Guided
Tour of Ancient Egypt
by Darlene Bishop, Kent
School District, WA
Original Text
© Darlene Bishop
Papyrus & Lotus Flower
 Papyrus
is a reed which grew abundantly along the banks of the Nile in
Lower Egypt and, in fact, became the symbol for Ancient Lower
Egypt. When looking at a cross section of the papyrus reed, it
appears to be triangular in shape. The ancient Egyptians repeated
this shape in many aspects of their life and artwork including
the Pyramids at Giza. The
reed itself served several purposes. The most familiar, is the
paper on which to write. The Egyptians would cut the reeds into
approximately eighteen inch sections, then roll or press the
fiber of the reeds so as to eliminate the water and flatten the
reed. The fibers were then laid side by side and a second layer
either placed over the top at right angles or basket woven with
the first layer. The sheet was placed between pieces of fabric
and pressed between heavy stone slabs for six days. As the papyrus
sheet dried, it became a substantial piece of paper for writing
and painting. The oldest known books today are in the form of
papyrus rolls. As mentioned, the papyrus had other uses as well.
It was used for mattresses on beds, for building chairs, tables,
and other furniture as well as for boats.
 
The lotus flower
was the symbol of Upper Egypt and can be seen repeatedly in various
hieroglyphics on tomb and temple walls and as the tall white
crown worn by the king of Upper Egypt. It looked very much like
a white bowling pin.
Seen here is a picture of a lotus flower.
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Complementary
Resources
CTCWeb Resources
Virtual
Ancient Museum
Roots
of English: an Etymological Dictionary
Ancient
Olympics
Scratch,
Glue, Foil & Paint: Connecting Classics and the Art Curriculum
Ancient Egypt
Knowledge Builders
Dress & Costume, Zeus,
Colonization, Homer's Iliad &
Odyssey,
and more.
Teachers' Companions
Dress & Costume, Zeus,
Colonization, Homer's Iliad &
Odyssey,
and more.
Other Resources
Mysteries
of Egypt
Egyptian Art and Archaeology
The Art of the Fake
Global Glossary Terms
- Alexander
the Great
- Caesar
- Ptolemy
- Caligula
- Cleopatra
- Medea
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