Ancient Egypt
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Complete list of Terms and Definitions for Ancient Egypt

Terms Definitions
sarcophagus coffin
acquire to get
khopesh curved sword
hiroglifics an Egyptian righting
masada a tall mountain
tribute a forced payment
hieroglyphics the egyptian writing system
Polytheism belief in multiple gods
pharaoh the ruler of egypt
monotheism belief in one god
elite people of wealth and power
papyrus an early form of paper
same as Upper Egypt South Egypt
Akhenaten created the first monotheistic religon
clock Ancient Egyptians' contribution used to tell time
3rd Intermediate Period Early Period-Old Kingdom-1st Intermediate Period-Middle Kingdom-2nd Intermediate Period-New Kingdom-__________- Late Period
Sphinx Massive monument constructed with the body of a lion with the head of a pharaoh
pyramids Huge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top
cataract a steep rapid in a river
scribe someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts
Embalm Fluid used to preserve a body
Hatshepsut Queen of Egypt (1473-1458 B.C.E.). Famous for enducing trade. One of few many Women to ever ruled Egypt.
mummies specially treated bodies wrapped in cloth
embalming process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death
pharaohs the "god king" rulers of ancient Egypt
Cartouche a Hieroglyphics name plate or seal representing the power of the pharaoh
ideogram pictures that symbolized an area or action
Civilisation a town based society with complexed forms of art, science, religion and government
... As time passed _______ society became more complex, with farmers, herders, priests, and artisans.
Ahmose new kingdom pharaoh who drove hyksos out of the Nile delta and reunited eqypt
howard carter the archeologist who discovered king tutankhamen's tomb. he had been searching for it for 6 years and finally found it in 1922.
obelisk a stone pillar having a rectangular cross section tapering towards a pyramidal top
mummification the act of embalming a dead person
adobe bricks made of sun-dried mud. These were used to make the homes of both ordinary and wealthy ancient Egyptians.
What empire made their buildings out of clay? Sumer
Thutmose III Stepson of Hatshepsut; considered a great pharaoh of the New Kingdom of Egypt
civilization a society that has achieved a high level of culture, including the development of government, religion, and the growth of large cities
A reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile. papyrus
king tut known as the boy king discoved tomb in 1922 by howard carter
delta triangular area of fertile soil at the mouth of a river
pharoah the title of the kings in ancient egypt
Nubia a plain at the mouth of a river
pyramid Egyptian ruler was often buried in a triangular shaped building
Lower Nubia The region between the first and second Nile cataracts
Mummy A dead body preserved in a life-like condition
Social Levels These were part of Ancient Egypt because the king and queen were at the top, the scribes and officials were in the middle, and the artisans and farmers were at the bottom.
The Innundation the period of flooding in ancient Egypt
Nile River yearly flooding of the nile deposits fertile soil along the river's banks
Rosetta Stone a large inscribed stone discovered in Rosetta, Egypt, in 1799. It contained carvings in hieroglyphics, late Egyptian, and Greek, allowing scholars to learn the meaning of hieroglyphics
Southern part of Egypt Thebes was located in this area Upper Egypt
Ba an aspect of the soul represented as a human-headed bird (head of the deceased); allowed to leave the tomb during the day to return each night
Lower Egypt area of Egypt located in the NORTHERN area by the delta
powers of a pharaoh control universe and keep order, highest ranking preist w/ control over all religious rituals, controlled court system and military
amulets a good luck charm used to ward off evil spirits
who was the female pharoah of the new kingdom hetsepshut
King Narmer The first king of the two lands wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red crown of Lower Egypt.
Afterlife the next life, in which the dead are believed to live again
Believed life in the next world would be better than life on earth Life after Death
crook and flail curved stick and whip carred by the pharaoh has a symbol of his royal power.
The Old Kingdom was a period in Egyptain history that lasted for about 500 years, from about 2700 to 2200 BC
Nile river and Sahara desert Two physical features that influenced the history of egypt
What was the greatest achievement of the pharaoh Menes? Uniting upper and lower Egypt.
