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Guide for our Museum Welcome to The Australian Museum of Egypt. Home to many artefacts that can tell you all about Egypt. Once you walk through the entrance of the museum you will be flooded with information. Firstly walk forward and up the stairs, and right in front of you, you will see our main artefact. Ramses II., we have got this mummy on loan at the moment. It is usually located at Tahrir Square, Meret Basha, Qasr an Nile, Cairo Governorate 11516, Egypt in Cairo Museum. After looking at Ramses, walk down the steps and do a u-turn left. You will now be facing a hallway with 2 rooms. The first right is the Social Structure room. All the artefacts are labeled with numbers we will be telling you the artefacts by naming these numbers. 1. - Poster - Artefact: Pyramid that shows the different levels of importance and power Pharaohs - The most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the all the Egyptian people, naming himself: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of Every Temple'. As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. - Vizier - The vizier was an important advisor to the pharaoh. He made sure that the local governors were doing their jobs up to standard and that the country was running perfectly. He also collected all the taxes for the pharaoh. - Priests - Most Egyptians believed that the gods lived in temples. Only the priest was allowed to enter inside the temple onto the sacred area and approach the statue showing the god or goddess. The everyone else could pray at the gate or in the court to the Pharaoh, who acted as a go-between the people and the gods. - Scribes - 1 of 100 people in Egypt can read and write and they were given the profession of being a scribe. A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as their job and helps keep track of records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing. - Merchants - The average Egyptian merchant in Egyptian times owned and lived in a mud brick house, but would spend most of their time travelling to other nearby countries so they can trade. Some merchants would exchange their home country products like gold, papyrus, linen and jewelry for cedar, ebony wood, and panther skins. The merchants would then return to Egypt to trade these items to the higher class in exchange for grains and other needs. Farmers and fishermen could double as a merchant and sell their fish and other produce at the local merchant - - selling place. Since merchants spent most of their time in the sun, they were required to wear human hair wigs, and protective makeup. Farmers - Egyptian farmers grew crops such as wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates and vines. They also grew flax which was made into linen. The most important crop was grain. The ancient Egyptian farmers used grain to make bread, porridge and beer. Slaves - A lot of Egyptians were slaves. Some of them came actually from Egypt, often children sold to slavery by poor families. Others were sold from other countries to slavery in Egypt. A lot of people from Meroe and Kush, south of Egypt, were slaves in Egypt, and a lot of people from Libya. 2. Pharaoh, Artefact: Fake beard that they wore - Pharaohs were the king/queen of Egypt. They were often seen as having long and narrow beards (even the females). These beards were usually artificial and didn't function as simple style statements, but rather as evidence of high social positioning, in other words, to show power. The beards typically were braided in a tight manner, a style that was thought to be especially godly. The hair from goats were usually the main material in these beards, which usually were thin at the top and somewhat broader farther down. Pharaohs typically put their false beards on for ceremonies, with the aim to show their importance and ranking. 3. Scribes - Artefact: Papyrus they wrote on - Not everyone learned to read and write in ancient Egypt. Only one group of people called scribes was allowed to have this knowledge. Scribes were people in ancient Egypt (usually men) who learned to read and write. Although archeologists and scientists believe that most scribes were men, there is evidence of some female doctors. These women would have been trained as scribes so that they could read medical texts. Scribes usually wrote on papyrus with reed brushes dipped in ink. The ancient Egyptians made ink by grinding brightly coloured minerals into powder, then mixing the powder with liquid so that it was easier to apply. 4. Vizier - Artefact: Staff he held - The Vizier Staff is one of the most ancient emblem of authority. At an early time the staff seems to have represented the authority of any person with significant power, not just the pharaoh. One of the oldest staffs discovered in Egypt was found from a predynastic grave in El Omari Lower Egypt. The finders do not know whether the owner of this staff was a vizier, or pharaoh, but it is agreed that the staff was a symbol of their authority. The staff soon became shown as a pharaonic authority. 