Who Was Osiris? © Jan – Statue of Osiris Osiris was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, the underworld, and the afterlife. He is usually depicted as a man with green skin and a beard associated with the pharaoh, wearing a crown with two large ostrich feathers, and legs partially wrapped like a mummy. In […]

Architecture and Layout Without a doubt, the ancient Egyptian architects were far more advanced than anyone could have imagined. Using the natural caverns within the valley, ancient architects carved walls, chambers and intricate pathways without any modern tools with surprising precision. Egyptians tools such as picks, hammers, shovels and chisels were made of wood, stone, ivory, bone […]

History of the Valley of the Kings The earliest tombs located in the Valley of the Kings were opportunistically placed in naturally formed clefts, well-hidden in the crags of limestone bluffs or cliffs. In these clefts, the softer marl and worn or eroded limestone could easily be chipped off to create entryways for the bodies of […]

Climate The inhospitable climate of the area around the valley – blistering hot days, and freezing cold evenings, made it unsuitable for people to live and thrive. This prevented, in some measure, grave robbery which was common for the time. However, the harsh climate did little to deter the truly daring thieves to rob tombs that were in any […]

The Valley of the Kings is one of the earliest examples of a necropolis, (literally, a ‘city of the dead’). A veritable burial ground of the great pharaohs and noblemen of Egypt for a period of time that spans 500 years, the Valley of the Kings remains one of the richest sources of Ancient Egyptian history. […]

timeline image Here is a brief timeline of ancient Egypt: Time Period Important Events Pre-3100 BC Predynastic Period Area around the Nile settled due to overgrazing and weather changes which led to the creation of the Sahara desert. 4000 BC: Use of tomb building and burial rituals started. 3500 BC: Hieroglyphic writing developed. 3200 – 3000 BC Protodynastic Period Thinis, […]

Singing in Ancient Egypt Musicianship was highly regarded in ancient Egypt and singing was no exception. There are references to many during the era who were considered outstanding singers, including Amen Inaros, whose mother was also a songstress. Singers became quite common among females who were related to high officials and they often officiated at ceremonies. Music […]

Weapons Prior to the Egyptian civilization, weapons used for protection, hunting or in combat were very basic. During the ancient Egyptian civilization, weapons became more and more sophisticated. Examples are stone-tipped arrows, battle axes, chariots, the khopesh, maces, body armor, slingshots and much more. Discover more about ancient Egyptian weapons Crafts Glass Ancient Egyptians had advanced […]

Ancient Egypt’s Most Important Gods Ra the Sun God. As the creator of all forms of life and the absolute ruler of all the other gods, Ra had a pretty major role in the god pantheon. He was depicted with a hawk head, headdress and sun disc. At one point, he combined with Amun to create […]