Great pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) Located at Gizeh with the great pyramids and is the biggest. Probably took 20 years to build.• Associated with the worship of the sun and involved a solar calendar. • The biggest was for Khufu (Cheops in Greek)... over 12 acre base and more than 2 million 2-ton blocks of granite make up the structure. It was incredibly exact... not known how this was possible
More specifically, what was Set the god of? desert, night, foreign land, and warfare
Why settle near the Nile River The Nile River provided a way to travel by boat, this allowed for trade routes
3 things the Nile River provided 1. water for crops 2. fertile soil 3. tranportation
antechamber: things to do in the after life. personal things. annex: personal belongings ( games, pots , etc...) treasury: treasures, gold, expensive items burial chamber: sarcofoguas, canopic jars, pictures. what type of objects might you find in the different chambers of a tomb?
unified united
Champollion deciphered hieroglyphs
diaspora scattering of jews
Aten sun disc god
Memphis capital of Old Kingdom
Ankheshamen Wife of Pharaoh Tut
nobles people that are rich
silt fine soil on river bottoms
Engineering The Application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
step pyramid built for pharaoh Zoezer
calendar Ancient Egyptians' contribution used to tell the days of the week
Remove the brain 1rst step of mummification
Sphinxes Fake, mythical creatures with the bodies of lions and heads of other animals.
Upper Egypt southern part of ancient Egypt
merchant a businessperson engaged in retail trade
Canopic jar Containers used during mummification to store organs
Nile The longest river in the world
Sahara desert Largest Desert in the World
*Khufu the Great Pyramid was named after Pharaoh Khufu, it took about 22 years to build
A line of rulers from one family. dynasty
Tut the Egyption pharaoh with the best preserved tomb ever found.
mesopotamia "between two rivers" in greek, large region of the fertile cresent
Tutankhamen boy pharaoh who restored the old god
four hierachies of government pharoahs, nobles, artists, farmers
herdotus an ancient greek historian who called egypt "the gift of the nile"
cleopatra 69bc-30bc. Last Pharoh of Egypt. Had children with Caesar and Antony.
mortuary temple where the mummy is embalmed, mummified
kohl a black powder which the ancient Egyptians mixed with water and used to outline their eyes and darken their eyelashes for fashion reasons. It had the unintentional benefit of helping to prevent eye infections and reducing sun glare.
Alphabet A writing system of symbols that represent a single sound
economy the use of workers and resources to produce goods and services
Isis the perfect mother- She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus, the most famous family in Egyptian mythology.
Harvest the season when the crops were fully grown
Menes king who united the villages of Upper and Lower Egypt into a singlekingdom and created the first Egyptian royal dynasty
fertile word used to describe soil or land that is good enough to produce a good crop.
vegitation all plants in plant life or a place
regent someone who rules for a child until the child is old enough to rule
Dynasty A series of rulers from the same family
Mut goddess of Thebes and the Great divine Mother
Schenti/Kier Wrap-around linen skirt worn by men. Could be knotted or tied as well.
extended family relatives in your family such as aunts and uncles; not quite as close (in blood)
inundation the name for the anual flooding of the river nile
Horus One of the most ancient deities of the Ancient Egyptian religion, who appears in his earliest form in the late Predynastic Egypt.
Set or Seth one of ancient Egypt's earliest gods, a god of chaos, warfare; confusion, storms, wind, the desert and foreign lands
The Egyptians took a hopeful view of life after death Life after Death
Ramses The Great In the 1200s B.C. the pharaoh Ramses fought the Hittites, a group of Asia Minor
A mummy A dead body that has been preserved by adding substances to prevent it from decaying
antechamber, annex, burial chamber, treasury, corridor. what are the different chambers you can find in a pharaoh's tomb?
