Home › Egypt Travel Guide › Ancient Egyptian History
Ancient Egyptian History
The history and daily life of ancient Egypt: kingdoms, battles, economy, food, medicine and more.
All guides
Ancient Egyptian CivilizationAncient Egyptian civilization: 3,000 years of history, the gift of the Nile, the great kingdoms and what Egypt gave the world.
Ancient Egyptian CraftsmenAncient Egyptian craftsmen: sculptors, painters, goldsmiths and carpenters, the tomb builders of Deir el-Medina and where to see their work.
Ancient Egyptian EconomyHow the ancient Egyptian economy worked: the Nile flood and taxes, payment in grain and beer, the deben, trade with Punt and temple wealth.
Ancient Egyptian EntertainmentHow ancient Egyptians had fun: music and dance, banquets, the board game senet, sport, hunting and festivals.
Ancient Egyptian FoodWhat ancient Egyptians ate and drank: bread and beer, vegetables and fish, banquets with wine, and dishes that survive in Egypt today.
Ancient Egyptian Gods and GoddessesA guide to the main ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses: Ra, Amun, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Anubis, Hathor and more, and where to see them…
Ancient Egyptian MathematicsAncient Egyptian mathematics: the base-10 number system, unit fractions, the Rhind Papyrus and the surveying behind the pyramids.
Ancient Egyptian MedicineAncient Egyptian medicine: the Edwin Smith and Ebers papyri, specialist doctors, honey and herbal remedies, and Imhotep, god of healing.
Ancient Egyptian ReligionAncient Egyptian religion: maat, the gods, temples and priests, festivals, and beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Ancient Egyptian SymbolsA guide to ancient Egyptian symbols and their meanings: the ankh, Eye of Horus, scarab, djed, was scepter, cartouche, lotus and more.
Book of the DeadThe Egyptian Book of the Dead: what it is, the spells for going forth by day, the weighing of the heart and where to…
Daily Life in Ancient EgyptDaily life in ancient Egypt: homes and families, work and the Nile seasons, food, clothes, makeup, games and women's rights.
Deir el-MedinaDeir el-Medina on Luxor's West Bank: the village of the royal tomb builders, the tomb of Sennedjem and the first known labor strike.
Egyptian CalendarThe ancient Egyptian calendar: 365 days, three Nile seasons, the star Sirius and how it shaped the Julian calendar and the Coptic calendar today.
Egyptian Creation MythsAncient Egyptian creation myths: Nun, Atum and the Ennead of Heliopolis, Ptah of Memphis, the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and Amun of Thebes.
Eye of HorusThe Eye of Horus (wedjat): its myth, its meaning of protection and healing, how it was used as an amulet, and how it differs…
How The Pyramids Were BuiltHow the Egyptians built the pyramids: the workers' town, the quarries, the Wadi al-Jarf papyri, sledges, ramps and the precision of the Great Pyramid.
Mummification ProcessHow the ancient Egyptians mummified the dead: the 70-day process, natron, canopic jars, the Opening of the Mouth and where to see mummies.
New Kingdom of Ancient EgyptThe New Kingdom of ancient Egypt: the age of empire, the 18th to 20th Dynasties, its great pharaohs and the monuments they built in…
Old Kingdom of Ancient EgyptThe Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt (about 2686 to 2181 BC): Djoser, Sneferu, Khufu and the age of the pyramids, and why it ended.
Scarab BeetleThe scarab beetle in ancient Egypt: Khepri and the rising sun, scarab amulets and seals, the heart scarab and the giant scarab at Karnak.
Surprising Facts About the PyramidsSurprising facts about the pyramids: their white casing, the 3,800-year height record, workers' graffiti, recent hidden discoveries and more.
The Afterlife and the Weighing of the HeartHow ancient Egyptians saw the afterlife: the ka and ba, the weighing of the heart before Osiris, Ammit and the Field of Reeds.
The Ancient Egyptian LanguageThe ancient Egyptian language: hieroglyphs, hieratic, demotic and Coptic, the Rosetta Stone and how Champollion deciphered the script.
The Battle of MegiddoThe Battle of Megiddo around 1457 BC: Thutmose III's daring march through the Aruna pass, the seven-month siege and the record at Karnak.
The Curse of the PharaohsThe curse of the pharaohs: how the legend began after Tutankhamun's tomb was opened, Lord Carnarvon's death and what the facts really say.
The HyksosThe Hyksos, foreign rulers of northern Egypt around 1650 to 1550 BC: who they were, what they brought and how Ahmose I drove them…
The Myth of OsirisThe myth of Osiris: murdered by Seth, restored by Isis, avenged by Horus. What the story meant and where to see it in Egypt's…
The Unification of EgyptHow Upper and Lower Egypt were unified around 3100 BC: Narmer and Menes, the Narmer Palette and the symbols of the Two Lands.
The Was ScepterThe was scepter in ancient Egypt: what it looks like, what it meant, its link to Thebes and where to see it on temple…