As we can see from their relics, the ancient Egyptians had a sophisticated civilization. Culturally, intellectually and spiritually, theirs was a highly evolved society that abided by the ebb and flow of the Nile River. Egyptians depended on the river for transportation and for its flood waters, which produced rich silt that farmers used to fertilize their crops. The Nile divided ancient Egypt into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. The disparate groups in both of these regions were eventually united in a single kingdom ruled by Menes, who became the first pharaoh. And for 27 centuries, a pharaoh maintained absolute power over the domain.

One of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Egypt is the pyramid. These massive structures are shrouded in mystery, even today. How could the Egyptians have built pyramids with such simple tools? They housed the bodies of Egypt's elite and contained all the food and riches their spirits would need for the afterlife; that is, until they were looted. Soon after grave robbery became a problem, Egyptians began burying the dead in the desert and marked their tombs with nondescript entrances. This corridor of royal tombs is called the Valley of the Kings. The tomb of King Tutankhamen was the only one left preserved -- and when it was discovered, it revealed a world of knowledge about the Egyptians' elaborate provisions for their dead.

The Egyptians have left us a near-perfect record of their civilization carved into temple walls and transcribed on scrolls of papyrus. But until the discovery and translation of the Rosetta Stone in the early 19th century, their ancient hieroglyphics were useless to scholars. After all that trouble, it'd be a shame not to learn more about the Book of the Dead, mummies, mastabas and the Sphinx, wouldn't it? It's all right here at HowStuffWorks.