Ancient Egypt on EARTH Magazine

Travels in Geology: The pyramids of Giza: Wonders of an ancient world

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:25:25 -0400

The Pyramids of Giza, near Cairo, Egypt, are perhaps the most famous structures ever built. Credit: Terri Cook and Lon Abbott.

Few sights on our planet are as recognizable as Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, the towering trio of monuments built to house the remains of three Old Kingdom pharaohs for all eternity. The pyramids are arguably the most famous human-made structures ever built, and their colossal scale, perfect symmetry and lofty perch on a plateau above the fertile Nile River Valley reflect the divine role that Ancient Egypt’s leaders held in both their lives and afterlives. For years we wanted to see these 4,500-year-old architectural and archaeological monuments but were reluctant to travel to Egypt during the social and political upheaval of the Arab Spring and its chaotic aftermath. Now with tourism there on the rise and hints of increasing stability, we decided it was finally time to view these ancient wonders for ourselves.

First complete DNA sequences from Egyptian mummies

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 11:40:48 -0400

Egypt's hot and humid conditions may not be as detrimental to ancient DNA as thought. Credit: British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Egyptian mummies provide archaeologists with a tantalizing window into ancient Egyptian culture. And now they are offering up their DNA.

Ancient Egyptian artifact is otherworldly

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 19:15:36 -0400

In ancient Egypt, iron was a rare and symbolic metal, but scientists and historians have long wondered about the prehistoric civilization’s knowledge of metallurgy. Now, one part of that mystery has been solved: The oldest-known iron artifacts were made from meteorites. The evidence comes in the form of iron beads from approximately 3300 B.C., more than 2,000 years before the Iron Age in Egypt, and before there is record of trade in iron goods with other civilizations.