10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT

ANCIENT EGYPT
LETS START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
Ancient Egypt or The Gift of the Nile stood as one of the worlds most
advanced civilizations for nearly 3,000 years and created a culture so rich that
it has spawned its own field of study. Historians usually group its history into
three major kingdoms called the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the
New Kingdom. It was during these times that Ancient Egypt was at its
strongest.. The government and religion were tied together as the leader of the
government, the Pharaoh, was also leader of the religion. Writing was also
important in keeping the government running. Only scribes could read and
write and they were considered powerful people. The Ancient Egyptian
Empire began to weaken in about 700 BC. It was conquered by a number of
other civilizations such as the Assyrian Empire, Persian Empire and finally, by
Romans.
But while Egyptian art, architecture and burial methods have become
enduring objects of fascination, there is still a lot you probably dont know
about these famed builders of the pyramids.
When you think about Egypt, what do you see? I, myself, have in mind all
these images of mummies crawling out of dimly-lit pyramids. (Thanks,
Hollywood!) But Egypt has quite a few fascinating stories hidden behind its
mysterious aura. So, what is it about this mysterious civilisation that so
catches the imagination?
Let me tell you some surprising facts that will definitely transport you back in
time:
THE ACTUAL FACTS!
1. Cleopatra was not Egyptian.
Along with King Tut, perhaps no figure is more famously associated with
ancient Egypt than Cleopatra VII. But while she was born in Alexandria,

Cleopatra was actually part of a long line of Greek Macedonians originally

descended from Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Greats most trusted
lieutenants. The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt from 323 to 30 B.C., and most
of its leaders remained largely Greek in their culture and sensibilities. In fact,
Cleopatra was famous for being one of the first members of the Ptolemaic
dynasty to actually speak the Egyptian language.
2. King Tut may have been killed by a hippopotamus
Surprisingly little is known about the life of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen,
but some historians believe they know how he died. Scans of the young kings
body show that he was embalmed without his heart or his chest wall. This
drastic departure from traditional Egyptian burial practice suggests that he
may have suffered a horrific injury prior to his death. According to a handful
of Egyptologists, one of the most likely causes for this wound would have been
a bite from a hippopotamus. Evidence indicates that the Egyptians hunted the
beasts for sport, and statues found in King Tuts tomb even depict him in the
act of throwing a harpoon. If the boy pharaoh was indeed fond of stalking
dangerous game, then his death might have been the result of a hunt gone
wrong.
3. Both Egyptian men and women wore makeup
In the 21st century, male actors wearing makeup is common, but did you
know that both male and female Egyptians wore makeup? The eye paint was
usually green or black. The makeup served both practical as well as ritualistic
purposes It was thought to protect the eyes from the suns rays, repel flies,
and ward off infection. The dramatic makeup also imitated the facial
markings of the sun god Horus.
Cosmetics also reflected ones rank in ancient Egypt a sign of a wealthy
woman was a portable cosmetics box.
During the reign of Ramses III, labourers quit working because they were not
provided with balms and massage oils, which they considered essential for
their well-being.
4.Ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste

Of course there were no dentists back in the day, but ancient Egyptians
contributed to innovations in dental hygiene with the invention of toothpaste
ingredients included the powder of ox hooves, ashes, burnt eggshells and
pumice.I guess theres no better way to wake yourself up than with bad breath!
Egyptians also believed in the afterlife. That would explain the toothpicks
buried alongside mummies, apparently placed there so that they could clean
food debris from between their teeth in the afterlife.
5.The pyramids were not built by slaves
The men who built the pyramids were paid labourers (with beer, by the way,
1gallon per day) and not slaves. Though their work was hard, it was done out
of loyalty to the Pharaoh, and those who died during construction were given
the honour of being buried in the tombs near the sacred pyramids of their
pharaohs.
6.Egyptian pharaohs were often overweight
Egyptian art commonly depicts pharaohs as being trim and statuesque, but
this was most likely not the case. The Egyptian diet of beer, wine, bread and
honey was high in sugar, and studies show that it may have done a number on
royal waistlines. Examinations of mummies have indicated that many
Egyptian rulers were unhealthy and overweight, and even suffered from
diabetes. A notable example is the legendary Queen Hatshepsut, who lived in
the 15th century B.C. While her sarcophagus depicts her as slender and
athletic, historians believe she was actually obese and balding.
7.Egyptians kept many animals as pets
The Egyptians saw animals as incarnations of the gods and were one of the
first civilizations to keep household pets. Egyptians were particularly fond of
cats, which were associated with the goddess Bastet, but they also had a
reverence for hawks, ibises, dogs, lions and baboons. Many of these animals
held a special place in the Egyptian home, and they were often mummified
and buried with their owners after they died. Other creatures were specially
trained to work as helper animals. Egyptian police officers, for example, were

known to use dogs and even trained monkeys to assist them when out on
patrol.
NOW, WHAT ABOUT SOME FRIGHTENING FAMILY PLANNING?!
8.Frightening family planning
Ancient Egyptians were the first society that we know of to create birth
control. But, of course, this wasnt the pill form. It involved crocodiles. In
order to avoid pregnancy, Ancient Egyptians would mix together mud, honey,
and crocodile dung. How delicious! The mixture would then be inserted inside
of a woman prior to the evening festivities. The acidity from the crocodile
dung was known as an effective spermicide.
MY NEXT POINT IS ABOUT SPECIAL WEIGHINGS
9.Special weighings
Speaking of crocodiles, one of the terrifying gods of Ancient Egypt was the
Ammut. Ammut was the god with the crocodile head. Ancient Egyptians
believed in a lot of gods (more specific, over 2,000 deities), but very few of
them were scarier than Ammut, who could magically appear at any time and
eat you if you did something bad. Ammut also figured prominently in death.
At the point of death, Ancient Egyptians believed that the god Anubis was
responsible for weighing your heart. Good works equaled to a light heart, but
bad deeds made your heart heavy. If your heart was light, you gained entry
into the Afterlife; if not, you gained entry into Ammuts stomach.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST
10.Scary science
The Great Pyramid has several entries on this list for a reason. Theres so
much mystery surrounding its creation, location, and actual purpose.
Although long thought to be the tomb of the Pharoah Khufu, some
archeologists believe that the Great Pyramid was not a tomb at all, but rather
an astrological instrument. Whether its a portal to the otherworldly is not

verifiable, but there is science to support the theory that the three pyramids of
Giza perfectly align with Orions belt.
CONCLUSION
So far, Ive been talking in my presentation about a brief history of Ancient
Egypt, the actual facts, which I hope you found interesting as I did, and now,
in the conclusion I just want to say that Ancient Egypt has always been a
constant source of fascination, mistery and controversy from the true origin of
Cleopatra to the Great Pyramid, toothpaste and crocodile birth-control.
Thank you for your attention today!
If you have any questions, Id be pleased to answer them.