flora & fauna of ancient Egypt

I want to go on a cruise down the Nile now, ya’ll. Sheesh.

So for geography this week and next, we’re making a little book of the plants and animals of ancient Egypt. Here are some of Andre’s pages.

I have wondered for a while what a “leek” is. Now I know a bit more: It’s from the onion family, it’s challenging to wash, you eat the lighter parts–the darker parts, one can use as soup stock flavoring, for example.

Papyrus was used for a LOT of stuff in Egypt!

I was surprised today to realize how much of their gods, art, ideas …combined human with animal forms. Like the sphinx having the face of a person, the body of a lion. Plus many of their gods having an animal face on a human body. Very interesting to their culture. I’m going to see if other ancient cultures also did this.


Falcon is actually the meaning of our last name in Russian. Sokol = Falcon. Ancient Egypt had falcon cults. The falcon was part of the god Horus.

I’m happy that Andre seems to enjoy all these crafts, as does Una– as do I! I love all this hands-on stuff. I’m waiting for Vitaliy to make a trip to the village so he can bring us back clay, dirt, and straw, so we can make and sun-bake a brick, like the ones used in their enormous constructions.

Andre in some ancient mask (I think Mayan) from our Metropolitan Museum Art Activities book.

He’s also learning about pronouns and starting dictation this week.

One thought on “flora & fauna of ancient Egypt

  1. Leeks. . .

    We have them ALL the time here in Kosovo! They must be grown in greenhouses, because they are fresh year-round. I wonder whether they use hydroponics? They are much less dirty than other places I’ve lived.

    Anyway. . . We eat the white AND green, except the very toughest at the top.

    The trick for cleaning them? Get a big bowl of water. Splash in some vinegar. Cut off the very bottom and the tough tops you will use for stock or compost. Take off the very outer layer.

    Then slice. . . like 1 cm rings. Put them in the water, and swish around. If they are especially dirty, you can pull apart the rings even more, swish around, let soak a bit. The dirt will go to the bottom and the clean leek slices float.

    One of our favorite recipes these days. . . In a large iron skillet, saute some mushrooms and leeks in butter/olive oil. Push to the side (or remove) and add some salted/peppered chicken breasts. (I usually cut mine in 3rds, so various people in the family can have the amounts they need.) I like a highish heat to get a nice brown color, but you don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through at this point. Deglaze the skillet with about a half cup of chicken broth, white wine, or water (I usually have a centimeter or so of liquid covering the bottom). Add the veggies back in, if you took them out. Cover with a lid (I use my other iron skillet!) Reduce heat and cook until chicken is done. It sounds like a lot typed out like that, but it is super fast and easy and yummy.

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