Download Life and Death in Ancient Egypt

Life and Death in Ancient
Egypt
Education @ Adelaide Botanic Garden
Who are you?
Your name is pa-sheri (male) or ta-sherit (female) and you are a 13 year old
Egyptian living in the year 4300BCE in a village close to the city of Assiut.
Your father works as an embalmer and you often help him with his work.
This trail will lead you through some of your daily activities and help you (and your
friends) identify the plants that you use.
1. Sycamore Fig
Nearby your house is a Sycamore Fig tree. You love this tree because as a
child you have played in its branches with your brothers, sisters and other
children of the village. It is one of the few large trees that grow in Egypt. You
like to pick the fruit and your mother is always pleased with what you bring
home. Your mother preserves the fruit.
Talk about how does she does this.
Explain why she needs to preserve the fruit.
In the hot sun of the afternoon workers come to sit under the tree and play a
game of Senet.
Talk about why the fig tree was a great place to play Senet.
Record some other activities the Ancient Egyptians may have organised
under the tree.
2. Cedar of Lebanon
Often when you pass the workshop of the coffin maker, you can smell the
distinctive smell of the cedar wood.
Rub your hand along the leaves. Take it in turns to describe what it
smells like.
This wood comes from a country far away called Lebanon and is very
expensive.
Find Lebanon and Egypt on the map below.
Discuss how you think the Lebanese traders brought the wood to Egypt?
Cedar trees were highly valued for making timber for Ancient Egyptian coffins,
furniture and large trading boats.
List some reason why you think this tree produces such good timber.
3. Henna, Flax (linen) and Indigo
(The Museum of Economic Botany is open Wed – Sunday)
Please note! These items are only available for viewing Wednesday to
Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Your father’s work is important to the people in your village because everyone
believes their bodies need to be preserved in preparation for their journey to
the afterlife. Your father uses natron or salt to preserve the bodies of the dead
after removing their organs. The body is wrapped tightly with linen cloth and
resin and the coffins painted with decorations using Henna and Indigo.
Sometimes your father’s hands are stained by the Henna and the Indigo that
he uses in his work.
Record the colour of these dyes?
Talk about how henna is used today.
4. Blue Lotus of Egypt
Growing in the marshy swamps along the Nile and in the irrigation ditches is
the beautiful Blue Lotus.
Take it in turns to bend down and smell it. Describe the scent to your
friends.
Your older sister and her friend love to hunt for the waterlily flowers to put in
their hair. One day your grandmother told you that the waterlilies are the
flower of the sun god Re and the story of how the waterlilies represent the
dead moving into the underworld and being reborn into a new life.
Discuss some reasons why the waterlilies might represent this for your
people?
5. Date Palm
One of your favourite treats are dates from the Date Palm. These are often
deliberately planted in desert oases and in villages.
Have you ever tried dates? If not, find a person in your class who has and
ask them to describe the taste. Record it here.
6. Prickly Juniper
Often your father comes home smelling strongly of Juniper oil which he uses
to anoint the bodies of the dead before applying their linen bandages.
Run your hand along the leaves of the Juniper to smell the oil. Describe
the smell to a friend and record it here.
7. Papyrus
Along the marshy edges of the river is thick, waving papyrus
Another day, your Grandma told you that the papyrus plant symbolised the
waters of Nun, from which all life began and that when the dead are buried
they are given a long piece of papyrus to carry with them.
In you group talk about some reasons why you believe that all life began in
water?
Why is papyrus given to the dead to carry?
Although you and your family cannot write, you have seen scholars using
paper made of papyrus.
Use the diagrams to explain how the ancient Egyptians made paper from
papyrus.
Papyrus growing along the Nile River is also home to many birds which are
hunted using throwing sticks and makes excellent small boats.
Feel the stalk of the papyrus – can you imagine it floating in the water?
Why do your people make small boats from papyrus and not from wood?
8. A Pharaoh’s Pharmacy; Wild Garlic, Thyme, Rosemary
and Fennel
One day you came home to find your younger brother crying. He had hurt his
leg while climbing and it was bleeding. Your mother was preparing some
garlic for him to relieve his pain and to help his leg to heal. The builders of the
mighty pyramids also use garlic to increase their stamina and endurance.
Once they went on strike when their rations were reduced!
Do you like the flavour of garlic? Have you ever heard of others using it as
a medicine?
After a few days your brother’s leg was still red and sore. Your grandmother
went out to find some Thyme to use as an antiseptic. While she was there she
also looked for Fennel for her sore, arthritic joints. Your mother burnt some
Rosemary as incense to clean the air and said prayers to Bet, the god that
protects children.
Discuss and list some uses for Thyme and Rosemary today.
Smell the leaves of the Fennel.
Talk with your friends about what it reminds you of?