Division of the kingdoms Menes was the legendary first king to join the original two separate kingdoms of Egypt together
What would the people living in the swamps do for a living? sow crops, fish, and hunt
How did religion play an important part in Egyptian life? By explaining the natural events to people.
Irrigation systems, water for crops, floating down to other countries to trade List the ways that the people of Egypt used the Nile.
Drinking water, water for crops, the god "giver of life" What was the role of the Nile River in Egyptian civilization?
decipher to decode
savanna grassy plain
annex To take over
Narmer 1st dynasty pharaoh
hieretic writing shorthand of hieroglyphics
arfterlife a time after death
Anubis jackal-headed Egyptian god of mummification
The god of the Nile Hapy
Kerma the orginial capital of Kush
Egypt a country in Northeast Africa
mastaba earliest type of Egyptian tomb
Heiroglyphics ancient Egyptian writing system using picture symbols for ideas or sounds
ramses 2 created huge sculpters of himself
Noble a titled peer of the realm
inherited something passes down from a relative
old kingdom time of great pyramid building
Amon-re The egyptian king of the gods
cosmic pertaining to the universe; vast, inconceivably extended in space or time
Osiris Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead
Eygypt's Thutmose III invaded Nubia in 1400's BC.
Nile, world The___________is the longest river in the___________
absolute power complete control over someone or something
Jean Francois Champollion French scholar and linguist who decoded Egyptian hieroglyphics of the Rosetta Stone in 1822
step pyrind first pyrind to be built in egypt
The first pharaohs of the New Kingdom expanded Egypt's? Armies
What sea does the nile empty into? mediterranean sea
canopic jars pottery jars used to store the internal organs of a preserved body
Khufu the egyptian pharoh who in about 2250 b.c. ordered the construction of the largest pyramid.
scribes people who could read and write in ancient Egypt
Sahara the desert that covers most of North Africa
[what] was a civilization in eastern North Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern nation of Egypt. ancient Egypt
Amon Ra ____ is the chief god in Thebes,the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom. __ is the original sun god.Who am I?
nation-state a region with a united group of people under one government
hypostyle hall a hall with a roof supported by columns
incense A type of wood that was burned to smell good.
book of dead contains major ideas and beliefs found in the ancient Egyptian religion
King Tutankhamen the pharaoh who was very rich, and in his tomb, were lots of jewels
rameses II 1279 B.C.E. Egyptain Pharaoh known for having a long life, many wifes and kids, lots of statues, and is the most famous Pharaoh
Weighing of the heart ceremony the Egyptians believed that when someone died they would be judged in this ceremony; the heart against the feather of truth (on Ma'at's headress)
Where in Ethiopia did the Blue Nile originate? The Mufumbiro Mountains.
Egypt earliest rulers were... Village chiefs. Over time a few strong chiefs united the villages into kingdoms.
4 achievements of the Egyptian civilization. 1. Irrigation canals 2. They created mud brick for pyramids 3. They introduced mummification 4. They used a writing system
because tomb's were getting robbed why did they not bury pharaohs in pyramids anymore?
The ancient Egyptians called the deserts... "the Red Land". It protected them from invaders.
Meroe had to the desert east of it... rich deposits of iron. Meroe then became a center of trade and iron production.
What did Egypt do to be the leading military power in the area? They took over vast lands and became rich because of that.
natron ...
pillar statues ...
Deshret red lands; desert
edict Command from the pharaoh.
topography natural shape of land
after life life continoude after death
The Nile River god was Hapi
Hatsheput First female ruler. Promoted trade.
3 The Rosetta Stone has ____________languages on it
Capitol of the Middle Kingdom was Thebes
What are armaments? guns/weapons used in war
cataracts dangerous whitewater rapids. A series of these were located to the south of Egypt protecting it from water invasion from this direction.
Re the sun god who created the world
Kush An African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile c. 100 B.C.E.; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries.
Hyksos Asian invaders who ruled Egypt from 1640 b.c. to 1570 b.c.