5. Priests - Artefact: God Amulet - The priest's role was to take care of the god/goddess. They have no role to care for the people of Egypt. They did not try to educate the people on the religion or look after their morals like priests of today. The priest would care for the god in the morning, when the high priest breaks the seal, lights a torch to walk the god, says prayers, lights incense, washes the statue (which could be made of solid gold), places fresh clothing and jewels on it and places offerings of food and drink near it. Singers offer hymns of praise to the god. At the end of the day, the priest backs out of the shrine, sweeping away his footprints as he goes, and seals the sacred area. Priests also use amulets that represented the god/goddess one of them is the Papyrus stem. Once you have finished admiring the artefacts and learnt more about Social structure in Egypt, exit the room via exit next to artefact 1. Turn right and enter the next room, the Contact and Conflicts. The Artefacts are 1. Classes of people that went to war, Artefact: Model/statue of a farmer that was in the army - The original Egyptians were farmers, not fighters. They didn't see the need for an organized army. They were well protected by the natural boundaries of the desert that surrounded the empire. 2. Weapons, Artefact: Actual weapons that they used - Melee weapons used: clubs and maces, axe, knives, swords and daggers. - Ranged weapons used: spears, bows and arrows, and javelins. 3. Warfare Clothing, Artefact: Actual armor and shield - The Egyptians wore little body armour and had a simple shield to protect them. 4. Countries involved in the wars, Artefact: Map showing them Hyksos Invasion - In 1650 BC the Hyksos made an invasion into Egypt and was able to take control of the northern Egyptian lands. The Hyksos held the Egyptian lands for around a century. Egypt and the Canaanite - In 500 BC and were mainly caused by the Egyptians wanted to expand their lands. The Egyptians camped close to the Canaanite forces the Egyptians surprised the Canaanite by attacking the overwhelming strength of the Egyptians broke the will of the Canaanite and they fell into full retreat. 5. How the war looked, Artefact: Painting of the battle - Having this artwork we can see how they fought and how it felt in the battle. We can see the equipment that they used in battle and how they used them. When you’ve learnt all you can from the artefacts exit through the door near the 1 artefact. Turn right once again to a bigger room which shows Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. Artefacts shown are 1. Routine - Artefact: Pictures recreating their daily life - The Egyptians would start off their day on top of their houses, their house had a flat roof and they slept their because it got too hot inside the house and sleeping on the roof was cool and breezy. Then they would go downstairs inside the house and the wife would probably already be making him breakfast. He would walk into the indoor bedroom and get changed for work (They would normally wear just a skirt when they work and wear leather tunics when they’re not working.) When he gets changed, he would walk into the main room, the living/lounge room and dining room. He would sit at the head of the table and the wife would give him his breakfast. He would eat his breakfast and say goodbye to his wife and his kids and go to work. When he gets back, which would be around lunchtime 2. Houses - Artefact: Mud brick from the Ancient Egypt - Ancient Egyptian houses had some similarities and differences to how our houses that we have today. Their houses were made out of mud bricks. Wood is hard to come by in Egypt so this is why there houses were made out of mud brick. Their houses have no windows but they do have venting holes in their mud bricks. They have no windows to keep the cold air in and the hot air out. The venting holes help ventilate the house. Egyptians have flat roofs. They have these flat roofs because when it gets too hot at night they have the ability to sleep on top of the house. The houses are not as small as you think they would be. They had about 3 rooms. Egyptians didn’t have water and plumbing in their homes so to get water they would have to go down to the Nile. 3. Amulet - Artefact: Amulet from Ancient Egypt - The use of amulets played a very large part in ancient Egyptian religion. They were made of various materials including stones and were believed to transfer magical properties to the wearer. There are many types of amulets and a special symbol for them. There is the the heart amulet, the scarab amulet, the buckle or knot of Isis, the djed amulet, the pillow or headrest amulet, the collar amulet, the papyrus sceptre amulet, the amulet of the two fingers, the serpent amulet and the frog amulet. 