| Term | Definition |
| Lower Egypt | - Located in the north of Egypt near the Nile Delta
-The area where the Nile River empties into the Mediterranean Sea |
| Upper Egypt | -Located in the south of Egypt near Nubia/Kush
-Area where the Nile River flows downhill from Lake Victoria & Lake Tana |
| Delta | _Where a river empties into a Gulf, Sea, or Ocean
- (ex) The Nile River flows into the Mediterranean Sea |
| Cataracts | -rapids or waterfalls in the Nile River
-Boats must be carried around them |
| How did the cataracts in the Nile River help Egypt? | They were natural barriers that protected Egypt and stopped invaders from using the river |
| 2 geographic features that protected the Egyptians from Invaders | -deserts
-cataracts |
| Shadoof/Shaduf | -hand-operated device used for lifting water,
-consists of a long pole with a bucket on one end and a counterweight on the other. |
| 5 ways the Nile River contributed to the growth of Egyptian civilization. | 1. water for drinking, cooking, & bathing
2. predictable floods & irrigation for crops
3. silt for farming - fertile soil
4. transportation for trade
5. Papyrus Paper: papyrus plants grew next to the river. Papyrus was made into paper. |
| Nile River Irrigation contribution | silt for farming - fertile soil |
| Nile River Farming contribution | predictable floods & irrigation for crops |
| Nile River Daily Life contribution | water for drinking, cooking, & bathing |
| Nile River Trade contribution | excellent transportation for trade due to Nile Rive currents and winds |
| Nile River Writing contribution | Papyrus Paper: papyrus plants grew next to the river. Papyrus was made into paper. |
| Papyrus | -paper made of dried papyrus reeds
-reeds pressed together & dried to form sheets for writing or painting hieroglyphs upon |
| Scribe | -highly respected members of society who studied for many years to learn to read and write. |
| Scribe's Job | -learn to read & write hieroglyphs
-write letters & legal documents
-record food harvested, trade and taxes collected
- paint murals on tomb walls
-carve hieroglyphs on stone monuments |
| Hieroglyphs | -an ancient Egyptian writing system
- used pictures/symbols to represent words, sounds, or ideas |
| Cartoosh | an oblong shape that contains the pharaoh's name in hieroglyphs |
| Rosetta Stone | -a stone text msg!!
-used to translate hieroglyphics
-had the same message written in 3 different languages |
| Pharaoh | -ancient Egyptian King
-means "Great House"
_considered gods who led the people & maintained order |
| Dynasty | -a family of rulers
-rule usually passes from father to son
(ex) King Charles to Prince William in the UK |
| Menes(Narmer) | -The king of Upper Egypt who conquered Lower Egypt
-united the 2 kingdoms into 1 country
-wore a double crown that combined the crowns of both kingdoms |
| Tribute | Goods, money or people demanded as payment from the losers in a war |
| Narmer Palette | -Intricately carved Egyptian artifact that depicts the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by King Narmer. |
| Obelisk | -a stone pillar with a pyramid at the top erected to commemorate an individual or event and honor the gods
(ex) the Washington Monument |
| Pharos (far-ohs) | -a lighthouse located at the entrance to the Nile River at Alexandria, Egypt
-one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World |
| Pyramids | -tombs for the pharaohs which contained all the treasures that would be needed in the afterlife. |
| monotheism | Belief in 1 All-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God
EX. Judaism, Christianity, Islam |
| Judaism | - the monotheistic faith practiced by the Israelites |
| Israelites | -The descendants of Abraham
-They are monotheistic
-Follow the Torah
-a semi-nomadic and tribal people who lived in Canaan, an area that overlaps with modern-day Israel. |
| polytheism | Belief in many gods
Ex. Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Hindus |
| The religious beliefs of Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans | -polytheism
-gods control nature or different aspects of your life |
| Afterlife | -the final destination of a person's soul(Ka)
-Ancient Egyptians believed it was located in the west where the sun sets
-Thus, pyramids were built on the Nile's western shore |
| Mummy | -a dead body that has been dried out so it won't decay |
| Mummification | -The process of making a mummy
Took 6 weeks
-Used Natron salt to dry out the body |
| Embalming | -process to keep a dead body from decaying
-organs were removed and put into canopiic jars |
| Canoptic jars | the jars that held the organs removed during the mummification process |
| Weighing of the Heart | -when a soul is judged to determine if the person led a truthful life and is worthy of the Afterlife |
| Book of the Dead | a scroll of prayers and spells to bless the pharaoh on the journey to the Afterlife |
| Valley of the Kings | -hidden burial site in a far valley
-caves & doors were buried to prevent grave robbing |
| grave goods | the material possessions you take with to the Afterlife are buried with you |
| sarcophagus | -coffin decorated with a painting of the dead person's face |
| pyramid | -Pharaoh's tomb
-built during the Old Kingdom |
| Nile River tributaries | Blue Nile & White Nile |
| Middle Kingdom aka | Golden Age |
| Middle Kingdom Achievements | 1. built a canal connecting the Nile River & the Red Sea
2. Thebes became the capital & rich --> center of trade
3. defeated Nubia(Kush) |
| Hatshepsut | Greatest female pharaoh who increased trade and wealth |
| Ramses II | -Longest reigning Egyptian Monarch - 66 years
-built famous landmarks including at Karnak and Luxor |
| Cleopatra | -Last Egyptian Pharaoh
-defeated by ancient Rome |
| vizier | -second-in-command to the Pharaoh
-responsibilities included supervising the courts, tax collections, pyramid construction, and government officials |
| Akhenaten | -outlawed Egypt’s traditional polytheistic religion and replaced it with the worship of his favorite god called Aten. |
| King Tut | -Important discovery because his tomb was found untouched.
-Still contained his sarcophagus & all his possessions
-not ruined by grave robbers |