Kemet An Egyptian word meaning the black earth, the fertile soil of the Nile River Valley
Ordered the contruction of the Great pyramid Khufu
Hathor Who was the The goddess of love, beauty, dancing, and music and the protector of children and birth?
pottery ceramic ware made from clay and baked in a kiln
planting seasons Peasants' lives were influenced by the ______
barge a large, strong boat built to carry material.
Seth god who was the evil brother of Osiris
mythology stories that become part of the memory of a people
What did the yearly flood leave behind? Fertile silt
Middle Kingdom end =( Nubians drive out Egyptian conquerors invasions of Hyksos princes (probably came from N & E of the Sinai desert)
Great Pyramid of Giza a pyramid built for pharaoh Khufu
fall of nk: 1075 BC, people of sea (maybe philistines) invade, Lybia & Kush [Nubians who used to control Egypt], Assyria: 671 BC conquer Kush & drive them out
Heroductus; description of Egypt Greek historian, talked about the process of mummification. Called Egypt the gift of the Nile because of its prosperity.
hieroglyph a picture that stands for a word or letter
Where did the people of the early settlements live? marshes and swamps
Pharaoh's palace. What did the pyramid have to be close to?
What did Queen Hatshepsut do? Queen Hatshepsut encouraged trade and used the profits to support art and achitecture.
The Egyptians believed the Pharaoh was the embodiment of what two things? a god and the state
Book of the Dead A book that tells people what they should do when they confront Osiris as to increase their chances of having a good after life.
Where the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines are placed. What are the Four Canopic Jars?
Kush: Saminomadic herders and traders People who dont farm and trade on a daily basis
It was shaved leaving only one side-lock of hair. What happened to a child's head in ancient egypt?
messiah savior
pylon temple ...
contrast an obvious difference
locations places or sites
Peret When the water receded
Ankh the symbol of life
The first Nubians were cattle herders.
The mouth of a river? Delta
Amenhotep king of Egypt 1411-1375 b.c.
SOuth Nubia was ________ of Egypt
trade routes paths followed by traders
scarab beetle (considered sacred to the ancient Egyptians)
heart Ancient Egyptians believed that this internal organ of the body was the center of intelligence and emotions. They believed that the gods weighed this organ of the body to judge a person's worthiness to enter the afterlife
The gift of the Nile Egypt's nickname.
The Nile made it easy to... travel
exports items sent out to other regions
New Kingdom wanted to expand the empire
archeology the study of human history through bones and remains
Great pyrimids Largest consturction project of the ancient world
Thebes capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom located in Lower Egypt
Funded the search for King Tut Howard Cater
artisan a worker who is skilled in crafting goods by hand
Upper Nubia region of ancient Nubia between the 2nd & 6th Nile cataracts
black land land of fertile soil surrounding the nile, KMT
Co-Regent The concept of having two pharaohs at any one time that developed during the Middle and New Kingdom. One of these pharaohs would be in charge, while the other would be the successor, allowing for a smooth transition.
Name two other important Egyptian cities besides Memphis. Giza and Thebes
36000 BCE string of VILLAGES along the Nile River, ever 20 miles or so >village economies based on cereal agriculture >linked by trade along river, but since they all pretty much produced the same basic food stuffs, TRADE was NOT central to their economy
rise of the ok: Meenes unites upper & lower Egypt
tomb a place or building where the dead are buried
Famine Extreme loss of food in a country or large area
Wow was the a series of warlike Egyptian rulers drove the Hyksos out
Why might early Egyptian settlements not have protective walls? Because they had natural barriers
What is an obelisk? a tapering, four-sided shaft of stone; having a pyramid apex
Food, clothing and housing. What were Egyptians paid with when they worked for the government?
Negative confession When you say every bad thing that you have NOT done.
