Arguably one of the most famous ancient civilizations, Ancient Egypt lasted from 3100 B.C.E. to 30 B.C.E. The Ancient Egyptians were innovators who created the calendar year and the first form of paper. They also were famous for their concept of life and death.

Much like Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt was polytheistic and had a vast array of gods which all had animal heads besides Osiris, god of the Underworld. Some of the most important gods are Ra (the sun god), Osiris, Isis (Osiris’ wife and goddess of magic, healing, and motherhood), and Horus (son of Osiris and Isis and the god of kingship, protection, and healing). Many of the Ancient Egyptian religious practices centered around the pharaoh, who was seen as a mediator between the gods and humans. The pharaoh would build temples and perform ceremonies to sustain the gods’ power over the universe. People could pray to the gods for personal requests and took part in numerous religious ceremonies for acts such as birthing or naming. Underneath Pharaoh Akhenaten, Ancient Egypt was temporarily monotheistic, worshipping Aten (another god of the sun).

Much of Ancient Egyptian culture was centered around the concepts of mortality and fertility. Ancient Egyptians were concerned with the afterlife and the fate of their souls after death. They would practice mummification to preserve the body, which was necessary to continue life after death. The Ancient Egyptians did not travel after as dying outside the motherland meant that their souls would be reborn in the afterlife. In Ancient Egypt, women were allowed to own homes, land, run businesses, and even be ruler.

Ancient Egyptians lived in a monarchy where the head of the government is called a pharaoh. The pharaoh was seen as the child of Ra and is connected to Horus. Pharaohs were highly revered, even seen as deities after death and would have monuments build in their honor. Before the pharaoh died, they would built a tomb and fill it with riches to use in the afterlife. Pharaohs were typically male although there were a few female pharaohs, such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra (the last pharaoh of Egypt). The pharaoh would have many wives and concubines, which only one would be called the Great Royal Wife and function as the queen.

Ancient Egypt was located in Northeastern Africa in present-day Egypt. It was decided into four distinct regions: the Delta, the Western Desert, the Eastern Desert, and the Nile. Ancient Egypt was divided into Upper Egypt, made up of desert in the South, and Lower Egypt which contains the Nile river delta in the North.

Ancient Egyptians invented a type of paper called papyrus, the first form of paper, and ink. Ancient Egyptians also created a 354 day calendar year with twelve months that correlated with the moon; however, they would later have a 365 day calendar. Ancient Egyptians are credited with inventing multiplication and division.