Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt

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Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt is an educational mode for Assassin's Creed: Origins.

The mode was released as a downloadable add-on on 20 February 2018 and is available for free to those who own the base game, or for purchase as a stand-alone version on PC. In it, players are to free roam the game's map of ancient Egypt and learn about the kingdom's history through a series of guided tours.

Tours

Egypt

The Major Regions of Egypt

Lower & Upper EgyptTwo Pharaohs & CrownsMemphis and ThebesRepresentation in Temples

Life in ancient Egypt was concentrated along the

shores of the Nile, and divided into two regions. Lower Egypt (north) was situated on the Nile Delta near the Mediterranean, and Upper Egypt was at the south reaching into Africa.

Due to its proximity to the Mediterranean, temperatures in Lower Egypt were less extreme

than in Upper Egypt.

Until 3100 BCE and the unification of Egypt, each region had its own pharaoh and crown. Lower Egypt's crown was red, and marked with symbols of papyrus and bees. Upper Egypt's crown was white with symbols of lotus and sedge grass.

Both regions had competing major cities, most notably Memphis in Lower Egypt, and Thebes in Upper Egypt. There were different religious cults in both regions, each worshipping their own major gods.

Many of the temples were designed in such a way as to represent the two regions, and ceremonies often incorporated Upper and Lower Egypt in their rituals.

Bringer of Life, The Nile River

TopologyThree SeasonsRibbon of LifeHapi, Neilos, NileGeographyCataracts of the NileThe Nile of EgyptWater SourcesLakes

Deserts of Egypt

Western & Eastern DesertsWhite DesertOceans of Sand

• Narrator: Reaching out on either side of the lush Nile are the harsh arid Western Desert and the mountainous Eastern Desert.They cover nearly 94% of Egypt.
  Each of these parent deserts have their own microclimate, and contain several smaller deserts with a distinct fauna and flora.
  Whale fossils were discovered within the depths of the Sahara. Known as the Valley of the Whales, this location is evidence of the seas which once covered the area.

• Narrator: The White Desert in the northeast of the Sahara owes its name to its limestone soil contrasting with the yellow sand.
  The wind has eroded the rocks of the White Desert into stone mushrooms, the most famous of which is referred to as the Finger of God.

• Narrator: The Great Sand Sea is a large unbroken desert that reaches out through western Egypt and eastern Libya.
  It is home to a unique geological formation known as Libyan silica glass. The pale yellowish-green material ranges from pebble-sized fragments to glass rocks the size of rough boulders.

The Qattara Depression

Sand and SaltInhospitable Environment

• Narrator: The Qattara Depression is located in the northwest part of Egypt.
  Reaching 18,000 square kilometers, the basin is 133 meters below sea level and covered with salt.
  It is the second lowest point in Africa, after the Afar Depression.

• Narrator: The climate is very arid, with average temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius.
  The famous Siwa Oasis is located on the protected southwestern region.
  Today, the Qattara Depression is utilized for oil exploration.

Siwa

IntroductionOasesNorth-South OrientationLibyan OasesCleopatra's BathOracle of AmunAlexander the Great, Son of AmmonPredicting VictoryThe Ram-Headed Sphinxes

The Faiyum

The OasisLake MoerisTransports on WaterAmenemhat III's PyramidRecreating the PyramidKrokodilopolisTown of SobekSobek or Soukhos

The City of Memphis

Cities and RegionsMemphis, Thebes & SaisThe First CapitalThe White Walls

Rediscovering Egypt

Mass PillagingEarly OrganizationThe Dawn of Scientific ArcheologyA Unique ContributionThe Art of Jean-Claude GolvinA New Era for EgyptologyExcavations Today

Flora of Ancient Egypt

A Wide Variety of PlantsPapyrusFruit TreesEmbodiments of Divinity

The climate and unique geography of the Nile

Delta offered a wide variety of plant species.

Many of these plants served as sustenance for ancient Egyptians, and as crops for trade.

The Nile's consistent seasons allowed Egypt to

sustain itself for centuries.

Possibly the most useful of the plants was the papyrus. This tall sedge plant grew in abundance along the water's edge of the Nile. Commontly known for its use as paper, the ancient Egyptians found many other functions for it, including rope, sandals and mats. Papyriform boats made from the plant are seen in paintings and reliefs, and were used in ritualistic ceremonies.

There were many types of trees along the river Nile, such as the date palm, carob and tamarisk. The earliest fruit tree cultivated was the fig tree, followed by apple, pomegranate and eventually olive trees during the era of the New Kingdom. Mango cultivation was the result of a late import from Asia during the Middle Ages.

Some trees were associated with gods, such as the acacia with Horus. The divinities Thoth and Seshat were depicted inscribing the reign of the king into a persea tree. The sycamore was connected with the goddess Iset, patron of the Ritual of Life.

