Ancient Egypt Quiz

The questions

1. 1.Which river was at the heart of Ancient Egyptian life?

   • AThe Tigris
   • BThe Nile
   • CThe Euphrates
   • DThe Jordan
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   The Nile. The Nile's yearly flood left rich soil on its banks, which made farming possible in the desert.

2. 2.What were the kings of Ancient Egypt called?

   • APharaohs
   • BEmperors
   • CSultans
   • DCaesars
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   Pharaohs. Egyptian rulers were known as pharaohs and were believed to be linked to the gods.

3. 3.What is the name of the Ancient Egyptian writing system that used pictures and symbols?

   • ACuneiform
   • BRunes
   • CHieroglyphs
   • DSanskrit
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   Hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs combined signs for sounds and signs for ideas, and were carved on temples and tombs.

4. 4.Which pharaoh's tomb was discovered almost untouched by Howard Carter in 1922?

   • ARamesses II
   • BKhufu
   • CCleopatra
   • DTutankhamun
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   Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings still held thousands of objects, including his gold mask.

5. 5.Which plant did the Egyptians use to make a paper-like writing material?

   • APapyrus
   • BBamboo
   • CCotton
   • DFlax
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   Papyrus. Strips of the papyrus reed were laid in layers, pressed and dried to make sheets for writing.

6. 6.The Great Sphinx of Giza has the body of which animal?

   • AA bull
   • BA lion
   • CA crocodile
   • DA falcon
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   A lion. The Great Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a human, probably a pharaoh.

7. 7.Which god of mummification was shown with the head of a jackal?

   • ARa
   • BHorus
   • CAnubis
   • DOsiris
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   Anubis. Anubis was believed to watch over the dead and guide them through the embalming process.

8. 8.Cleopatra VII was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.

   True or false?

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   True. After Cleopatra's death in 30 BC, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.

9. 9.Which Ancient Egyptian god was the god of the sun?

   • AThoth
   • BSet
   • CAnubis
   • DRa
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   Ra. Ra was the sun god, believed to sail across the sky in a boat each day.

10. 10.For which pharaoh was the Great Pyramid of Giza built?

    • ATutankhamun
    • BKhufu
    • CRamesses II
    • DAkhenaten
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    Khufu. The Great Pyramid was built for Khufu around 2560 BC and is the largest of the Giza pyramids.

11. 11.What did the Egyptians place in canopic jars during mummification?

    • AThe internal organs
    • BGold coins
    • CFood for the journey
    • DPerfume
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    The internal organs. The lungs, stomach, intestines and liver were removed, preserved and stored in four canopic jars.

12. 12.The Great Sphinx of Giza has the head of a falcon.

    True or false?

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    False. The Sphinx has a human head; falcon-headed figures usually show the god Horus.

13. 13.Which modern city stands near the Valley of the Kings?

    • AAlexandria
    • BCairo
    • CLuxor
    • DAswan
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    Luxor. The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes.

14. 14.Who first deciphered hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone, announcing it in 1822?

    • AHoward Carter
    • BNapoleon Bonaparte
    • CThomas Young
    • DJean-François Champollion
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    Jean-François Champollion. Champollion compared the Stone's Greek and Egyptian texts and announced his breakthrough in 1822.

15. 15.Which pharaoh promoted worship of the sun disc, the Aten, above the other gods?

    • AHatshepsut
    • BAkhenaten
    • CThutmose III
    • DKhafre
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    Akhenaten. Akhenaten made the Aten the centre of Egyptian religion and built a new capital at Amarna.