By: Emily Ao

If I could go back in time for a week without causing any changes in my life, I would no doubt choose the time when ancient Egyptians existed. Ancient Egypt lasted over 3,000 years, so understandably, there would be differences between the ways they lived during that time period. Regardless, I would solely choose ancient Egypt because of the many wonders and cultural traditions they performed.

I’ve always wondered how they managed to lift huge limestone blocks. According to this website, because pyramids were built to be as tall as 481 feet, it must’ve been an extreme challenge to lift heavy stone blocks up to that height. Also, unlike modern-day construction, the ancient Egyptians did not own any cranes or any efficient machinery to make these tasks easy.

Another source tells us that they definitely used handmade levers to transport materials, but it is still a mystery how exactly they were able to use levers and other tools to lift heavy items up to extreme heights. I’m especially interested in the construction process in general: how they managed to move materials, how they were able to put together the pyramids to make them so enduring, everything.

Additionally, I find mummification for the afterlife fascinating. I’m not a religious person, but even so, I’m captivated by the Egyptians’ belief in an afterlife. The article, “Egyptian Mummies,” states that the ancient Egyptians would remove all organs from the dead before mummification, except for the heart because the other organs would decay quickly. Also, because the heart was seen as the center of a person’s well being, or soul, Egyptians believed the dead needed it to venture into the afterlife. I don’t exactly want to see the mummification process, but I’d really like to learn more about their beliefs and why they performed specific rituals.

All in all, if I were able to go back in time for a week to any time period, I would choose ancient Egypt for educational reasons. As a phenomenon that still baffles historians today, I definitely would not miss the chance to see it in action.