A few months ago I purchased some educational middle school-type posters at a yard sale. Some of the ones I bought are “How to Take Notes,” “Outstanding Latinas & Latinos in America,” and “Gifts of the Romans.”

I love these posters. I switch them out in my cube every week. Having them up is a lot better than the dusty color of my walls that I stare at everyday. At least this way I’m learning something.

So today, I’m going to tell you about some “Gifts of Ancient Egypt,” according to my poster. Have a seat, and prepare to be schooled.

System of Writing
The Egyptians invented hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing that employed more than 700 symbols. These symbols, which stood for ideas and sounds, were inscribed on monuments and temples and used to record official texts. The Egyptians were also the first to make use of papyrus, a writing material made from the stalks of the papyrus plant, a reed that grew along the banks of the Nile.

Land Surveying
The Egyptians developed accurate methods of land surveying. To tax their subjects fairly, the pharaohs needed to know the exact size of their landholdings. Surveying was also used in planning and developing large architectural complexes and irrigation projects.

Calendar
Gifted astronomers and mathematicians, the Egyptians created a 365-day calendar of 12 months. Unlike the calendars used today, there were 30 days in every month and 10 days in every week. The remaining five days were feast days for honoring the gods.

I haven’t fact-checked any of these tidbits. But if they’re on a laminated poster, they must be true, right?

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