Eventually a class of noblemen did what? ruled in the Pharaoh's name
Valley of the Kings A place in Egypt where many pharaohs are buried
The Giza Pyramids What is the name of the only one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World still standing?
lack of floods and weak rule by the pharoahs caused the fall of Egypt
Limestone and small amounts of granite. What 2 kinds of rocks were used in most pyramids?
hieroglyphs picture-like symbols
seated scribe kä figure Scribe
Egypt was surrounded by? desert
Cargo boats carried what? Grain.
Ra the sun god- most important
Middle, arts ___________Kingdom had many achievments in the _________ (accomplish)
astronomer A scientist who studies the stars
amses King R________ rulled in the NK
god a supreme being worshipped by people
ptolemy warrior king who extended the empire to its widest limits
Nile River Valley Where did the Egyptians live?
What group of nomads invaded Egypt after the Middle Kingdom? Hyksos
necropolis Literally this means "city of the dead". In Egypt it describes the Valley of the Kings and Queens, areas devoted to burial.
Desertification Any change of fertile land into desert
Faience Earthen made beads, often from glazed clay. Foundation for a lot of the adornment in Egyptian fashion, clothing and accessories. Very common. Shapes range from simple spheres to scarab shaped or flat. Made in wide variety of colors.
Horet the seed time. planted crops on fresh silt. nov-feb
What was Osiris' response to his brother's actions? he resurrected
The process of trading with each other? Trading network
Demise of Egypt People from Palestine, nomads from Libyan, Egyptians and Hittites fall by 1200 BCE. Nubian Kingdom of Kush conquer in 751 BCE. Assyrians conquer 671 BCE. Persians conquer 520 BCE.
succession the sequence in which one person after another succeeds to a title, throne, or estate
Middle Level The Officials and Scribes were the people of a social class. The officials were of middle social class because they assisted the king in government the country. Several were tax collectors. Scribes were of a social level because they were a type of official. They were Egypt's writers. They kept records and served as public letter writer.
Ramses II Called the "great" because he built many monuments and had many wives and children
Ziggurat a platform in the form of a terraced pyramid, with each story smaller than the one before
A tomb An underground chamber or a room used to burial of a dead person
Anubis: God of embalming mummies -chief of dead -looked over dead, mummified mummies -invented mummification process -had a human body, jackals head
The kings chamber. What was the final resting place for the king's body?
What did the Nile do to Egyptian life? created and shaped it
Ancient Egypt: first half of 5,000 years of recorded history... *usually ruled by indigineous dynasties as a result of the natural protection the enviorment offered against enemies
how was the rosetta stone deciphered the greek was deciphered then they were able to decipher the demotic which enabled them to dicipher hieroglyphs
Building of the pyramids and their purpose Built by hired workmen, not slaves. Their purpose was to honor the dead, but not just everybody; usually, nobles and especially pharoahs.
how far did the new kingdom stretch from the red sea to the western desert
artifacts objects made by human beings
John Taylor 1800-pyramid inch theory, relating inches and pyramid height to astronomical dates-disproved by petrie
iron a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element
Where did cities first emerge river valleys
What is another word for Inundation? Akhet
legacy something handed down from the past
Hebrew Civilization a society of people (ancient Israelites) who lived in Canaan and started the Jewish religion
Giza ancient Egyptian city, site of the Great Pyramid; sitio de la gran piramide y ciudad egypcia.
Intermediate Periods -periods of relative disunion and disorganization -characterized by weak pharoahs, political instability, civil strife, invasion, and economic ans environmental disaster.
Pharoh a ruler or king of Ancient Egypt; means Great House
Senusret l pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom built the White Chapel and his reign was known for its craftwork and literature, for example: The Story of Sinuhe
Meroe A capital of the ancient kingdom of Kush. This city was known for their iron working.
steppes bad land for farming, used to tend animals
Nubia/Kush a region extending from the Nile to the Red Sea
Great Pyramid Biggest pyramid built in Egypt; Only Ancient Wonder of the World still standing today; bigger than the Statue of Liberty
Hebrew Relationship The Exodus: the bible records it, Egyptians dont -the Hebrews moved into Egypt from western semitic lands bcuz there was a famine. -Egyptian pharoah rounded up the Hebrews and pressed labor for his building projects, he also ordered the children to be thrown into the river.
