Ancient Egypt Flashcards
Why was the Nile River so important to ancient Egyptians?
- grow crops (annual flood left behind highly fertile black silt; water from Nile used for irrigation)
- fishing
- drinking water
- transportation (esp. for trading)
- mud used for making bricks
- Papyrus reeds used for making papyrus
- used to set their calendar
What kind of crops did ancient Egyptians grow?
- Wheat
- Barley
- Fruits (melons, figs)
- Vegetable (peas, garlic, lettuce, cucumber)
- Linen
What did ancient Egyptians use instead of money?
They bartered or traded items (eg. Pottery, art and jewellery) with each other.
Discuss the accient Egyptians calendar
Based on the happenings of the River Nile.
3 seasons, each lasting 4 months.
- Akhet (July to October; flooding)
- Peret (November to February; new crops planted)
- Shemu (March to June; harvest)
Explain the social structure of the ancient Egyptians
- Pharaoh (1, richest, most powerful person)
- Visier (pharaoh’s advisors)
- Nobles & priests
- Soldiers
- Scribes (wrote down important things; kept records of people’s taxes & business accounts)
- Traders & craftsmen
- Herders & farmers (most people were farmers)
- Slaves
Rich people (1-3) and poor people (7-8) lived very different lives.
Rich: big houses, ate well, wore fine, had time to play games, went to school)
Poor: small houses packed close together.
Everyone had to pay taxes
People in the middle (4-6) worked for the rich leaders
What were hieroglyphics?
- a form of writing used in ancient Egypt
- pictures and symbols
- used to communicate important info
Where were hieroglyphics used in ancient Egypt?
- Temples walls
-Tombs (sides) - Papyrus scrolls (i.e.documents, that were adminstrative and/or personal)
- Everyday objects (eg. pottery, jewelery & furniture)
Who wrote hieroglyphics?
Scribes
Discuss scribes in ancient Egypt
- They were the were the people who wrote hieroglyphics.
- Received lots of training to write hieroglyphics
- highly respected members of society
- skills were in high demand
Why do people study hieroglyphics?
To learn about the culture
Who made one of the earliest attempts to decode hieroglyphics?
Jean-Francois Champollion
How were the first hieroglyphs decoded?
Jean-Francois Champollion used the Rosetta stone, because it had the same text written in Ancient Greek and Hieroglyphics
Where have hieroglyphics been found?
Throughout ancient Egypt
- including in Cairo & Luxor and remote areas
- specifically in pyramids, tombs of pharaohs (like Tutankhamun and Ramses II)
What is someone who studies hieroglyphics called?
Hieroglyphologist
How do people study hieroglyphics today?
- they use computers to analyse and compare different hieroglyphic texts
- they study ancient texts and records to better understand the language and message better
Describe the Sphinx in Egypt
- A monument in Egypt
- built out of sand
- head of a human
- body of a lion
How does the monument of the sphynx differ from the mythological creature?
- Monument: statue, does not have wings, has head of a woman,
- Mythological creature: smaller, has wings, isn’t real, has the head of a human or animal, serpent tail (in Greek mythology)
Why did pharaohs build underground tombs?
to hide them from tomb robbers
Why did pharaohs build temples?
For worshipping their gods, which them happy
Describe the land along the banks of the Nile
Fertile and so crops grew there easily
Why was the soil on the banks of the Nile so fertile?
The Nile flooded every year and when it drained away, it left a layer of fertile soil behind.
How long ago did farmers live along the banks of the river Nile?
10 000 years ago
What did the farmers plant after the Nile flooded and when did they harvest it?
They planted wheat and barley and it was harvested in Summer.
What was the area along the banks of the Nile called and why?
The Black Land because of the fertile black mud that was left behind after the river flooded.
