Long before the birth of Christ, a great nation arose on the banks of the Nile. For 3,000 years, Egypt stood at the forefront of human achievement, blending creativity and mysticism in a culture the likes of which had never been seen. And for all that time, the fate of the nation rested in the hands of its storied rulers: the pharaohs. The Great Pharaohs of Egypt uses expert interviews, computer re-creation, extensive location footage, and the latest archeological and scientific evidence to tell the story of these ancient kings. The Great Pharaohs of Egypt would be useful for classes on Ancient History, Egyptian History, Western Civilization, World Culture, Religion, and Anthropology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Part 2

By the year 2180 B. C., almost 1,000 years after the first pharaoh, the Ancient Egyptians had made incredible advances in science, art, and technology and had built the most advanced civilization on earth. But the Old Kingdom, as it came to be known, started to deteriorate when a six-year old child ascended the throne. Egypt descended into centuries of chaos, and was eventually reborn under a series of military-minded pharaohs who established the New Kingdom.

• affront
• alabaster
• benign
• bequeath
• colossal
• complacent
• conscript
• emanate
• embellish
• fabricated
• funerary
• manifestation
• mortuary
• obelisk
• plateau
• prowess
• psyche
• smite
• usurp

1. Toward the end of the period of the Old Kingdom, pharaohs ceased building the colossal pyramids of their ancestors. What might be some of the reasons for the cessation of pyramid building?

2. The pharaoh Menkari foreshadowed the decline of pyramid building with his much smaller pyramid. Why did Menkari build such a small pyramid?

3. Although we think of marriage as a union between two people who love each other, marriage has been used by many different cultures as a political tool. How did the pharaohs use strategic marriage alliances to solidify their positions?

4. What is obelisk? What purpose did it serve?

5. Egypt civilization was noted for its death rituals and elaborate funerary provisions. Every culture observes some form of ritual for the death of its members. What is the purpose of death rituals? What death rituals do we observe in our culture? Why are death rituals actually for the benefit of the living, not the dead?

6. Pharaoh Pepe II ascended the throne at the young age of six-years old. How did Pepe's dynasty deal with the day-to-day details of leadership before Pepe II came of age?

7. The Old Kingdom collapsed in 2180 B. C. What might be some of the reasons for this collapse? What are some of the theories offered by historians and archeologists?

8. Hatshepsut was the first woman pharaoh in Egyptian history. How did she ascend to the throne?

9. How did the reign of Queen Hatshepsut pave the way for later queens, such as Cleopatra?

1. Imagine that you were going to build a pyramid as a monument to yourself. Construct a model of the interior chambers of your pyramid. What would you take with you to make your afterlife comfortable?

2. Create a timeline that illustrates the rise and decline of Egyptian civilization in the Old Kingdom.

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Air Dates

• January 06, 2004
• August 27, 2004