The Beauty of Ancient Egypt Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Book of the Dead

"The Book of the Dead" is a compilation of writings that were placed in ancient Egyptian tombs as a means of guiding the deceased through their journey to the afterlife. The 'book' contains hymns, prayers, spells, and invocations to many Egyptian deities.

It was designed to lead the soul to the critical moment in the passage from this world to the next: the weighing of the heart to determine worthiness to enter the Duat or realm of the dead. The title "The Book of the Dead" is rather misleading in that this was not always found on papyrus but was sometimes found painted on the walls or the sarcophagus. No two copies are exactly the same.

The Egyptians added to this collections of texts every generation and those that have been found are now considered beautiful works of art as well as offering deep insight into the beliefs of ancient Egypt.

Answer: It is made of limestone

Much of the history about The Great Sphinx is a topic of great debate among historians. Who is depicted, when it was made, did it originally have a beard, and did it have surrounding temples, are just a few of the topics that are a matter of debate. What seems to be commonly accepted is that is was carved from limestone, was at one time painted, and was buried up to its neck for hundreds of years in the desert sand.

It is at least 5,000 years old, but no documents have been found that put an exact date on its construction.

The magnificent structure, found on the west bank of the Nile, on the Giza Plateau, has been an Egyptian icon for thousands of years despite the mystery that surrounds it.

Answer: False

While it is believed that the laws of ancient Egypt were probably codified, no copies of such codes or laws have been found. We do know that women enjoyed considerable rights in this male dominated society. Upon an individual's death, both his male and female children inherited equally. Women could own and bequeath property, file for divorce, and serve as a witness in court. These are rights that are not available to many women in our modern day world. Women could face the same legal repercussions as men, including beating, imprisonment, and even death. The beating of a slave is depicted on this wall painting from a 15th century BC Egyptian tomb. The art of Egypt has taught us a lot about their customs as have writings from the ancient Greek cultures. The legal systems of these two ancient cultures were very similar in many aspects.

Answer: The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone, which is now housed in the British Museum, is a black basalt stone slab with three languages on it including Greek (the language of the Ionian Greeks), Demotic (the everyday script used to write regular manuscripts) and Hieroglyphs (for priestly business). All three passages say the same thing providing the key for decoding ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Until this was uncovered in 1799, scholars were unable to decode the many writings found on the walls of tombs, on papyrus scrolls, and carved into stele. One of the first things that they figured out was the proper names were enclosed in circled symbols known as cartouches.

Answer: Horus

Horus was the falcon-headed god of the sky. His left eye was the sun and the right eye was the moon. Based on myth, Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis. Horus fought with his brother Set after his brother murdered their father. His right eye was damaged during the fight which was thought to be indicated by the monthly changes in the shape of the moon.

This eye was said to have been healed by Thoth, the god of wisdom. The Egyptians had a wide array of gods and goddesses. Many of them had multiple names and images of them are often zoomorphic.

Answer: Mummification

Seti I (1290-1279 BC) is credited as a great military leader who help re-establish order in Egypt. His reign is one of the better documented ones from that time. His exact date of birth, death, and reign, are a matter of historical and scholarly debate.

The tomb of Seti I was discovered in 1817 and was extremely well preserved as was his mummy, which can be seen in the accompanying photo. The art of Egyptian mummification can be seen in this body which is at least 3,000 years old.

Answer: Nefertiti

Nefertiti was one of the most powerful female rulers in ancient Egypt. When she is depicted with her husband, she is shown to be the same size instead of being shown smaller. Her name means "The beautiful one has come", and she was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century B.C.

They made great changes to cultural religion, establishing the cult of Aten, the god of the sun. This beautiful bust depicting her is one of the most iconic symbols of ancient Egypt.

Answer: Surgical document

The Edwin Smith papyrus is the world's oldest surviving surgical document. Written around 1600 BC, the text describes anatomical observations. It also includes directions for examination, diagnosis and treatment for over forty different types of medical problems in detail.

It gives instructions on how to suture open wounds, how to prevent and cure infections by using honey and moldy bread. It tells of the benefits of immobilizing a patient with suspected head, neck, or spinal cord injuries. It is an enlightening text that reveals the sophistication of ancient Egyptian medicine as well as their knowledge of anatomy.

Answer: Thebes

The ruins of the ancient city of Thebes can be found throughout the modern city of Luxor. Thebes was, at one time, the capital city of the ancient Egyptian empire at the height of its power. The main part of the city was built on the east bank of the Nile river.

The west bank was used as a necropolis and contains numerous royal tombs and mortuary temples. Locations that can be visited include the Valley of the Queens, the Ramesseum, and the Temple of Hatshepsut (depicted).

Answer: Underground

Built around 2611 BC, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, is located in Saqqara. Predating the pyramids of Giza, this was a prototype to what would become the straight sided pyramid. There were other architectural differences. In this early pyramid the Pharaoh was buried underground, hidden in a complex maze of tunnels.

This was believed to be a deterrent to grave robbers, but did not usually work. This tomb was plundered and all that is left of Djoser is his mummified left foot. This piece of ancient Egypt is often credited as being the first monumental structure made of stone instead of brick.