Текст 2

About 4000 years ago, the people who lived on the banks of the River Nile were highly civilized. They lived in cities and built temples where they worshipped their gods. Also, they built tombs and pyramids where they buried their dead. This period of civilization lasted from around 3000 BC to 500 BC and is known as Ancient Egypt.

The kings and queens of Ancient Egypt believed that after they died they went on a long journey. Their bodies had to be prepared for this journey and many valuable and beautiful things were put in the tombs with the bodies. They believed that they needed these things for a long journey to a New Life.

The bodies of the dead kings and queens were covered with perfumes and oils. Then they were wrapped in cloth. When a body is prepared in this way, it is called a mummy. The bodies were then put into tombs and the tombs were closed tightly. The air could not get into the tombs. A body which is mummified and then sealed in a tomb in this way does not decay. It stays the same for thousands of years in the hot, dry sands of Egypt.

Archeologists study ancient history for digging in the sands for ancient temples and tombs. The archeologists who study the Ancient Egyptian Civilization search for these tombs so that they can find out more about the way the Egyptians lived. The archeologists study the clothes, the furniture and the food which they find in the tombs. They study the treasures and the writings and drawings on the walls.

But the treasures in the tombs also attract thieves and robbers. In ancient times, thieves often stole the gold and silver which were placed in the tombs with the bodies. Today, these tombs still attract robbers. Many people all over the world are ready to pay millions of dollars for the valuables from the tombs. Such valuables are called antiquities. International criminal gangs still try to steal these antiquities. Egyptian Law says that every antiquity found must be passed to Egyptian Department of antiquities. (The Queen of Death, by John Milne, extract)