4. Statues of Ancestors - Artefact: Statue of ancestors from Ancient Egypt - Egyptian houses had an item in their house that resembles themselves, the statue of their ancestors. They would have this item because of how it represented their ancestors spirits that were of varying importance, according to the powers they had. Some were more powerful in their beforelife at large, while the others, were more limited. But even if they had little importance in the world, they continued to exist as their names were slowly forgotten and other descendants would take their place. 5. Clothing - Artefact: Secondary source of clothing - Pharaohs - Pharaohs would wear leopard skins over their shoulders and added a lion’s tail that would hang from their belt. With a crown to show power. - Men - The men wore wraparound skirts known as the Shendyt, which were belted at the waist, sometimes pleated or gathered in the front. - Women - Ancient Egyptian women often wore simple sheath dresses called kalasiris. The dresses were held up by one or two straps and were worn down to the ankle, while the upper edge could be worn above or below the breasts - Children - Children wore no clothing until they were 6 years old. Once they turned six years old they were allowed to wear clothing to protect them from the dry heat. Even though children usually wore no clothing, they wore jewelry such as anklets, bracelets, collars, and hair accessories. - Makeup - Makeup played a big part in Egyptian clothing, It was used around the eyes to keep the sun from harming the people’s eyes. They were also used for fashion. When your knowledge has widened enough, exit out of the entry you came in . Walk straight, past the sarcophagus and you will enter a room that holds artefacts for Agriculture in the Nile. These artefacts are 1. - Shaduf - Artefact: Shaduf found in Egypt A pole with a bucket used especially in Egypt for carrying water. The shaduf has an upright frame on which is suspended by a long pole or branch. At the long end of this pole hangs a bucket. The short end carries a weight which serves as a lever. When it is balanced, the weight will support a half-filled bucket, effort is used to pull an empty bucket down to the water, but only the same effort is needed to lift a full bucket, making it much easier to work for long periods of time. As seen from the Nile river diagram there is little tunnels that lead all around the crops in square patterns, watering them and keeping them moist, they would use the Shaduf to put water into these tunnels. 2. Sickle - Artefact: Sickle found in Ancient Egypt - A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting forage for feeding livestock. They were a very popular farming tool as the curve in the blade allowed the user to gather up a group of wheat into a packed area and cut making it less messy and time consuming. 3. 3 Seasons - Artefact: Circle poster - Egyptians had 3 seasons. They had Flooding, Growing and Harvesting. These seasons made a big impact on their farming. The Flooding would occur during the June to September period and this would flood all the dirt and make it fertile and suitable for the Egyptians to grow on. The growing season occurs in October to February and is the time for Egyptians to start planting their seeds and getting everything prepared which after a while will turn into the harvesting season for collecting the food and vegetables to feed the people of Egypt. The harvesting period would occur in March to May. This would be the season for collecting all the crops to be made into food later on. 4. Growing food - Artefact: What someone was getting from the market written down on a broken pottery shard. - This broken pottery shard would be used as how we would use paper today. This is a list of what someone was going to buy at the local market. Most of the time they would have gotten Wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates and vines. Flax was also grown, but it was made into linen after it was grown. 