Year 3 - History
Howard Carter and the Valley of the Kings
Ancient Egypt: what stayed the same across 3,000 years?
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Unit Summary
This unit evaluates the degree of change and continuity over 3,000 years. It also introduces pupils to the key features of ancient Egyptian civilisation, such as its location, religion, writing, burial practices and rulers.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe Howard Carter's great discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Key Notes
- On the 6 November 1922, an excavation in the Valley of the Kings led by Howard Carter discovered something incredible.
- His team discovered a set of stone steps leading down a doorway covered in hieroglyphs.
- Inside the doorway Carter could see a room filled with beautiful objects made from precious woods and metals.
- Howard Carter and his team had discovered the tomb of an Egyptian ruler called Tutankhamun.
- He was buried with objects as Egyptians believed he needed them in the afterlife and they wanted to show off his wealth.
Vocabulary To Learn
- excavation: an excavation is a project to dig something from the past out of the ground
- Valley of the Kings: the Valley of the Kings is a part of Egypt where many pharaohs were buried in tombs
- hieroglyphics: the Ancient Egyptians wrote using a kind of writing called hieroglyphics; each symbol and picture was called a hieroglyph
- tomb: a tomb is a structure built to hold the body of a dead person
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may find it hard to comprehend the slow and painstaking nature of carrying out excavations.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
On the 6 November 1922, an excavation in the Valley of the Kings led by Howard Carter discovered something incredible. His team discovered a set of stone steps leading down a doorway covered in hieroglyphs.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'excavation'
an excavation is a project to dig something from the past out of the ground.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Pupils may find it hard to comprehend the slow and painstaking nature of carrying out excavations. Correction: Carter began excavating the Valley of the Kings many years before finding Tutankhamun's tomb; they were about to give up when they found it.
More Lessons In This Unit
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