The Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest in the world and dates back more than 6000 years. Early settlements were around the banks of the Nile river and irrigation formed the basis of this civilization.

In ancient Egypt, the most-powerful person was the ?pharaoh?, who was both the political and religious leader. The duties of the pharaoh included collecting taxes, making laws and protecting the people from foreign invasions. People in ancient Egypt were involved in activities like farming and making crafts. Craftsmen formed one of the communities in ancient Egypt. These men were skilled and made beautiful and expensive objects for temples and pharaohs.

People built mud-brick homes and grew their own food. Additionally, they traded villages for goods that could not be produced. The ancient Egyptians were pious people and believed that worshipping different Gods and Goddesses would make their lives peaceful and harmonious.

Pyramids were built in Egypt as ?tombs? for the pharaohs and their queens. In addition, temples were built as a dedication to Gods and Goddesses, who were worshipped by the priests and the pharaohs. Egyptians practiced the art of ?mummification?. It was believed that when a person died, his soul would leave him, thus, in order to re-unite the soul and the body, people were buried in pits in the desert. This method was gradually replaced with burying dead people in coffins to protect them from decaying. Mummification ensured that the dead bodies remained ?life-like?.

One of the vital activities of the Egyptians was communication, in order to preserve information about religion and the government. Scripts were invented, one of which is known as the hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics involved using pictures to describe events and tell stories, and is one of the earliest forms of written communication.