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TAMRA ORR
P.O. Box 196
Hockessin, Delaware 19707
Visit us on the web: www.mitchelllane.com
Comments? email us: [email protected]
Tamra Orr
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Ancient Assyria • Ancient Athens
The Aztecs • Ancient Babylon
The Byzantine Empire • The Celts of the British Isles
Ancient China • Ancient Egypt
Ancient India/Maurya Empire • Ancient Sparta
Copyright © 2013 by Mitchell Lane Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced without written permission
from the publisher. Printed and bound in the
United States of America.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tamra Orr is a full time
writer and author living in the Pacific Northwest
with her husband and children. She is the
author of more than 300 books for readers of
all ages, including numerous titles for Mitchell
Lane. A graduate of Ball State University, Orr
loves exploring history and learning about
ancient cultures and then sharing all she
learned with her young adult children.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The facts on which the story
in this book is based have been thoroughly
researched. Documentation of such research
can be found on page 45. While every
possible effort has been made to ensure
accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability
for damages caused by inaccuracies in the
ANCIENT EGYPT BOOK.indd 2
data, and makes no warranty on the accuracy
of the information contained herein.
Printing
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Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Orr, Tamra.
Ancient Egypt / by Tamra Orr.
p. cm.—(Explore ancient worlds)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61228-279-4 (library bound)
1. Egypt—Civilization—To 332 B.C.—Juvenile
literature. 2. Egypt—History—To 332 B.C.—
Juvenile literature. I. Title.
DT61.O658 2012
932’.01—dc23
2012008638
eBook ISBN: 9781612283548
PLB
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CONTENTS
Chapter One
The Gift from Hapi ............................................5
Sidebar: Egyptian Seasons..................................... 11
Chapter Two
In Kebi’s Home ................................................ 13
Sidebar: Egyptian Pets .........................................17
Chapter Three
The Season of Peret ........................................... 19
Sidebar: Putting It in Writing ............................. 25
Chapter Four
People of the Pharaoh ........................................ 27
Sidebar: The Egyptian Pyramids ............................ 31
Chapter Five
Reaping the Harvest ........................................... 33
Sidebar: Egyptian Gestures ...................................37
Ancient Craft: Papyrus Project ..................................38
Ancient Recipe: An Egyptian Treat ........................... 40
Timeline ............................................................. 42
Chapter Notes ...................................................... 44
Works Consulted .................................................. 45
Further Reading .................................................... 46
Books ............................................................ 46
On the Internet ................................................ 46
Glossary .............................................................. 47
Index .................................................................. 48
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The Nile River today
4
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Chapter
1
The Gift
from Hapi
Kebi walked outside and looked up at the sky. Soon it would show only
blueness, but today a few thick, white clouds floated by, carried by the
season’s gentle breeze. Her mother motioned to her. Kebi went over to
stand with her family as they gathered for their afternoon prayer to the god
Hapi, the ancient Egyptian god of the Nile River. Together they said,
“Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land
and comes to give life to Egypt! Come and prosper! O you
who make men to live through his flocks and his flocks through
his orchards! O Nile, come and prosper!”1
Kebi had been saying this prayer for as long as she could remember.
Her mother said people had been reciting it for hundreds of years. When
she was very small, she had said the words because her mother and father
taught them to her. They had had no meaning for her then. Now they did.
She spoke the words with great passion and belief. She knew what terrible
things could happen if Hapi did not send enough water to the land. It was
the season of Akhet, when the river began overflowing its banks.
Later, Kebi would take her two older brothers to the edge of the Nile to
throw in the necklaces they had made as offerings to Hapi and his many
crocodile gods and frog goddesses. She hoped the god would be pleased
with their work. The three of them had spent hours putting small beads
onto long strings and tying knots between each one.
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Chapter
1
While Kebi and her brothers cast offerings to the river, Kebi’s parents,
like many others, would most likely check how high the water level was
that day. They would climb down the steps to the water’s edge and measure
the height in cubits. Kebi knew they would be looking to see if the water
level was higher than the day before. If it was, they would know Hapi was
listening to the people’s hymns and preparing to bring fertility and wealth
to the land again.
After eating, Kebi sought out her father. As she often did, she spent the
afternoon helping him repair the tools that had broken during the harvest
season. She mended the handle of one of the sickles, while her father
worked to straighten the bent blade on the plow. She liked sitting next to
him, working together. It was a peaceful time, compared to the hours of
hard work during planting and harvesting times.
Wall painting depicting
harvesting
6
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The Gift from Hapi
Irrigation canals like this one literally meant survival to the
ancient Egyptians. They took a great deal of work to construct
and maintain, but they brought life-giving water to crops and
allowed the people to grow strong crops.
