Random facts for a article

The ancient Egyptians used a Lunar calender before they switched over to the sun calender. They had 30 days in each month with three weeks that had 10 days in it. These weeks started when they saw a star or group of stars that were called decans. Usually the four corners of the pyramids line up with the cardinal directions.
http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~wengerk/astro/egypt.html

Ancient Astronomy Tool

This tool is a variety of complex slabs and stones is much older than England's Stonehenge. It is believed to be built by nomadic cattle farmer, around 7,000 years ago. It was constructed in Southern Egypt, most likely believed to have been built for Astronomical observation. This was said by J. McKim Malville. This Egyptian stone is spread over an area of 1.8 miles. It is constructed with 10 slabs nine feet high each, 30 rock-lined ovals, 9 burial sites for cows each under a pile of 40 to 50 rocks and each one weighs up to 300 pounds.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Gg0wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mQMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6655,210990&dq=ancient+egyptian+astronomy+tools&hl=en

An amazing Pharoah discovered

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 4, 1954

  On June 3,1954 there was a tomb that was found accidentally. Inside there was a sarcophagus of reddish alabaster. It was found at Sakkara, Egypt, about 20 miles from the Giza Pyramids. This tomb was though to be built in the 3rd dynasty and was discovered by accident while looking for other artifacts. The archeologists were searching the the things that Pharaoh Cheops, from the 4th dynasty, that hid many of his riches. The tomb that has been discovered however is believed to belong to that of Sankhet, who was alive during the 3rd dynasty, and ruled Egypt about 4,700 years ago(2750 B.C.)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OpdRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lGoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4080,3204382&dq=egyptian+pharaohs&hl=en

Questions About Expert Project

1) How well did the ancient Egyptians know their astronomy?

Ancient Egyptians used astronomy to find out how long a year was, by the movement of the sun and how often the Nile River flooded. First civilization to create an accurate calender based on the sun and stars due to the Nile River. Even on their calender they had seven days a week to match the quarter cycles of the moon, and twelve months to match the twelve complete cycles of the moon. They used astronomy to help build pyramids and use the shafts inside to match the cardinal directions.
 http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/pre20th_ancients.html

2) Why did they build their pyramids and sphinxes, and how?

They built pyramids as tombs for pharaohs and their queens. There are about eighty different pyramids in Egypt. They also built them for religious beliefs. The sides of the pyramids were smooth to symbolize the rays of the sun to help the pharaoh ascend to the sun god RA. The Sphinx was built to keep people out of cities. They were built to resemble the head and breast of a women, body of a lion, and wings of a falcon. It is said the people who wanted to pass had to answer a riddle, "What is it that has four feet in the morning, two at noon, and three at night?" if they did not answer it correctly they were killed, but one man did, and his name was Oedipus. Because he answered it correctly the Sphinx killed herself. If you still can't figure out the answer to the riddle it is, "Man, who crawls on four limbs as a baby, walks upright on two as an adult, and walks with the aid of a stick in old age"
 http://library.thinkquest.org/20176/egypt.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/the-egyptian-pyramids

Article

In this article they speak of how students are not taught enough about ancient history. It explains that students can only retain so much information, so they just teach things that are more relevant to their country. I personally agree with this article. I believe that schools should teach history about how things came to be, instead of just giving a brief example in a one year course. Since they do this, if you want to learn more about the subject you either have to look it up, or wait until you can major it in college.

http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search&dictionaryClick=on&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=3&edition=&ts=8642E56B261527F2FD9619686E643572_1362506453888&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B115865348