Ancient Egypt existed in a landscape of extremes. Around 5,000 B.C., climate change turned the Sahara grasslands into a vast desert, and nomadic hunter-gatherers were pushed toward the Nile Valley. Through the Nile Valley flows a river that runs 56 miles long before reaching the Delta. There, the river traverses into seven branches. At the … Continue reading Egypt
Category: Research
Axes and Other Egyptian Weapons
The earliest arms differed little from hunting weapons and craftsmen’s tools. Bows, knives, and axes were sufficient enough to halt any local rebellion or conquer a neighboring area along Egypt’s border. However, as Egypt expanded its influence, Egyptians started to arm their military with maces, daggers, throw sticks, and spears. In addition, infantries were armed … Continue reading Axes and Other Egyptian Weapons
Egyptian Writing
In ancient Egypt, writing was considered to have magical properties, where written words breathed life into reality. And there was no more important job than that of the scribe. To form the sacred symbols known as hieroglyphs, ancient Egyptians took their inspiration from the world around them: animals, plants, natural elements, household objects, and buildings. … Continue reading Egyptian Writing
Valley of the Kings
Since the beginning of the New Kingdom, pharaohs were no longer buried in pyramids. Instead, they were placed in tombs that were cut into the cliffs of the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings consists of two remote, desert valleys that come together on the west bank of the Nile, across from … Continue reading Valley of the Kings
Ujat or Wadjet
The Ujat, more commonly known as Wadjet or Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol in ancient Egypt. It was frequently displayed on jewelry made of gold, silver, lapis, wood, porcelain, and carnelian. It was believed to have healing and protective powers. In use of notation of measurement, the symbol was divided into six fractions, … Continue reading Ujat or Wadjet
Egyptian Temples and Priests
The Egyptian temples that have survived until today tend to date back to the New Kingdom. They were known as “the houses of the gods.” Even the word for temple is ancient Egyptian, hwt-netjer, means “the god’s home.” When approaching a temple, one starts by walking along the processional way or avenue, which are often … Continue reading Egyptian Temples and Priests
Set (Seth), God of the Desert and Chaos
Greek Name: Seth Egyptian Name: Set Associated Animal: Set animal (Sha) Main Cult Center: Ombos Naqada Role: Chaos; infertility; desert; storms As you can guess, Set plays a major role in the Descendants of Isis series. The god himself making an appearance in the final novel. But Set is a very complicated character, both in … Continue reading Set (Seth), God of the Desert and Chaos
Ra, Sun God
Greek Name: N/A Egyptian Name: Ra; Re Associated Animal/Object: Falcon; sun disk Main Cult Center: Heliopolis Role: Creator; solar Ra is an essential background character in the Descendants of Isis, for it is his secret name which Natara and Seth have to protect from Set. The Egyptians considered the sun to be a potent life … Continue reading Ra, Sun God
Egyptian Stone Quarries
Without stone quarries, there would be no amazing pyramids or exotic temples. Egyptians had been quarrying stone as early as 40,000 years ago, their stonemasons mastering even the hardest stone. The most harvested stone was limestone; however, there were quarries for red, grey, and black granite as well as diorite. From these quarries, the ancient … Continue reading Egyptian Stone Quarries
Egyptian Pyramids
It took the ancient Egyptians about 400 years to progress from using building materials such as wood, reeds, and mudbrick to smooth-sided pyramids. The first building in the world constructed completely in stone was the Step Pyramid, designed by Imhotep for King Djoser. The Step Pyramid was developed from the mudbrick royal mastabas (mounds that … Continue reading Egyptian Pyramids
Kelsey Ketch 