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The Pharaoh had an important role in Ancient Egyptian life. Pharaohs, to Egyptians, were believed to be gods. The name pharaoh means great house, and originally referred to the palace. In early Ancient Egypt there were two pharaohs, one that ruled Upper Egypt and one that ruled Lower Egypt. King Menes, Pharaoh of Upper Egypt, conquered the king of Lower Egypt; uniting the two, and he called himself pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. A pharaoh's life isn't all easy, pharaohs often went to war to protect their land. If the pharaoh won, the challenger would offer him goods or parts of his land.
Egyptians dedicated their lives to their death. Egyptians believed that there was an afterlife, a life after they die that is supposed to be a continuation of their life on Earth. Pharaohs spent most of their lives preparing for their death. A pharaoh's tomb or pyramid's construction usually began as soon as they became pharaoh. Instead of a pyramid, pharaohs of the New Kingdom had tombs cut deep in the rock of the Valley of the Kings, in Thebes. When a pharaoh died he was mummified and placed in his sarcophagus. The sarcophagus resembled the pharaoh inside, because if he wasn't recognizable to the ka, one of his three souls, he wouldn't be accepted into the Afterlife. Often a Pharaoh's tomb was robbed by tomb robbers. Many times there was nothing left, except maybe fragments of the mummy. This often made it difficult for archaeologists to find artifacts. Through the years archaeologist have uncovered many tombs, but rarely were they not robbed.
Some great pharaohs were Tutankahmen, often called King Tut, and Hatshepsut. Tutankahmen was famous for being the youngest Pharaoh, and his tomb was the biggest tomb discovery in archaeology. Hatshepsut, however, was famous for being the most well known female pharaoh, and one of the only ones.
Pharaohs' tombs are to this day being discovered, and archaeologists love the mystery of the hunt for the perfect tomb.