Miriam School Blog

The ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste by mixing rock salt, mint, dried iris flower, and pepper. The mixture would turn into a paste-like consistency when it came in contact with saliva. Even tho we do not use the same ingredients toothpaste is widely used all around the world today. I would show this at a museum by having an area where you can make your own Egyptian toothpaste.        

The Egyptians came up with clocks so they could tell time. Obelisks showed the shortest and the longest days of the year. Sundials divided the day into ten hours plus two twilight hours in the morning and evening. At noon the sundial was turned so it could measure the afternoon hours. I would display the early clocks by putting a model of one outside a museum so you can see how it works.   

Egyptians believed in the afterlife so they built pyramids for pharaohs to rest after they have died. The Egyptians also wanted the pyramids to align with the stars so the workers had to learn how to do astronomy. Today we use astronomy for satellite imagery and global positioning system. I would display this by building a scale model of stars aligned with the pyramids.

The Egyptians made black ink by mixing soot, gelatin, gum, and bee wax. They made many more colors but black was commonly used for writing. The Egyptians also discovered Papyrus and made paper out of it by harvesting the stalks then setting them in water to soften them up. Once the stalks were soft they laid out the strips in two layers, one horizontal and another vertical. They then pounded with a stone mallet. The starch from the papyrus plant kept the strips together. It was then hung up to dry then used for writing. I would show this in a museum by displaying a piece of papyrus with ink writing on it.

An important contribution to society made by the Egyptians is the calendar. The Egyptians created the calendar in order to know when the Nile would flood every year. The Egyptians came up with the 365-day calendar that is still used today because of its accuracy. I would show the Egyptian calendar in a museum by displaying a slab of the calendars that they used.