Kush Civilization a society of people who lived along the Nile River, south of Egypt, from about 2000BCE to 350AD
money economy goods and services are paid for some token of agreed value (money)
king menes the king who united upper and lower egypt
Nile Delta a marshy river in northern egypt where the Nile River fans out before entering the Mediterranean Sea
Why did egyptians build pyramids? To protect the pharohs mummified body.
MUMMIFICATION Step 5. body washed with oils, make up is put on, body stuffed.
What were schools like in Egypt? students learned about the past. the school day was from sunrise to sunset. students had over 700 hieroglyphic signs to remember. punishments were harsh. students who completed the training were well rewarded
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THERE WAS ABUNDANT RAIN UP RIVER flooding that was sufficient to grow crops and raise livestock
AROUND 5000 B.C. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLIMATE the climate changed and the Sahara dried up
Ra/Re Supreme sun-god
Land between the rivers mesopotamia
ka the invisible twin of the deceased
Edicts A command given by a ruler.
Nilometer Measuring device, looks like a yardstick made from marble.
MUMMIFICATION Step 8. body put in sarcophagus.
Djoser -3rd Dynasty 2630-2611 BCE -7 year famine struck Egypt -Established Egyptian presence in Sinai -Was able to extend Egypt's southern border as far as the Nile's 1st Cataract -Built the Step Pyramid: suggest that during his reign Egypt was politically stable with a successful economy. -his architect was Imhotep, who designed the Step Pyramid at Saqqara
Caliph al-Mamun 9th century, penetrated the pyramids with vinegar and a battering ram, hole still used today
Priests an important and powerful person who supervised rituals aimed at pleasing the gods and goddesses
slavery the practice of one person owning another person
theocracy A system of government by priests claiming a divine appointment
A river fans out over fertile soil delta
Eusebius bishop of caesura, provided a list of place names, 3rd century AD
A-Frame Egyptian tool used to make sure that the walls being constructed were level.
Amulet ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
WHAT DID THE RIVER MAKE EASIER travel and communication
Artisans A group in the social pyramid mostly including craftsmen. They were highly skilled but did not get all the recinition they disserved. They were low socially but kept the pyramid working.
Why mummified the dead Egyptians mummified their dead because they believed that their bodies were needed to gain access to the afterlife where their souls would live forever.
Unified Egypt about 3000 B.C. upper and lower Egypt came under one ruler; It marked the beginning of the workds 1st government for 1 group of people
Social Hierarchy The division of society by rank or class.
Pharaoh Ramses II was called Ramses the Great and ruled during the new kingdom, he had more monuments built than any other pharaoh- his most impressive monument was the temple complex at Abu Simbel
Jean Francios Champollion The man who used the Rosetta Stone to break the code of hieroglyphics
WHAT DID THE NILE SERVE AS for the Early Egyptians? a river highway
Ramses the Second He was a pharoah as well as a militery leader. He signed the worlds first peace treaty and fought in many battles.
When King Medes joined the Upper and lower kingdom to create the first dyansty When did ancient egypt's history begin?
WHAT DID THE EGYPTIANS DO TO KEEP TRACK OF INUDATION they created a calendar with 12 months and 30 days
Kamose Ahmose's brother
Geb God of the earth
Nephthys Protector goddess of the dead
menes(narmer) created the double crown(red and white crowns combined) to symbolize egypt being one united nation
Hapy God of inundation - specifically the flooding of the Nile
Mediterranean Sea The nile river flows into the...
Greek Language found on the bottom of the Rosetta Stone
What feature of the Nubian section of the Nile is not present in the Egyption section? Cataracts
Amenhotep III A pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty - the father of Akhenaten
what happened durning the New Kingdom? Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC