10 Primary Sources That Help Us Understand This Civilisation

The Armana Letters

– this is an image of one of the 400 letters Aziru of Amurru to the Pharaoh found at the site of Akhenaten, the new capital city. This primary source shows us evidence that writing was used in Ancient Egypt and that the Ancient Egyptians wrote on stone tablets.

Pyramids at Giza

- these magnificent buildings tell us that the builders or architects in the time of this great magnificent civilisation were extremely talented and skilled. The pyramids had taken many years to construct and they were made of some of the finest materials in Ancient Egypt. These pyramids were built to honour the great Pharaohs of Egypt and also served as a huge tomb for them and their riches.

This is the axe of Ahhotep discovered in his tomb. This tells us that this specific person was a very wealthy person. This axe is made of gold, copper and other precious stones. This primary source informs historians that the Ancient Egyptians had access to many of the precious stones and elements that we have today.

Sacred Cat of Bast

- this statue is a cat that represents the Ancient Egyptian goddess named Bast or Bastet. Ancient Egyptian history tells us that this goddess was the daughter of Ra who was believed or identified as the sun god. This primary source tells us that cats were used to honour this goddess and the Ancient Egyptians even built statues of cats to represent her and to worship. This resource has also provided us with the information that cats were an important part of the ancient Egyptian religion. It also provides historians with the information that certain animals were used to symbolise or honour different gods and goddesses.

The coffin of the Pharaoh named Akhenaten

- this tomb is of the great Pharaoh who tried to establish monotheism in Ancient Egypt. This tomb was originally found in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb has been in many museums and it does provide historians with the information they need to discover more about this ancient civilisation. The evidence that this primary source shows is how the Ancient Egyptians made the coffins that belonged to the wealthy pharaohs. Each coffin is decorated with different drawings and paintings that represent a specific pharaoh’s life. These features are what make each coffin unique in its own way and that is because it is influenced by each Pharaoh’s life.

Egyptian Papyrus Scroll Fragment

- this is an example of a papyrus scroll. It informs historians that the Ancient Egyptians used papyrus from a particular type of plant and used that to make paper for them to write on. This was another alternative to using stone tablets.

Ancient Egyptian painting

- this is another example of a primary source. It demonstrates the mummification process. This primary source provides historians with significant information such as demonstrating how mummification worked and why it was performed.

Ancient Egyptian daggers

- this primary source derives from the time of the Ancient Egyptians. It informs historians how these types of weapons looked like and what they were made from. It also demonstrates the intelligence of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation in regards to making strong and effective weapons for battle.

Statue of the Ancient Egyptian statue of Anubis

- this statue is of Anubis who was the god of the underworld. This statue provides historians with how Anubis looked like.

Painting

- this painting illustrates the gods weighing the heart of the individual to determine whether they travel down to the underworld or not. This primary source helps historians understand the different beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians and how they used paintings to pass down stories, traditions and their customs.