Ancient Egypt at KS2

The Museum holds the largest collection of Egyptian objects outside Egypt. Highlights include the Rosetta stone, a 5,000 year old sand-dried mummy, wall paintings from Nebamun’s tomb and sculptures of Ramesses II.

Resources for visits

Life and death in early Egypt Early Egypt

What was life and death like for the early
Egyptians?

Download: Word (612kb)  
pdf (211kb)

 

Model of Egyptian boat

Life in ancient Egypt

What did the Egyptians play with, eat and wear?

Download: Word (687kb)  
                                   pdf (252kb)

Scarab pendant

Symbols of the pharaoh

Be a symbol detective and decode scarabs, cartouches and sculptures of Ramesses II.

Download: Word (615kb)

Egyptian funeral galleries

Mummification

A closer look at the materials, techniques, rituals and beliefs of mummification.

Download: Word (620kb)  
                                   pdf (300kb)

Sphinx of Tahargo

Nubia

Discover the ancient civilization of Nubia (Sudan) and compare the cultures of Nubia and ancient Egypt.

Download: Word (1543kb)
pdf (467kb)


 

Guide to the Egyptian galleries

A general guide to the galleries

A room by room guide to what’s in the Egyptian galleries.

Download: pdf (57kb)


Please note, Room 61: Egyptian Life will be closed until November 2008.


Classroom resources

Classroom pack

Nebamun goes huntingNebamun goes hunting

Literacy activities based on New Kingdom Egyptian wall paintings.

Download classroom pack: pdf (887kb)
Support notes: ppt (5023kb) 
                                   Posters A4: pdf (75kb) 
                                               A3: pdf (439kb)

Presentations

Easy to use, self-contained slideshows


Early Egyptians

The history of mummification

From sand-dried bodies to Roman mummy boards, follow the history of mummification.

Download: ppt (990kb)

 

Mummy mask of Satdjehuty

How to make a mummy

Follow the mummification process step by step.

Download: ppt (983kb)

 

A Papyrus from the Book of the Dead

Reading a papyrus

Learn how to decode ancient Egyptian documents.

Download: ppt (797kb)


Online resources

Mummy mask of Hornedjitef

The Egyptian collection online

For teachers. Discover more about the Museum's collection. Find detailed information, articles and images of many objects from the Egyptian galleries.

 

Online tours

Self-contained journeys through areas of the Egyptian collection

Nesperennub

Journey into the mummy

Travel through the many layers of the mummy of Nesperennub. What secrets is he hiding?

Animal mummies

Animal mummies

Cats, jackals, baboons, calves, eels..
Why did the ancient Egyptians mummify so many animals?

 

British Museum websites

Ancient Egypt websiteAncient Egypt
www.ancientegypt.co.uk

Explore temples and pyramids, make sense of hieroglyphs, unwrap the mysteries of mummification and learn about ancient Egyptian gods.

 

Ancient civilizations website

Ancient civilizations
www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk

Make connections between civilizations. To find Egypt select the globe icon, then choose 'Egypt' from the list.

Other useful websites

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

I read it in the Book of the Dead - for KS2 students, produced by Chicago schools


Useful books

For students aged between 7 and 11

A MacDonald, The British Museum Pocket Dictionary of Ancient Egyptian animals (The British Museum Press, 2004)

A McDonald, The Ancient Egyptians: Their Lives and Their World (The British Museum Press) 

R Parkinson, Pocket guide to Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs (The British Museum Press, 2003)

N Strudwick, Pocket Dictionary of Egyptian Mummies (The British Museum Press)

H Strudwick, Pocket Timeline of Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press)

D Pemberton, Egyptian Mummies (The British Museum Press)

M Hooper, The Tomb of Nebamun: Explore an ancient Egyptian tomb (The British Museum Press)

D Pemberton, Illustrated Atlas of Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press)

D Pemberton and Geraldine Harris, The British Museum Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press, 1999)

J Filer, Pocket Explorers: Ancient Egypt and the Nile (The British Museum Press)

J Filer, Pyramids and People in Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press)

For adults and teachers

TGH James, The British Museum Concise Introduction -Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press, 2005)

G Hart, Egyptian Myths (The British Museum Press, 1990)

C Andrews, Egyptian Mummies (The British Museum Press, 1984)

I Shaw and P Nicholson, The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt (The British Museum Press, 1995)

All of these books can be purchased online, at the Museum shop or at many bookshops.

Teachers receive a 10% discount* when they quote teacher0809 in Museum shops. To redeem your discount online visit http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/icat/shoponline and enter teacher0809 on checkout.

*Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.