Pyramids

An Overview of The Giza Necropolis

The Giza PlateauAn Immense Funerary ComplexA Strict Alignment

• Narrator: The Giza plateau is located on the West Bank of the Nile, and was considered by ancient Egyptians as the domain of the dead.
  The pyramidal complexes found there were built over the span of three generations, during the reign of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.

• Narrator: The Giza area, now famous for its three pyramidsm is part of a wider grouping of funerary complexes. Rulers from this period generally elected to be buried in the area.
  The focal point of the entire region was the city of Memphis, chosen as the capital of Egypt at the beginning of the Old Kingdom.

• Narrator: The placement of the Giza monuments and particularly that of the pyramids, followed a practical, yet strict alignment. First they focused on cardinal points, and then they accounted for the natural geology of the plateau.

Alexandria

Alexandria: Planning of the City

Learn about the design and layout of the city of Alexandria.

Legendary SiteChoosing The SiteThe Walls of AlexandriaMassive ProportionsImpregnable DefenseCity DesignFunctional & BeautifulA Greek City

• Narrator: Alexander's plan to build his great city began with a verse from Homer's Odyssey.
  "There is, in front of Egypt, in the sea with many swells, an island called Pharos."
  Guided by these clues, Alexander the Great founded his future city at the western end of the Nile Delta.

• Narrator: Though Alexander considered this location ideal for his great city, it presented considerable challenges.
  Too difficult to access during storms, the surrounding swamps threatened disease, and the limestone soil prevented the growth of healthy crops.
  However, due to the influence of his mentor Aristotle, Alexander the Great recognized that the true value was its strategic emplacement.
  Alexander knew that in controlling Pelusium to the east, Memphis to the south and his crowning glory, Alexandria to the west, he would create a triangular stronghold allowing him to control the entire Delta while giving him access to the Mediterranean.

• Narrator: The great walls of Alexandria had a humble beginning. Lacking chalk to outline the future city's foundations, architects were forced to use flour instead.
  Clouds of migrating birds swept down and ate the flour, erasing the plans. This prompted Alexander to seek guidance from the oracles, who reassured him that his future city was destined to feed a large population.

• Narrator: Excavations led by Mahmoud bey El-Falaki in the 19th century revealed that the wall enclosure measured approximately 5.2 kilometers in length, and 2.2 kilometers in width. It was roughly 9 meters in height.

• Narrator: These formidable ancient walls would resist a number of attacks, including fending off the king of Syria in 169 BCE.
  It wasn't until 295 CE that they eventually fell to Roman Emperor Diocletian, and this only after eight months of relentless assault.

• Narrator: Alexandria's principle architect, Deinokrates, chose a Hippodamian grid plan.
  The grid maximized functionality, with wide straight roads and canals running beneath them.
  Alexander recognized the military value of the city's design. The wide parallel streets gave him optimal surveilance of the city while allowing the unobstructed flow of troops.

• Narrator: A central corridor ran from the Mediterranean's north port down to Lake Mareotis to the south. This thoroughfare acted as an unobstructed link for commercial trade and travel between the two ports.
  Many of the streets were bordered with grand buildings and parks, including the Canopic Street with its impressive gate bordering the eastern end.

• Narrator: Alexandria was most likely built upon an already existing Egyptian village.
  Upon its completion, the Egyptians reviled the city, refusing to call it by its founder's name. Instead, they called it Ra-qed, "the building." as a mark of disdain, which was later Hellenized into Rhakotis.
  Despite this, the name Alexandria would remain.

Education in Alexandria

Essential KnowledgeSports, but not onlyInclusive Gameplay*

• Narrator: The education of young Alexandrians did not differ from the one generally dispensed elsewhere in Ancient Greece.
  At the age of seven, the child was taken in charge by a tutor, who then became responsible for instilling an elementary education, as well as good moral principles.

• Narrator: Teaching was generally done outside, in the open air. In the gymnasium, students were taught not only sports, but also topics such as rhetoric, philosophy, music and poetry - all things deemed essential to ones' education at the time.

• Narrator: Here, both boys and girls are shown attending a class given by one of the rhetoricians of the era.
  The team made the choice to show both genders attending class within the context of the game world. Even though it is historically innacurate, the team felt it was not necessary to prioritize historical sexism over inclusive gameplay.

Daily Life

Domesticated Animals of Ancient Egypt

A Very Old TraditionPetsIntroduction to CatsDogs and Family Ties

Agriculture and domesticated livestock were

introduced 6000 years ago. Archaeologists have found traces of cattle, donkeys, pigs and dogs.

Dromedary are thought to have been introduced

during the Persian invasion.