Kebi’s two brothers were out in the fields, working to repair a few of the
irrigation canals so they would be ready to carry the precious water where
it needed to go to keep the crops—and the family—alive. Their labor was
hard, but so important. Here in the northeastern corner of Africa, water
was a treasure to be honored and respected. Because there was almost no
rain, the river’s annual flooding was truly the key to their survival.
In just a few days, her father would be leaving to go to work on the
pyramid of the pharaoh. So would thousands of other men. Kebi could not
remember a time when the pharaoh had not been building this huge stone
temple that would house his body when he died. Progress was very slow.
She had never seen the pyramid. Her father had told her that the blocks of
7
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The Giza pyramids
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The Gift from Hapi
The cauldron
Stones, ropes, and heavy wood logs were used to help lines of
workers pull the enormous stones that built the pyramids.
stone were so big and heavy that Kebi could not imagine how hard it must
be to move them up the ramps that surrounded the pyramid and put them
into place.
Kebi glanced over at her father. He looked worried. She knew he was
thinking about the days to come. Would Hapi send the right amount of
water and mud to the land? She had heard stories of past years when he
had sent too little. There hadn’t been enough to water the crops, give to the
animals, and use for themselves. Nor had there been enough of the rich,
thick, black mud in the fields to provide the nutrients they needed to grow
strong crops. The crops did not grow—and so farming families like Kebi’s
did not eat. It had been a dark time.
Kebi shuddered as she thought of those long-ago days of drought. She
hoped that Hapi would never let those hard times come again. Perhaps she
needed to pray more often!
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Chapter
1
A modern mud brick house
“I am sure that Hapi will keep us safe,” she reassured her father. He
smiled and then nodded slowly.
“Did you know that Hapi can sometimes send too much water?” he
asked.
Kebi tried to imagine how too much water would be troublesome. Her
father saw her confusion.
“Too much water is also something to fear, child,” he continued. “So
many of our homes, made of mud bricks, can be washed away. And
sometimes too much water has brought sickness to our people.”
Kebi thought for a moment. For all her life, she had imagined the floods
as a gift, a miracle sent by Hapi. The idea that too much of this gift could
be dangerous was something new. She would be thinking about it for the
rest of the afternoon as she worked with her father.
“Stop your worries,” said Kebi’s father, resting his hand on her shoulder.
“Go inside and help your mother prepare the bread. Your brothers will
come home hungry as always and I need a good meal before I join the
pharaoh’s men under the hot sun.”
Kebi nodded, but as she walked back into the house, she hoped that her
father could not hear her muttering, “Hail to thee, O Nile” under her
breath.
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Egyptian Seasons
In ancient Egypt, there
were three seasons of
four months each. They
were based on the Nile
River and what it was
doing.
Akhet was the
first season and it lasted
from about mid-July to
November. It was also
The Nile during Akhet
known as the Season of
the Inundation. During
these months, the Nile flooded due to heavy rains in the highlands of
Ethiopia that poured into the river. Water levels were measured daily
by the nilometers, or a series of steps leading up from the water’s
edge. Typically, a rise of about 25 feet was expected.2
No farming was done during these four months. Instead, the
Egyptians focused on other projects such as building temples and
pyramids for the pharaoh. They also used these days to repair broken
tools and take special care of their animals.
This season was followed by Peret, or the Season of the
Emergence. It lasted from November to March. This was the growing
season because the floodwaters receded, leaving behind wet, rich soil
that was ready for planting. The ground was ploughed and seeded.
Soon plants began to grow.
The last of the three seasons was Shemu, from March to July.
This was known as the Season of the Harvest. All the crops were
ready to be picked. Time was of the essence because everything had
to be brought in before the Nile flooded the area and the seasons
started over again.
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Houses like Kebi’s still
exist in parts of Egypt.
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Chapter
2
In Kebi’s Home
Now that Kebi knew that the Nile could bring too much water to the land,
she honored the mighty river even more. It was such an essential part of
everyday life that the waterway was never far from her mind or anyone
else’s. The water that crops needed to grow and animals needed to drink
came from the Nile. The river was where Kebi and everyone else bathed,
washed clothes, caught fish, picked reeds, and played games. In one spot,
young boys might splash and swim, while older boys carefully watched for
fish to spear in another. Kebi spent many hours helping to make nets for
catching wild birds or helping her mother gather bundles of reeds for
weaving.
After speaking with her father, Kebi also found herself looking at her
home differently. The walls that helped to keep her family cooler in the
heat now seemed fragile even though they were thick and made with bricks
of clay, mud, sand and pebbles that were mixed together and then baked in
the sun. It was hard to imagine these strong walls falling apart under the
rush of water, but Hapi was a powerful god.
The flat roof, made of reeds woven together tightly, also seemed strong.
