Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt
Windows into History
Working historically 2.2
A wall painting of the Nile River
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22
Examine the wall painting from an Egyptian tomb (Figure 2.6 in your textbook). It
tells historians a great deal about life in ancient Egypt: what rich Egyptians did for
recreation, what sorts of boats they used, what plants grew on the Nile and the
bird life in Egypt. They had cats as pets.
1 What did rich Egyptians do for recreation?
2 What plants grew on the Nile?
3 What wildlife lived in or on the Nile?
4 What were the boats used for hunting made of?
5 a What types of scenes did rich Egyptians prefer to have painted on
the walls of their tombs?
b What does this tell us about their religious beliefs?
Working historically 2.4
Using more than one source
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When Herodotus visited Egypt he was told the following story by priests.
These people get their harvests with less labour than anyone else in the world … they
have no need to work with plough or hoe … they merely wait for the river of its own
accord to flood their fields; then, when the water has receded, each farmer sows his
plot, turns the pigs into it to tread in the seed, and then waits for the harvest. Pigs are
used also for threshing, after which the grain is put into store.
Herodotus, The Histories, C5th
BC
Since historians learnt how to decipher hieroglyphics in the nineteenth century,
we have been able to check Herodotus’ stories against Egyptian writings.
Copyright © Diana Millar 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt
Windows into History
Let me also expound to you the situation of the peasant, that other tough occupation.
[Comes] the inundation and soaks him … By day he cuts his farming tools; by night
he twists rope. Even his midday hour he spends on farm labour … he spends time
cultivating, and the snake is after him … He does not see a green blade. He does three
ploughings with borrowed grain.
Papyrus Lansing, C13th bc
The only problem with believing this description of a farmer’s life is that the scribe
wrote it as a warning to his pupil to work harder, so that he wouldn’t end up as a
peasant.
This is where archaeological evidence comes to our assistance. We can check
the accuracy of both written sources by looking at other sources, such as the
models taken from tombs shown in Figures 2.7 and 2.8.
1 a What does Herodotus suggest ploughs the farmer’s fields?
b What do the scribe and the visual source (Figure 2.7) tell you?
2 a What does Herodotus say about hoeing the ground?
b What does the visual source (Figure 2.8) show you?
3 Was the life of peasants easy or hard in ancient Egypt?
4 a Which written source is more reliable?
b Why is it more reliable?
c Why wouldn’t you completely trust this written source?
Copyright © Diana Millar 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt
Windows into History
Working historically 2.6
1 Who is the god of inundation?
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2 Which god controls the flow of the Nile?
3 What happens if the Nile does not flood?
4 What did the king do to make sure that Hapy came?
Working historically 2.13
1 How did the Egyptians explain air and moisture?
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2 Look at Figure 2.19. How did the Egyptians explain day and night?
3 To which yearly event did this myth of the creation of the world refer?
Working historically 2.14
1 What did Hapy give Egypt, according to the hymn?
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2 Look at Figure 2.21 on page 37. What did Hapy give Egypt, according to the
painting?
Copyright © Diana Millar 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt
Windows into History
3 What symbols are used for Upper and Lower Egypt? How do they link to the
Nile River?
Working historically 2.17
1 How did the structure of the temple represent the story of creation?
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2 What parts of the temple linked the temple to the Nile River?
Copyright © Diana Millar 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.