#2 Social Studies- Early Civilization

Evidence of much of humanity's early technological advancement has been found in ancient Egyptian civilization. Beginning about 5000 B.C., the Nile River Valley in northeast Africa provided the agricultural conditions for many permanent settlements to develop. The abundance of good harvest allowed for thriving communities that continued to expand. With the support and influence of the rulers and religious leaders, cultural advancement took place in art, music, entertainment, technology, and science.


  The ancient Egyptian are considered one of the most advanced of the early civilizations. Evidence of their contributions to the world can be seen in the magnificent statues of their gods, in pottery and jewelry, in the ruins of their colossal pyramids and tombs, within their written language known as hieroglyphics, and in their perfection of the mummification process.


  Egyptian religion promoted the existence of an afterlife. Rulers, wealthy citizens, and religious leaders believed in preservation of the body after death by means of embalming with chemicals to prevent decomposition. The dead were then wrapped and placed into coffins that had been decorated to resemble their appearance. These rituals assisted the deceased in maintaining their status while crossing into the world of the dead.


  Ordinary citizens and slaves did not have such a burial. In fact, servants were often sealed into the grave with there dead masters so that they could serve them when they reached the other side. The rulers of Egypt, the pharaohs, were thought to be gods among men. This status entitled them to have pyramids or tombs erected for their eventual placement after death. Their earthly treasures of jewelry, statues, weapons, and furniture were buried with them to insure their wealth in the hereafter. Although many of these precious artifacts were stolen or destroyed over the centuries, researchers have been able to learn valuable information about this early civilization through the treasure that remained.


  We learned much about the early Egyptian culture after we were able to translate the symbols and pictures found on the walls of the tombs. This symbolic picture writing, called hieroglyphics, presented accounts of the tomb's occupant and the society he or she lived in. In the early 1800s a French scholar, Jean Champollion, deciphered a slab of black stone. Now know as the Rosetta Stone, it has two hieroglyphic scripts and one ancient Greek script written on it. By 1822 Champollion was able translate from the Greek back through the two sets of hieroglyphic scripts. Since that discovery, archeologists and scholars have been able to translate the written language of ancient Egypt.

GED PRACTICE

Early Civilization- EXERCISE 2
  Direction: Read the following questions and select the best answer.


 1. Which of the following statements is true based on the information about the early Egyptians?


 (a) The Egyptians had an advanced language with a lettered alphabet.
 (b) The Egyptians did not understand written language.
 (c) The Egyptians recorded their history with a symbolic language.
 (d) The Egyptians did not record their early history.
 (e) The Egyptians had only a few people who could write.


 2. Which of the following description of the Egyptian culture is not true?


 (a) The Egyptians were a strong civilization that conquered many other tribes.

 (b) Art and music were very important in the Egyptian culture.

 (c) Wealthy Egyptians were preserved after their deaths.

 (d) The Egyptians were successful farmers because of the fertile Nile Valley.

 (e) Treasures and servants were often buried with the Egyptian dead.

Answers: 1 is (c). 2 is (1)