Land of the Mummies

Land of the Mummies
Your information source on ancient Egypt

Pyramids, pharaohs, tombs, and mummies. This is Egypt, where the people worshiped their kings as gods.
Where they built great tombs and pyramids to honor them. And where they preserved the bodies so well that we can still find them today.
I invite you to join me as we explore ancient Egypt and learn all about the history of these amazing people while answering many of your questions. Come, let us go on an informative journey though "The Land of the Mummies"....

Mummies

How have mummies stayed so well preserved?
Why were people made into mummies?

Art

What was ancient Egyptian art like?
Where can these art forms be found?

History

How was ancient Egypt formed?

What stages did it go through?
Fourth Dynasty - 2613 BC
Thirteenth Dynasty - 1786 BC
What caused its collapse?

Language

What language did ancient Egyptians use?
Is there a hieroglyphic alphabet?
What kinds of documents still exist?

Life

What was ancient Egyptian life like?
What different classes were there?

Pyramids

Ah, the pyramids. The last surviving members of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, these stone tombs tower 146 meters (King Cheops) above the Sierra desert. They were all built on the west side of the Nile river because the ancient Egyptians believed that people followed the sun when they died. After traveling underground the person would be reborn [in a temple] in the east.
How were they constructed?
The pyramids were constructed by hand using roughly 2 1/2 million blocks of limestone weighing about two tons each. Archeologists are not sure, but they believe that the blocks were hauled up the sides of the pyramids using ramps of packed limestone dust.
The pyramids were always laid out in the same way. There was a funerary temples the east side and the chamber for the sarcophagus was always on the west side
For more information I encourage you to view The Great Pyramid Statistics webpage, as well as
the great book, The Complete Pyramids.
Why were they built?
The pyramids were built to create mighty tombs for the pharaohs, whom the ancient Egyptians regarded as gods.
They were houses where the spirit would live and while in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians willingly built the pyramids because they felt that by pleasing their gods they too would have a place in the afterlife.
These people worked for roughly 20 straight years to build just one pyramid to ensure that their kings would have a grand place to reside during their afterlife.
For more information I recommend
How big are they?
Bent Pyramid      346 feet tall
Great Pyramid    Tallest pyramid, this stone wonder stood 482 feet with four sides 756 feet wide each.
Step Pyramid   Built around 2630 BC, Six steps with the largest being 389 x 462 feet, with a total height of 204 feet, and surrounded by a stone wall a mile long, 33 feet high and only one true entrance out of 14.
Who were they built for?
Djoser - Step Pyramid designed by Imhotp
Queen Hetepheres    Wife of Snefru, mother of Khufu, Great Pyramid
Khafre                      Son of Khufu, Pyramid
Khufu (Cheops)         #2 Fourth Dynasty, Son of Snefru and Hetepheres, Great Pyramid
Menkaure                Son of Khafre, Pyramid
Zoser                       2666 BC, Step Pyramid
When were they built?

Why are they located where they are?

Tombs

Who were they built for?
Ah-hotep                           Wife of Sekenenra
Ah-hotep II                       Wife of Amenhotep, Stepmother of Tuthmosis I
Ahmose                            1570 - 1545 BC, Son of Sekenenra and Ah-hotep, Brother of Kamose
Akhentan                          1379 - 1362 BC, Son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy
Amenhotep I                     1545 - 1526 BC, Son of Ahmose and Ahmes Nerertari
Amenhotep II
Amenhotep III                   1391-1353 BC
Amenhotp IV                    1353 - 1335 BC
Ay                                    1352 - 1348 BC, After Tutankhamen, Brother of Queen Tiy
Queen Hatshepsut             1503 - 1482 BC
                                         Daughter of Tutmose I, Wife of Tutmose II, Step-mother of Tutmose III
Horemheb                         1348 - 1310 BC, After Ay
Prince Kaemwaset            Believed to be in the Serapeum
Kamose                            Son of Sekenenra
Meketre
Mentuhotep II                    2060 BC
Mutnodjmet                        Second wife of Horemheb
Nofet    Wife of Rhahoptep
Queen Ahmes Nefertari      Wife of Ahmose
Queen Ahmose Nefertari    Wife of Akhenaten
Nefertiti                              Daugher of Ay, Wife of Akhenaten
Neferkare Pepi II                2246 - 2152 BC
Ramses I
Ramses II                           Son of Seti I
Ramses III
Rams IV
Rams VI
Prince Rhahoptep                Son of Snefru and Hetepheres
Sekenenra
Septah
Seti I
Seti II
Smenkhkare                      1364 - 1361 BC, After Akhenaten
Queen Tiy                        Brother of Ay, Mother of Akhentan
Tutankhamen (amon)        1361 - 1352 BC, Stepson of Akhenaten and Nefertari
Tuthmosis I                      1525 - 1512 BC, After Amenhotep I, #1 Valley of the Kings
Tuthmosis II                     1512 - 1504 BC
Tuthmosis III                    1504 - 1450 BC, Stepson of Tuthmosis II and Hatspepsut
Tuthmosis IV                    1425 - 1417 BC
Tutmose I                         1501 - 1492 BC
Tutmose III
Tutmose IV                       Son of Amenhotep II
Why would pharaohs want to be in tombs instead of pyramids?