Kebi thought of all the hot nights she and her family had climbed up there
to eat, sit and cool off and gaze at the twinkling stars. Could the water of
the Nile really wash all of this away?
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Chapter
2
Map of
Ancient Egypt
Kebi walked into her house. Like the other homes in the town and
down the narrow, twisting streets, it had several rooms, including a main
room, bathroom, bedrooms and a storeroom for keeping the food from the
harvest. Furniture was sparse with simple chairs, stools and tables. Most
were low to the ground. Baskets Kebi and her mother had woven over the
years held linens and clothing, while colorful rugs hung on the walls and
spread out across the floor.
Outside, the home had a low fence surrounding it. Ramps led up to
front and back doors and the rooftop. Small windows were near the tops of
the walls. They let the summer heat out but also often let dust and flies in,
so she and her mother took time to weave reed mats to cover the openings.
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In Kebi’s Home
Kebi loved the cozy, welcome feel of the house. She knew that some of
the homes of the wealthy had much finer furniture, often made out of
beautiful materials like ebony and ivory, but she thought her house was
much more comfortable—it was her home.1 She did not want the colorful
tiles on the floors or the brightly painted walls of the rich. She was happy
with her home’s simple stools, painted white walls, and smoky hearth where
the family’s meals were prepared.
Glancing out the front door at the sun overhead, Kebi knew that it was
almost time to eat. She was glad—she was hungry. The last meal seemed
like a long time ago. It had been simple: beer and bread, as always, plus
lentil stew, flavored with garlic and onions. That was one of Kebi’s favorite
dishes. She had spent many hours helping to grind the wheat her father
had grown into flour for making bread.
She sniffed the air. She peeked at her mother and smiled. Her mother
was making another favorite for dinner. Beef was cooking in the clay oven.
It was a rare treat to have meat in the house and beef was Kebi’s first choice.2
Kebi’s brothers liked it most when their mother made dessert. It was often
sweet grapes or dates, but now and then mother made honey cakes with
nuts. They were delicious!
Kebi’s stomach rumbled at the thought of these treats. She watched her
mother move from one place to another preparing the evening meal. Her
dress of coarse linen was simple and she wore an amulet around her neck
for protection against mysterious forces and illnesses.3
Already, Kebi could see that the sun was sinking lower. Night was only
a few hours away. Soon it would be time to light the oil lamps in the house.
She had filled the stone bowls with palm-nut oil the night before. Kebi’s
mother had made new wicks for the lamps out of strips of flax.
Glancing at the darkening sky, Kebi knew she and her brothers would
need to hurry if they were going to get down to the river and collect water
before it was time to eat. She slid her woven reed sandals onto her feet and
went out the back door in search of the boys. Chances were they were
outside racing or wrestling, as usual.
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Chapter
2
Ancient drawings show how people lived long ago. These wall reliefs
depict Egyptian children who spent many hours a day working, but
still had time to play.
It was good to see them play. Soon enough they would be grown up
and kept busy as farmers like their father, or herdsmen, watching over the
herds of cattle, sheep or goats. Perhaps, thought Kebi, one of them would
learn to be a scribe. Just the thought of it made Kebi laugh. It was hard to
imagine either of her scruffy, loud brothers as a serious student able to read
and write hieroglyphs. Being a scribe was an important job as they were
the only people who could understand what was written on the temples
and in tombs. Scribes were also in charge of keeping government records
and writing letters for the pharaoh. Although scribes were always men,
Kebi wondered if she would enjoy the job. Perhaps she would rather work
in the stone quarries or the mines, looking for important minerals and
precious stones like many of the people in the town.
She shook her head at both ideas. Maybe she would have her own
business one day. She could make something beautiful or become a cook
for the pharaoh. She giggled. All these ideas seemed very far away. For
today, she would gather water from the Nile, throw in her offering and pray
for a good flood from Hapi. The future was a long way away and Kebi had
lots of time.
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Egyptian Pets
The ancient Egyptians kept many
different kinds of animals for pets.
Some animals were used to help
hunt, such as hawks and mongooses.
Other animals, including lions and
other wild beasts, were only pets
for royalty since they certainly could
not be kept inside a house. Some
animals were used to help farmers,
such as falcons and ferrets, as they
kept the granaries free of mice and
other rodents.
According to the mummified
remains found in ancient ruins, as
well as scenes from Egyptian
Cat statue
paintings, the gazelle was a pet for
some families, as were monkeys.
Dogs were popular as pets because they also helped with hunting
and provided protection for the family. Perhaps the most loved
animals of all, however, were cats. They were thought to be magical
and greatly honored. In fact, if you hurt a cat, you could be severely
punished—or even killed! When cats died, many of them were
mummified and buried in cemeteries. The image of the cat can be
seen in a great deal of Egyptian art.