Pets were deeply cherished in ancient Egypt. Many illustrations of children often include a pet in the depiction.

One of ancient Egypt's most iconic animals, the cat, wasn't adopted into their daily Life until the Middle Kingdom. Since they were so highly capable of killing snakes and rodents, cats were present throughout every period. However, they only became pets sometime during the Middle Kingdom. Prince Thutmose, son of Amenhotep III, had his cat Ta-miu laid to rest in its own sarcophagi.

The earliest reference to dogs dates back to 5000 BCE. They were popular pets, as they helped hunters and protected herds. They were closely linked to Anubis, the jackal- headed god. Baboons, monkeys and even falcons were tamed as pets. Each was mummified and buried with as much ceremony as any family member.

Ancient Egyptian Medicine

A Blend of Science and MagicThe Ebers Medical PapyrusMedicines of the Time

Evidence of advanced medical procedures have

been found on mummies, and ancient Egyptians left detailed medical writings, from diagnosis to follow-up treatment.

One of the oldest known surgical studies is the Edwin Smith Papyrus. It's one of the first documents in history that notes an association between the integrity of the brain and cognitive functions, including cases of ocular complications and paralysis following head trauma.

Vinegar-treated marble stone from Memphis was

used as an anaesthetic.

Another similar document, the Ebers Medical Papyrus is over 20 meters long and 30 centimeters wide. It details treatments of forty- eight surgical cases and contains 877 paragraphs describing various diseases. Alongside accurate and factual scientific approaches, the papyrus has more than 700 magic formulas and incantations to ward off demons and disease. This demonstrates how ancient Egyptians believed in a harmonious balance between religion and science.

Remedies were considered as medicine, and carried by doctors and priests. Village doctors often had another job, alongside their medical duties and the preparation of medicines. A cure for blindness was made of fermented honey, ochre and kohl. The science behind it was that honey functioned as an antiseptic and antibacterial, while ochre would reduce the swelling. All of their knowledge did not always suffice. Ramses II died of an infection caused by an abscessed tooth.

Romans

Roman Forts

The CastrumThe FortificationsSpatial OrganizationThorough Planning

The size of a Roman military camp, known as a

castrum, varied significantly depending on how many soldiers it needed to accommodate. However, they all shared common characteristics in design and construction, such as this fort

before you, located in Cape Chersonesos.

Rectangular in shape, the forts were heavily fortified by ramparts and a ditch system. The walls were reinforced with parapets, essentially an extension at the roofline which allowed a protective barrier for patrolling soldiers. Depending on the availability of materials, some forts were built with stone, timbers, stacked turf and, particularly in the eastern part of the Empire, baked brick.

Access doors on all four sides were each flanked by guard towers. The commanding officer was positioned in the middle of the camp, giving him a clear view of the troops and the main gate.

Along with sleeping barracks for the soldiers, the fort also had a granary that was expected to hold rations for a year or longer. To ensure the health of the soldiers, every camp was equipped with medical staff and a hospital. A clean water supply with conduits for a bathhouse and latrines was included in the construction of every fort.

Crucifixion

Roman Capital PunishmentA Popular EntretainmentThe CondemnedSpartacus

In terms of the severity of Roman justice,

crucifixion was at the top of the list of corporal punishment, followed by death by fire and decapitation.

The upper class considered crucifixion unworthy of their position. Those lucky enough to have Roman citizenship were also exempt from such

treatment.

Easily accessible, crucifixions were popular entertainment among the citizenry. Unlike throwing victims to wild animals, which required an arena, crucifixions did not require any particular setting.

Those subjected to crucifixion were almost always slaves, traitors and lower class citizens. Roman deserters were crucified because the betrayal of the soldiers was perceived as endangering the lives of Roman citizens.

In 71 BCE, a major slave uprising in Italia was repressed by the Roman army. This resulted in the crucifixion of 6000 men including their leader, a slave and former gladiator known as Spartacus.

Characters

• Bayek of Siwa
• Aya of Alexandria
• Julius Caesar
• Cleopatra VII Philopator
• William Miles
• Layla Hassan
• Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
• Khemu of Siwa
• Shadya of Euhemeria
• Reda the Merchant
• Hasina of Yamu
• Actor
• Egyptian Woman
• Egyptian Nobleman
• Egyptian Noblewoman
• Roman Soldier
• Greek Nobleman
• Greek Noblewoman
• Greek Man
• Greek Woman
• Ptolemaic Soldier
• Bayek with Egyptian Hedj
• Bayek with Egyptian Narok
• Bayek as a Persian Commander

Timeline

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Gallery

Promotional mediaScreenshotsVideos

• Discovery Tour Ancient Egypt
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• File:Assassin’s Creed Origins The Discovery Tour - Launch Trailer

References

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