February 23

• Using mathematical knowledge and engineering skills, Egyptians built magnificent monuments to honor dead rulers
• Many of the monuments built by the Egyptians stand as a testament to their ancient civilization
• When the Nile's floodwaters were just a few feet lower than normal the amount of fresh salt and water for crops was greatly reduced, thousands of people starved
• When floodwater was a few feet higher than usual the unwanted water destroyed houses, granaries, and the precious seeds that farmers needed for planting
• Vast and forbidding deserts on either side of the Nile acted a natural barrier between Egypt and other lands, they forced Egyptians to live on a very small portion of the land and reduced interaction with other people
• Delta:  marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river
• Pharaoh: a king of ancient Egypt considered a god as well as a political and military leader