The Death of a Pharaoh Task Card

In this task you will be studying the burial ceremonies of an Egyptian Pharaoh.

The rulers of Ancient Egypt were called Pharaohs. They were very powerful and were considered living gods by the people. Pharaohs owned all the land and all the resources in Egypt . Pharaohs ruled Egypt for over 2000 years, and the history of Egypt is divided into dynasties. A dynasty is the period of time during which a succession of members from the same family rule. The position of pharaoh was hereditary, meaning that power was passed down through the king's daughter. To keep the royal blood as pure as possible, it was ideal for sons to marry daughters. There were only four female pharaohs. Click on this link to learn more about the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

Priests wrote on the tombs of the pharaohs to help send them on their journey. Click here to study some of the many symbols that were written on the tombs.

The “Book of the Dead” was the name given to a collection of spells that were read to a person after they died. These spells would be written onto sheets of papyrus and placed with the dead body to be buried. The “Book of the Dead” was like a guidebook to ensure a happy afterlife by helping the dead person pass through the dangers of the underworld. It would contain passwords, clues and reveal routes to guide the person through a series of tests and mazes to the eventual goal of an afterlife of bliss in the “Field of Reeds.” Click here to read about the process of mummification, and try the challenge to see if you can reach the Field of Reeds.

Bodies were mummified to preserve them for the afterlife. Click here to learn more about mummification.

Activities

1. Choose a pharaoh and write an obituary about his or her life and death. Be sure to include dates, family members, important events in their lives and achievements they may have made. Your obituary should include a picture - either drawn or downloaded.

2. Create an instruction manual outlining the steps the Ancient Egyptians would take to mummify a body. This link may help you, but check others too. Try the mummification experiment described in this site and display your findings and answers to the questions.

3. Create a map that clearly outlines the journey a pharaoh would take to the final destination of eternal life in the Field of Reeds.

Try to include brief descriptions and pictures when appropriate. This site may help you.

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