Keys to Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources
 Primary Source: a record made by people who saw or took part in an event
(originates from the past)
 Secondary Source: a record of an event written by someone not there at
the time
**Key question: Is this a primary/secondary source?**
Ask yourself....
Did/could the author/creator/ witness make the artifact?
Yes = primary source
No = secondary source
Document 1
Egyptian Farmers
Footnote: Egyptians painted pictures like this one on tomb walls.
Animals were very important to Egyptian farmers. Animals helped
them with jobs like trampling in the seeds, pulling the plough, eating
unwanted grain or wheat and providing the Egyptians with food and
drink. They kept animals such as cattle, goats, pigs, ducks, cows,
and geese.
Document 2
Pharoah’s Tomb Diagram
Footnote: Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, or god-kings, had workers
build huge pyramids to serve as tombs. Egyptians believed that
their kings could take their possessions with them after death. As a
result, pharaohs were buried with their possessions. Below is a
diagram of a pyramid.
Document 3
Hatshepsut’s Tomb Inscription
Footnote: Hatshepsut was a woman who took the role of pharaoh.
She was the daughter of a pharaoh and also was married to a
pharaoh. Hatshepsut took control when her husband died. Because
Egyptians believed that only men could be kings, Hatshepsut is
often portrayed wearing male clothes and a beard, and she is
described with a male pronoun. She took control by saying that the
sun god Re was her real father. The pictures above are actual
words from her temple.
Document 4
Living in Ancient Egypt
Footnote: The Nile River flows south to north against prevailing
northerly winds. In ancient times boats traveling upstream against
the Nile current used a sail or rowers or both. Boats traveling
downstream to the north often just floated with the help of steering
oars. The Nile current was about 4 knots during the flooding
season. It slowed to a sluggish one knot during the rest of the year.
–Living in Ancient Egypt by Oliver Frey, Thalamus Publishing,
1999
Document 5
Howard Carter’s Autobiography
Footnote: The 1920s were an exciting time for archaeology. In Egypt,
British archaeologist Howard Carter made a stunning discovery—the
almost-untouched tomb of young King Tutankhamen. Carter’s
discovery came after years of unsuccessful excavations in the Valley of
the Kings. This is Carter’s own story.
Document 6
Egyptian Pottery
Footnote: The other major type of pottery was made from 'marl clay',
best known from material found around Qena in Upper Egypt. This type
of pottery was usually thought superior to the common Nile mud
pottery, and so it was often used for decorative and other functions.
This type of pottery was often burnished, leaving a shiny surface similar
to a glaze. However, true glazed pottery does not appear until Roman
times. Further division of pottery involves the analysis of additional
material added to the basic pottery fabric, known as filler or temper, as
well as natural impurities in the clay.