5. Food dishes - Artefact: Market stall with the food showing. - They had staple food which was made up of bread, beer, vegetable and fish. The rich ate meat, water fowls, vegetables, fruit and wine. Most of the food would come from harvesting, but some comes from trading and new dishes are made. 6. Nile - Artefact: Diagram of the Nile - The Nile, a north-flowing river in Egypt, is among the world’s longest waterways. The Nile gave many valuable resources to the Ancient Egyptians as it gave water, hygiene, animal watering, food etc. For Example the shaduf was a tool used to raise water out of the river and they would dig little tunnels that lead all around their crops in square patterns. The Nile was the main source for daily life needs and without it it would have been almost impossible to survive. Once you are satisfied in knowing how Agriculture worked in Egypt, exit once again through the entry. Turn right and you will be facing another pathway which has two separate rooms on it. Turn right at the first room and you will have entered the room of Death and Funerary Customs. These Artefacts are 1. - What happens when you die and the steps, Artefact: Mummy in the middle People do mummification because of religious reasons, they did it so they could have a good afterlife. 2. How poorer people get mummified, Artefact: Natural Mummy artwork - Poorer people were not mummified like the pharaohs, but instead they were naturally mummified by being buried under the sand and since they are under sand, they cannot rot away as bacteria cannot get to them 3. Jackal Mask, Artefact: Actual Jackal Mask - Egyptian death rituals included a priest wearing a mask of the jackal-head god Anubis. These masks were big, being taller than the size of the head of the wearer. They were worn on top of the head and covered a small area of the shoulders on the priest. The snout and tall ears of the jackal head ruled over over the priest's head. The priest that wore the Anubis mask had a very small amount of vision through two small holes which were on the neck area of the mask. The look of these ritual masks created an illusion of Anubis. 4. Death Mask, Artefact: Actual Death Mask - In ancient Egypt, masks were primarily used for two purposes: as death masks and as ritual masks. Ancient Egyptians believed that it is very important to preserve a body of the dead because the soul has to have a place where to dwell after the death. Preservation of the dead body was done by mummification 5. Where the Egyptians put the organs when mummified, Artefact: Actual Canopic Jar - Egyptians believed that they had to preserve the human body. Canopic Jars are jars where they would store the organs when the fallen person has been mummified. The person's liver, intestines (guts), lungs and stomach were placed in canopic jars. Each organ was placed in a special jar with a top representing an animal or human head. The heart was left inside the body because the Egyptians believed that in the afterlife it would be weighed to see whether the person had led a good life. When your intelligence has broadened, exit through the exit near Artefact 2. Turn right and right again at the next room. You will have entered our final room on this tour, the room of our significant individual himself, Ramses II. Our artefacts on such a powerful pharaoh are 1. - Children/Wives, Artefact: Artwork of all his children Ramses II had many children and wives in his lifetime. He had about 200 wives, 100 sons, and 60 daughters. Two of his daughters became his wives. He also got married to his two main wives, Nefertari and Isetnofret. Nefertari would rule alongside Ramses and would become powerful in her own right. 2. Other Skills he had, Artefact Artwork of the temple - Ramses II is also known as a great builder. He rebuilt many of the existing temples in Egypt and built many new structures of his own. 3. Childhood, Artefact: Artwork of him but younger than him aging - Ramses II was born around 1303 BC in Ancient Egypt. Ramses grew up in the royal court of Egypt. He was educated and brought up to be a leader in Egypt. His father became Pharaoh when Ramses was around 5 years old. His older brother died when Ramses was around 14 years old. Now Ramses II was in line to become Pharaoh of Egypt. 4. Family, Artefact: Artwork of all his family - Ramses II had many family members. He had a brother, father and mother. However, his older brother died when Ramses was around 14 years old. His father, Seti I was the pharaoh before Ramses and was the son of Ramses I. Tuya, Ramses II mum was the wife of Pharaoh Seti I of Egypt and mother of Princess Tia, Ramesses II. She was the daughter of Raia who was a military officer based on his title of Lieutenant of the chariotry. 5. How he ruled and when we ruled, Artefact: A replica of his crown - At the age of fifteen, Ramses was the Prince of Egypt. As prince, Ramses joined his father in his military campaigns. By the age of 22 he was leading battles by himself. When Ramses was 25 years old his father died. Ramses II was crowned the pharaoh of Egypt in 1279 BC. He was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. Ramses II ruled for quite a long time (60 years). He ruled pretty well and achieved to expanded the Egyptian empire and created a strong military. This here ends our tour. Feel free to roam around and have a second look at our artefacts and have a good day!
