Ankh
A looped cross signifying life, used by ancient Egyptians.
Canon of proportions
A set of ideal mathematical ratios in art based on measurements in the proportional relationships between the basic elements of the human body.
Clerestory
in a basilica the topmost zone of a wall with windows, extending above the aisle roofs. Provides direct light into the nave.
Colonnade
A row of columns supporting a straight lintel (as in a porch or portico) or a series of arches ( an archade).
Conventions
A traditional way of representing forms.
Demotic
Another Egyptian writing style; for Egyptians who weren't skilled scholars, and couldn't read Hieroglyphics.
Encaustic
A painting medium using pigments mixed with hot wax.
Used when painting mummy portraits.
Hieroglyphs
Picture writing; words and ideas rendered in the form of pictorial symbols.
Hypostyle hall
A large interior room characterized by many closely spaced columns that support its roof.
Mastaba
A flat-topped, one-story structure with slanted walls built over an ancient Egyptian underground tomb.
Necropolis
City of the Dead"; A large cemetery or burial area
Peristyle
In Greek architecture, a surrounding colonnade. A peristyle building is surrounded on the exterior of a colonnade. Also; a peristyle court is an open colonnaded courtyard, often having a pool and garden.
Pylon
A massive gateway formed by a pair of tapering walls of oblong shape. Erected by ancient Egyptians to make the entrance to a temple complex.
Sarcophagus
A stone coffin; often rectangular and decorated with a relief sculpture.
Scarab
In ancient Egypt, a stylized dung beetle associated with the sun and the god Amun.
Serdab
The small room in an ancient Egyptian tomb in which the "ka" statue was placed.
Sunken relief
a type of sculpture in which the image is carved into a flat surface, instead of the images being projected from the background the images are "sunken" into the surface.
Thoth
the ibis headed god in Egyptian religion
royalty
Egyptian artistic conventions were followed most strictly when depicting
Khufu
the oldest and largest of the Giza pyramids
hypostyle
a hall that is filled with rows of columns is called what?
Amama Period
the time period when Akhenaten reigned over Egypt
Menes
he unified upper and lower eqypt into one empire
c. 2000 BCE
stele of amenhat, painted limestone
c. 2950 BCE
the pallette of Narmer, green schist