"Nefertari" looks at the life of an Ancient Egyptian queen and the society she lived in. It also examines the issues archeologists face in preserving materials from the past. This program is recommended for courses that include ancient civilizations, history of art, and archeology.

• antiquity
• deity
• hieroglyphs
• homage
• pharaohs
• plunder
• sarcophagus
• scarab

1. Who is Queen Nefertari? Why is she considered a unique legend?

2. Who is Ramses II? Why did he have a tomb built for Nefertari?

3. Who discovered the tomb? What did they find?

4. Why are the paintings in the tomb unique? What problem was caused by the technique used to create those paintings? What is the most difficult task the emergency repair team must perform? Why?

5. How did the ancient Egyptians view the afterlife? Is this different then the way it is viewed today? Are there many ways of viewing the afterlife? If so, describe some different points of view.

6. Identify Professor Pablo Mora, The Getty Conservation Institute, and Egyptian Antiquities Organization. What is their affiliation to the Nefertari Project?

7. Explain the process the conservation team engages in when mending large sections of plaster. How does the plaster debris found on the tombs floor aid in this process?

8. What is causing the discoloration of the paintings? When the tomb is opened to the public, how will this problem be controlled? Do you believe this solution is adequate? Why?

1. You are a great Queen/King living in the present time and have commissioned a construction crew to build your tomb. Develop a set of floor plans for the crew along with a list of the objects and possessions to be placed in the tomb. Write an explanation of why you choose what you did . Or create a diorama of a section of your tomb.

2. Research an Egyptian tomb and write a report using words, pictures, diagrams, and/or charts explaining its appearance, symbols, paintings, objects, etc. Answer the following questions:Is the tomb open to the public? Has there been decay? What are the plans for repair/conservation? How would you preserve this tomb?

3. Public access of Egyptian tombs is a controversy of today. Some people believe that the tombs should remain sealed, while others want them open for all to view. List the pros and cons of both beliefs. What is your belief and why?

4. What are hieroglyphics? How do we know what they mean? Assign each student one Egyptian hieroglyph to draw on a blank sheet of paper. The meaning of each symbol should be written clearly under the drawing. Have the class group the different hieroglyphics into sentences . Students could also create their own hieroglyphics for words or concepts not used by the ancient Egyptians. For example, what symbols could be used for airplane, telephone, computer, or car? What about symbols for concepts like the environment, peace, or equality? What symbols do we use today that everyone understands? ( The "No Smoking" symbolis one example of a modern "hieroglyph") What do we call the symbols we see on a computer?