One of the oddest types of pets for Egyptians was the Nile
goose. They were often allowed to walk through the house and
were considered a type of “watchdog” as they honked and made a
great deal of noise when a stranger came around. These geese
often had terrible tempers and it was best to stay away from them.
John Dahlgren
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An Egyptian farm
18
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Chapter
3
The Season of Peret
Kebi opened the door and looked outside. Finally she could see the ground
clearly again. The waters of the Nile had returned to the river bed, leaving
behind a layer of thick, black mud full of the minerals the earth needed in
order to grow strong crops. Even though the land looked dark and messy
right now, this condition would not last long. Soon the mud would be
divided by the lines of grids and canals of fields. The sight made her smile.
The knowledge that her father would be returning from building for the
pharaoh and joining them in the fields made her smile even more. They
had all missed him. She knew he would be happy to be back with his family.
This new season, Peret, was wonderful, but it was also tiring. Soon,
everyone in the family would be working from sunup to sundown. It would
take all their time and energy to make sure the crops were planted, then
taken care of so they would grow rich and lush.
Kebi remembered the last season well. She and her brothers had helped
clear the land of all the debris that the flood had brought. It took a long
time and a great deal of patience. Once the land was cleaned up, it was time
to turn the dirt. Kebi’s father used a wooden hoe to turn over the dark soil
and break up the largest clods of earth. The brothers worked together to
make the cattle pull a wooden plow through the ground.
Then it was time to scatter the seeds by hand into the waiting dirt. As
always, the family’s primary crops were wheat and barley. They also planted
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Chapter
3
A flax flower
quite a bit of flax because it was used for making clothes. Whatever space
was left over was used for melons, lettuce, garlic, and onions.
To make sure the seeds were pushed deep into the soil, Kebi’s brothers
drove the herd of pigs and goats into the field. It was the boys’ favorite part.
The animals wandered through the freshly turned dirt, pushing seeds under
the surface with their hard hooves.1 It made the boys laugh every time.
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The Season ofPeret
Of course, the work didn’t end once the seeds were in the ground.
While the family waited for the first green leaves and stems to poke up
through the soil, there were many other chores to be done. Kebi remembered
how she had spent every morning out in the gardens with her sling last
year. Her mother had taught her how to weave it. Kebi wore it around her
neck and shoulder every day, and the loop that curled around her finger
was as familiar to her as her own hand.
Each morning, Kebi gathered stones of just the right size and shape to
fit in her sling. Once in the garden, she loaded three rocks, and began
A sling like this was an important tool for the ancient
Egyptians. They could use it to hurl rocks long distances at up
to 200 miles an hour.
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Daily work in the village
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The Season ofPeret
swinging the sling above her head.2 Suddenly, one, two, three! The rocks
would fly overhead, scaring away the birds that had landed in hopes of
finding a crunchy seed or fresh green leaf for breakfast. After searching for
her sling-stones, she would gather them up and wait quietly to see if the
birds would return. If they did, it was time to reload and launch again! She
smiled at the memory.
Kebi looked at the back corner of their house. The floodwaters had
damaged it and it would need repair. New mud-bricks would have to be
made and set out in the sun to dry and harden. Kebi knew that they had
been luckier than others in the town. Some had their entire homes destroyed
as this year’s flooding had been stronger than usual. Kebi knew that her
mother and father would help their neighbors—that was just what people
did for each other.
Repairs would come after planting, but after that more jobs would be
waiting. The herds would be feasting on the new grasses and flowers that
grew and those herds would need watching. Crops would need weeding
and watering. This meant daily checks of the irrigation canals to make sure
they did not have any broken or damaged spots.
Kebi frowned as she thought about those endless rows of canals. They
carried the precious gift of water from the Nile to the crops, but they took
so many hours of digging to create, and so many more hours of watching
and tending to make sure they did not become blocked with rocks or roots,
or the sides collapsed under the hot sun.
Once the crops began to grow, everyone would be kept busy weeding
and making sure that the plants had everything they needed. It took
constant care but they would all work together to make sure the crops grew
well.
Just thinking about all of the work waiting for her and the rest of her
family in the next few months made Kebi tired, but she was willing to do
whatever was needed to ensure strong crops. Helping her family do well
was important to her. She also knew what it was like to not have enough
food, and she never wanted that to happen again to her or her parents or
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Chapter
3
The family unit was extremely important to the Egyptians and a
great deal of their sculptures and paintings reflect this.
brothers. She closed her eyes and sent a prayer up to the gods that watched
over the crops.
Just then she heard someone come through the front door. She knew
from the sound of his footsteps that it was her father and she smiled. Father
had arrived just in time for Peret. All was well with the world.
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