Delta
a fan of fertile soil near the mouth of a river
Cataracts
wild rapids formed by boulders and narrow cliffs
Papyrus
a reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile used in paper-making
Dynasty
a line of rulers that passes power from one father to son to grandson
Tributes
forced payments to Egyptian kings from conquered peoples
Deities
gods and goddesses who controlled nature and human activities
Pharaoh
egyptian king
Hieroglyphics
writing system based on pictorial symbols
Mummy
an embalmed body wrapped in cloth strips
Pyramids
mountain-like tombs for Egyptian kings
Shadoof
a device used to raise water from one place to the next
Geography that surrounded and protected Egypt
deserts, cataracts, delta
Sahara
largest desert in the world
Who did the Egyptians learn their system of government from?
Mesopotamians
The first kings of Egypt were probably
war heroes
Who is the king that is known for uniting Upper and Lower Egypt and what symbol did he use to show their unity?
Narmar known as Menes-wore a double crown
The Nile River's flooding could be described as
gentle and dependable
What crops did the Egyptians grow?
flax, wheat, and barley
Why did the Egyptians start a system of government?
Advances in farming, crafts, and trade. Needed to oversee irrigation, building projects, surplus of grain, and disputes over land and other things
What were the two main kingdoms of early Egypt?
Upper and Lower Egypt
Egypt's Upper Class
nobles, priests, and wealthy Egyptians
Egypt's Middle Class
artisans, merchants, traders, shopkeepers, scribes
Egypt's Lower Class
farmers and herders were at the top of the lower class system and then below them were unskilled workers and slaves
Who made up the largest group of Egypt's population?
farmers
What roles and rights did women have in Egypt?
They could buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain divorces. They could also be in charge of temples and perform religious ceremonies
Compare and Contrast Egypt and Mesopotamia
Study the Chart on page 44 or your pyramid foldable.
Embalming
process of preserving the pharaoh's body from decomposing
Mummy
wrapped body
Book of the Dead
collection of spell and prayers studied to help obtain life after death
Why did the Egyptians willingly serve the pharaoh?
they believed he was the son of the god Rae
What did the egyptiians do to show their respect to the pharaoh?
they would play music and bow down to "Smell the Earth
What type of rituals did the pharaoh perform that would benefit the people?
ride on a sacred bull-to ensure fertile soil for planting season
first to cut the grain-to ensure a plentiful harvest
What did the Egyptians believe about life after death?
that it was better than life on earth
Why did the Egyptians embalm their pharaohs?
so they would have a body to get to the afterlife and so that they could protect Egypt in the underworld
Isis
queen of the underworld-god of women, wife, and mothers
Osiris
ruler of the underworld-god of men, husbands, and fathers
Horis
god of the Nile River
Rae
Sun god
What advancements were the Egyptians first to specialize in?
medicine
Who did most of the work during the building of the pyramids?
farmers
How were the pyramids built?
stone was hauled from Upper Egypt to the Nile River then transported on barges down to the building site in Lower Egypt. Then builders would use ramps too move the blocks into place.
Who was the great pyramid built for?
King Kufu
Hatshepsut
one of few women pharaohs of Egypt
Which ruler avoided military conquest and expanded Egypt's economy and trade?
Hatshepsut
Thutmose
Nephew of Hatshepsut who took over after her reign. He expanded Egypt's territories through military conquest and also increased slavery.
Akhenation
changed the religion of Egypt to one god, lost territories to outside invasions, and hurt the stability of Egypt's unity.
Why did Akhenation develop a new religion?
priests and nobles were gaining too much power at the expense of the pharaohs
Which Egyptian ruler reestablished the old religion?
King Tut
Why is King Tut so popular?
young pharaoh, mysteries of his death, and his tomb was found untouched
What happened to Egypt during Ramses II's reign?
reestablished Egypt's glory- new temples were built and regained lost territories
What was is the name of the most famous temple?
Karnak and Thebes
What were the temples used for?
served as houses for the gods, religious rituals, and banks
What the the reason for the decline of Egypt?
Egyptians had trouble keeping neighboring countries out because they lacked effective weapons due to the heavy cost of iron