Old Kingdom of Egypt

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/old-kingdom-of-egypt

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chronological span?Approximately 2686–2181 BCE, marking the Third to Sixth Dynasties
2. What is the administrative system?Highly centralized bureaucracy led by a vizier, managing resources and labor
3. What were the pyramids of the Old Kingdom like?They were huge stone tombs built for pharaohs, with smooth sides at Giza. The Great Pyramid of Khufu was the tallest man-made structure for almost four thousand years.
4. Why did pharaohs build pyramids?The pyramids were eternal resting places for pharaohs, helping them travel to the afterlife. They also showed the pharaoh’s divine power and kept their legacy alive.

Mastaba: An early form of Egyptian tomb, a rectangular, flat-roofed structure with sloping sides.
Vizier: The highest official in ancient Egypt, second only to the pharaoh, responsible for administration.
Nomarch: The governor of a nome (province) in ancient Egypt, whose power increased in the later Old Kingdom.