Where are the tombs located?

What was found in the tombs?

Sculptures

What was ancient Egyptian sculpture like?

What kind of sculptures were there?
Great Sphinx 240 feet long and 66 feet high at head, thought to be Khafre as Horus
Where can ancient Egyptian sculpture be found?

Beliefs

What religion were the ancient Egyptians?

What gods did they believe in?
Amen
Amon      God of the Sun
Amon - Re    A combined God consisting of Amon and Re
Anubis     God of embalming. The priest acting as the chief embalmer wore a mask of Anubis during the
                mummification.
Aten
Bast        Goddess of fertility
Hathor      Form of a cow, Protected the City of the Dead
Horus       God of Kings
Nkhbet     Goddess
Osiris        God of the dead
Ptah          God of creation
Re            Second Dynasty, God of the Sun, Falcon's head and bull's tail
How did they honor their gods?

I hope this site covered any questions you have about ancient Egypt.
If not, then I would like to point out some excellent material that cover these subjects in greater depth.

Books

The Complete Pyramids
By Mark Lehner
Archetypal symbols of remote antiquity,
the pyramids have for centuries inspired passionate theories about their origins,
purpose, and method of construction. Now, in the first fully illustrated compendium of
every major pyramid of ancient Egypt, Mark Lehner, a leading Egyptologist,
surveys the history, building, and use of the pyramids in unprecedented detail.

Splendors of Ancient Egypt
By William H. Peck
Mummy portraits, tomb sculptures, and jewelry representing ancient Egyptian gods and
goddesses, powerful rulers, and ordinary laborers come alive in this illustrated book. Concise
descriptions of each work of art give essential information on the land, the people, the religion,
and the afterlife - all fascinating aspects of this ancient culture.

The Message of the Sphinx
By Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval
In this riveting account of historical and archaeological investigation, the authors present hard
evidence that the Sphinx, the Pyramids, and the other monuments at Giza are of far more ancient
origin than previously believed. Complete with evidence of a conspiracy between the Egyptology
establishment and various confidential organizations to keep the secrets of the Pyramids from the
world, The Message of the Sphinx is also a modern day detective story. of photos.

NO COVER YET The Rosetta Stone
By E. A. Wallis Budge
I was looking for books on the Rosetta stone and came across this one.
Looks like a good book, although I haven't read it yet.
If you like it please drop me a line so that I know.

How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs
By Mark Collier and Bill Manley
Mark Collier and Bill Manley's novel and straightforward approach is informed by years of
experience teaching Egyptian hieroglyphs to non-specialists. They use clear and attractive drawings
of actual inscriptions displayed in the British Museum and concentrate on the kinds of monuments
readers might encounter in other museum collections - especially funerary inscriptions, coffins, and
tomb scenes. Each chapter introduces a new aspect of hieroglyphic script or Middle Egyptian
grammar and provides practical exercises to improve reading skills.

Videos

Mysteries of the Pyramids
With Omar Sharif
Let Omar Sharif take you on a unforgettable trip through the secret passageways
of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Learn about mummies, treasure, and the Sphinx as you travel
on this amazing journey though the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.

I'm always looking for ways to make this site better! Please tell me what you'd like to see......

	Books
	The Complete Pyramids By Mark Lehner Archetypal symbols of remote antiquity, the pyramids have for centuries inspired passionate theories about their origins, purpose, and method of construction. Now, in the first fully illustrated compendium of every major pyramid of ancient Egypt, Mark Lehner, a leading Egyptologist, surveys the history, building, and use of the pyramids in unprecedented detail.
	Splendors of Ancient Egypt By William H. Peck Mummy portraits, tomb sculptures, and jewelry representing ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, powerful rulers, and ordinary laborers come alive in this illustrated book. Concise descriptions of each work of art give essential information on the land, the people, the religion, and the afterlife - all fascinating aspects of this ancient culture.
	The Message of the Sphinx By Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval In this riveting account of historical and archaeological investigation, the authors present hard evidence that the Sphinx, the Pyramids, and the other monuments at Giza are of far more ancient origin than previously believed. Complete with evidence of a conspiracy between the Egyptology establishment and various confidential organizations to keep the secrets of the Pyramids from the world, The Message of the Sphinx is also a modern day detective story. of photos.
NO COVER YET	The Rosetta Stone By E. A. Wallis Budge I was looking for books on the Rosetta stone and came across this one. Looks like a good book, although I haven't read it yet. If you like it please drop me a line so that I know.
	How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs By Mark Collier and Bill Manley Mark Collier and Bill Manley's novel and straightforward approach is informed by years of experience teaching Egyptian hieroglyphs to non-specialists. They use clear and attractive drawings of actual inscriptions displayed in the British Museum and concentrate on the kinds of monuments readers might encounter in other museum collections - especially funerary inscriptions, coffins, and tomb scenes. Each chapter introduces a new aspect of hieroglyphic script or Middle Egyptian grammar and provides practical exercises to improve reading skills.
	Videos
	Mysteries of the Pyramids With Omar Sharif Let Omar Sharif take you on a unforgettable trip through the secret passageways of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Learn about mummies, treasure, and the Sphinx as you travel on this amazing journey though the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.

I'm always looking for ways to make this site better! Please tell me what you'd like to see......