The+old+kingdom

=**The Old Kingdom**= //**Accomplishments and Contributions:**// //•The calendar was originally created based on the moon •The Egyptians also used the seasonal appearance of the star Sirus as a guide for the calendar •Complications arose though, because of the incompatibility of lunar and solar years •To solve this problem, the Egyptians created the civil year, which is the year with 365 days that we have now// //•The pyramids were used and built to protect the pharaohs of ancient Egypt for the afterlife •Before pyramids were built with smooth sides, the sides of the earliest pyramids looked like steps •These steps may have symbolized the stairway to heaven •They were filled with gold, silver, and other things of value.// //•The first pyramid was built for King Djoser, one of Egypt's pharaohs, around the mid 2600s B.C. overlooking Memphis. (Pharaoh was the name used by the ancient Egyptians for their kings.) •The largest of the three was the Great Pyramid. It stands at around 481 feet high. •The pyramids usually stood within an enclosure on high desert ground// //•Most were connected to the Nile by a canal//
 * **They invented the calendar**[[image:egyptian-months.gif width="328" height="275" caption="The Egyptian calendar was divided into 3 seasons"]]
 * **They created hieroglyphics, a system of writing that uses pictures instead of words**
 * **The ancient Egyptians created the world's first national government**
 * **They created papyrus, a paper like writing material made from papyrus plant**
 * **They created pyramids**

//•Mummies are made naturally or by embalming •Embalming is a process that people use to preserve dead bodies •Embalming a body was expensive and took about 70 days •Ancient Egyptians believed that mummifying a person's body was essential to ensure a safe passage to the afterlife •Because of this belief, people were mummified as well as they could possibly afford •The pharaohs were believed to become gods when they died, so they had the most magnificent burials of all// //**What historical events or people define your civilization?**// //•Narmar was the first pharaoh in Egypt to bring lower Egypt and upper Egypt together// //•Narmar built a capital city at Memphis, near the border of the two kingdoms •From Memphis, he governed the two kingdoms// //•Narmar's reign marked the beginning of Egypt's first dynast//y //\//
 * **They created the mummies inside the pyramids**[[image:mummies.jpg width="163" height="204"]]
 * **Narmar (also known as Menes)**