Journey Back to Ancient Egypt

By: Ashley JonesElementary Social Studies

Professor Hendricks

“Goodnight Michal. Sweet dreams my princess.” My dad bent down to kiss my forehead. He turned off the light and shut the door. In the darkness of my room, I lay wide awake staring at the ceiling. My father is the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He calls me his princess. When I was five, I told him that I’m not really a princess because he’s a president not a king. He laughed and replied “You’ll always be my princess!”

A lot has changed since Egypt had kings, but as I lay here alone in the stillness of my room, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to be a real princess, daughter of a pharaoh. Not just any pharaoh, but daughter of Ramses II, one of the greatest pharaohs of all time. I close my eyes and let my dreams carry me to a time long ago about 3,250 years ago.

The bright rays of the sun awake me. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and realize there are two women fanning me with leaves. Even with the constant breeze from the fans, I am still hot. I take in my surroundings. Nothing looks familiar. There are symbols and pictures on the walls. The room has more golden and wooden figurines than I can count. When a woman comes in and says to me, “Princess, the morning meal is ready.” it all makes sense. I am in Ancient Egypt. I am not just Michal anymore. I am now Princess Michal, daughter of Ramses II.

As daughter of the pharaoh, everyone treats me extra special. My father is a son of the gods. He is a god-king. He is the most important individual in our society. The next most important people are my father’s wives, my siblings, and me. We’re on an even higher level than the top government officials, generals, and the priests. Government and religion mingle together so they are all of equal importance. Here’s a picture so you can see the class structure of Ancient Egypt.

http://stranymira.info/AncientEgypt/ancient-egypt-social

I worked hard to convince Sadeh to let me accompany her into town. She said it was no place for the daughter of pharaoh. Once I get an idea in my head, there's just no stopping me! She finally agreed to let me come along. But like I said, everyone treats me extra special particularly Sadeh since she's my personal handmaiden. No matter how much I protested, walking through town was just out of the question. Instead I was carried by my father's servants as I sat in a litter, a special chair for nobles.

The town is unlike anything I've ever seen! The town is surrounded by high walls which protect us from enemies. People can only enter and exit through the gates. Most of the houses look alike. They all have flat roofs. I see people cooking, eating, and sleeping on the roofs of their houses. I even see children playing up there. Some children jump from roof to roof. It looks like so much fun, but as daughter of pharaoh I could never do such a thing.

As we pass through town, I see different types of people. I see older people sleeping on roof tops to cool down. I see children playing games. The biggest thing I observe about the people is the difference between the rich and the poor. The rich people are adorned in jewelry with pictures of the Egyptian gods and colorful makeup. They wear clothes made of fine linen. The poor people dress very differently. They wear simple linen cloths. The males wear a loincloth and the females wear thin dresses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_literature

My mother,

Queen

Nefertari

Sadeh barters with the shopkeepers. There is no money in Ancient Egypt so Sadeh pays the shopkeepers in food and goods. The shops sell so many different things like sandals, cloth, foods, pottery, and even servants.

http://www.nbbmuseum.be/2012/05/nederlands-geldgebruik-in-het-oude-egypte.htm

I can tell we were getting closer to the Nile River because everything is coming to life around us. We are no longer surrounded by dusty roads or sandy spaces. There are no houses crowded close together. Lush grasses rise from the earth. I see men harvesting papyrus reeds that grow along the river. Sadeh explains that the papyrus reeds are really important because they are used to make boats, baskets, ropes, and paper. One of the servants says Hapy, the god of the Nile, was happy with us because of the high flood levels this recent rain season. The fields on each side of the river were underwater making the land fertile, good for growing crops.

The Egyptian farmers use a process called irrigation. They create canals that take the water to their fields. The Nile River is important for many reasons. Not only does it fertilize the land for growing crops, it is the water source, provides fish for food, and it is how people travel. The Ancient Egyptians travel by boat along the river. It is important for trade.

I awake to the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls. I am now back in my bedroom. I am no longer the daughter of Ramses the Great, no longer a princess. The sun beams in through my window and a gleam on my wrist catches my eye. I gasp when I see the bracelet Sadeh bought me at the market. I smile to myself realizes that it was not a dream at all. What a wonderful journey to Ancient Egypt.

I had such a wonderful time in Ancient Egypt. There is so much more that I want to know, and I want you to join me on my learning adventure!