The Art of Ancient Egypt | Publications for Educators | Explore & Learn

Science Connections: Refer to The natural world and start out with the lesson plans and activities Art and the Environment (L), Animal Symbols (A), and Animal Symbols (L). The Egyptians were keen observers of nature. Their explanations for natural phenomena were not scientific, however, because they believed such phenomena were created and activated by the gods.
Concepts and related text	Works of art	Activities (A) and Lessons (L)
The Nile: Why was the river so important economically and symbolically? Abundance and Rebirth	Riverboat, Menna and his family fishing and fowling, Temple of Dendur, View of Luxor looking west across the Nile	Art and the Environment (L) Myths/Architecture/Environment (L)
The Sun What did the Egyptians believe about the powers of the sun? The Primary Deity Other Solar Deities	Statuette of Amun, Akhenaten sacrificing a duck, Sphinx of Senwosret III, Sakhmet	Divine Power (A)
The desert: Why did Egyptians go into the desert? Burial Grounds for the Dead Life and Riches in the "Land of Death"	View of Saqqara, Statuette of the god Anubis, Sphinx of Senwosret III
Observation of Animal Life What did animals symbolize? Life after Death Characteristics of the Gods Power of the King A Prehistoric Myth	Sakhmet, Cat, Comb, Ivory hunting dog , Hippopotamus, Menna and his family fishing and fowling, Magical stela (detail), Section from a Book of the Dead, Sphinx of Senwosret III, West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father Ramesses I, Statue of Hatshepsut,	Art Words (A) Animal Symbols (L) Animal Symbols (A) Divine Power (A)
Concepts and related text	Works of art	Activities (A) and Lessons (L)
Mummification: What was the process and why was it important? Ancient Egyptian Beliefs	Discovery of Wah's mummy, Unwrapping of Wah's mummy, Wah's jewelry, Canopic jar with a lid in the shape of a royal woman's head, Sakhmet, Pectoral of Princess Sithathoryunet, West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father Ramesses I, Akhenaten sacrificing a duck, Magical stela (detail), Temple of Dendur, Tomb of Perneb, View inside the chamber of Meketre's tomb, Statue of Hatshepsut, Ivory hunting dog, Yuny and his wife, Renenutet, The discovery of Wah's mummy, Nikare and his family, Stela of a Middle Kingdom official, Menna and his family fishing and fowling, Section from a Book of the Dead, Discovery of fragments of Hatshepsut’s sculpture, Fragment of a battle scene, Tutankhamun wearing the blue crown, Sphinx of Senwosret III, Fragment of the head of a queen,	Favorites Forever (A) On the Wall (A) Life after Death (A) Wrap-Ups (A) Animal Symbols (A) Divine Power (A) Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (L) Life after Death: Mummies and Magic (L) Animal Symbols (L) The Role of the King (L) Myths/Architecture/Environment (L)
Human Anatomy: How do the ways humans are portrayed in Egyptian art compare with how they are portrayed in other civilizations? Naturalistic Details.	Tutankhamun wearing the blue crown, Statuette of an offering bearer, Fragment of the head of a queen, Nikare and his family, Haremhab as a scribe, Yuny and his wife, Renenutet, Sphinx of Senwosret III, Statuette of an offering bearer,	You as an Egyptian (A) Body Language (A)
Climate and Preservation: Under what conditions are ancient objects preserved? What materials disintegrate in a short period of time? What remains of contemporary life will remain 4000 years from today?	The Temple of Dendur, View inside the chamber of Meketre's tomb, Riverboat, Granary,
Restoration and Conservation: How are objects preserved in museums?	West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father, Ramesses I, Statue of Hatshepsut
Archaeology Why is the work of archaeologists important in finding out about the past? The Story of the Collection	Tomb of Perneb, Temple of Dendur, The discovery of Wah's mummy, Tomb of Meketre, Unwrapping of Wah’s mummy, Wah’s jewelry, Plan of the Tombs of Meketre and Wah, View inside the chamber of Meketre’s tomb, Riverboat, Nikare and his family, Statuette of an offering bearer, Discovery of fragments of Hatshepsut’s sculpture, Thebes, Video clip of Hatshepsut's sculpture excavation site, Statue of Hatshepsut, Plan of Perneb's tomb, View of Saqqara, Looking down into the tomb of Perneb, Tomb of Perneb	Archaeology : Class Discussion (A)