Saqqara, first capital of Egypt

Giza has the impressive pyramids. At Saqqara, we could go inside the tombs and see the world's oldest pyramid.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser dates back to the 27th century BC. It's the oldest surviving pyramid in the world and was a prototype for the rest of the pyramids. Prior to this one, pyramids were built with mud brick. This one used stone.

Near to Djoser are underground tombs that blew us away. Each have incredible hieroglyphic carvings. We learned that the hieroglyphics are not pictograms. Hieroglyphics do use pictures of objects, people, and animals, but these images represent sounds or sometimes concepts.

The hieroglyphics in these tombs were instructions for the dead, assuming they may have forgotten how to reach the afterlife.

Other tomb walls were covered in carvings that made ancient history feel so real. We saw depictions of everyday activities, like fishing the Nile, preparing food, and sleeping. Other of these carvings were strange, such as a man kissing a pig.Read more