linked in some way to the next providing a thread to the next event or individual. It identifies substantive concepts, promotes subject knowledge and devlops disciplinary understanding.

While it considers life in the workers’ village it does not explore Egyptian agriculture. (You may want to include this yourself).

Main events

• Construction of the pyramids and life in workers’ village – monumental building
• Hatshepsut’s Voyage to Punt and ship building – trade
• Akhenaten’s Changes and city at Amarna – religion
• Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun – Art
• Ramesses II and the Battle of Kadesh – Territorial Conquest
• Ptolemy II and the Phare of Alexandria – Technological Development
• End of Egyptian Rule and Cleopatra – Decline

Key vocab

• Pyramid
• Pharaoh
• Tomb
• Solar Barque
• Hittite
• Chariot
• Incense
• Decline

Geography

The river Nile is central to the development of this civilisation. It flows from high lands in Ethiopia in the south down to the deltas of nort-eastern Egypt and out into the Mediterranean Sea. The regular floods of the Nile shaped the seasons (Akhet - Inundation/Flooding, Peret - Emergence/Growing, and Shemu - Harvest/Low Water. These regulated agriculture and industry. The Nile also provided a transportation highway for people, goods and moving heavy stone. The currents ran in one direction, the prevailing winds in the other, allowing two-way travel. This also allowed the pharaohs with a swift communications link to keep in touch with both ends of their empire. The lands along the Nile were known as the Black Lands for the thick fertile silt deposited after the floods. The rest of the territory were the Red Lands, desert but rich in rocks and minerals.

Enrichment

This is a rich visual and literary culture associated with ancient Egypt. The scheme of work makes use of contemporary images and literature. Much art was stylised and symbolic allowing children to explore hidden meanings. The art of the Amarna period offers a contrast with naturalistic and sometimes strangely exotic representations. This offers opportunity for art work “in the style of…”

The art of the tomb workers provides some lovely cartoons to explore with children. In addition, we have a growing number of stories about named individuals. Thes could be used to create drama or role play scenarios.

Many local museums have Egyptian artefacts but there are also national exhibits  see links below in external resources.

Top tips

• Explore female power and influence - The unit focusses on a number of significant women
• Look at links and connections across the period to see how different episodes reflect the civilisation
• Use contemporary resources wherever possible
• Look for stories of real people to add interest
• Remember the workers