Egypt Flashcards
What is the most important geographical feature of Egypt?
The Nile River.
What is the world’s longest river?
The Nile River.
What did the annual flooding of the Nile leave behind?
A fresh deposit of rich, dark silt, which led the Egyptians to call their land ‘Kemet’ (the black).
How did the flood of the Nile impact Egypt?
It nourished the land, leading to vegetation and more materials for construction.
What was the contrast between life along the Nile and the surrounding desert?
There was life along the Nile, but nothing grew beyond it in the desert.
What was the Egyptian concept of kingship?
Pharaohs were believed to be descendants and reincarnations of gods, given a divine status, and served as mediators between people and the gods.
What type of religion did the ancient Egyptians follow?
Polytheism, where gods were manifested in every aspect of nature and influenced human life and the order of the universe.
How did Egyptians view death?
Death was considered a transition to another existence, with a focus on permanence, stability, eternity, and life after death.
Who was Osiris before becoming the god of the underworld?
He was the god of vegetation.
Who was Isis?
The divine mother, sister, and wife of Osiris.
Who was Horus?
The falcon god or sky god, the miracle baby of Isis and Osiris.
Who was Hapy?
The god of the Nile.
Who was Seth?
The god of storms and violence; brother of Isis and murderer of Osiris.
Why was mummification important?
It prepared the body for the afterlife, as the ‘Ka’ (soul) was believed to live beyond using the same body.
How long did the mummification process take?
72 days.
How was the brain removed during mummification?
Through the nostrils.
What organs were preserved in mummification?
Organs vital for living were preserved, while the heart was left in place because intelligence was believed to come from the heart.
What were the three main uses of Egyptian art?
Ornamentation, recording history, and veneration of the gods.
What did the Ankh symbolize?
Eternal life; gods were often seen holding it, signifying the Breath of Life.
What did the Scarab symbolize?
Rebirth and eternal life; associated with the god Khephera, who moved the sun.
What did the Cobra symbolize?
The fiery eye of Re and protection, often placed on the king’s body.
What did the Sundisk represent?
The emblem of the sun god, often depicted as a winged sun disk.
What did the Eye of Horus symbolize?
Healing and protection.
What did the Lotus Flower symbolize?
Sun, creation, and rebirth; it closes at night and blooms at dawn.
What did the Vulture symbolize?
Loyal protection and Upper Egypt, often placed on the areas the king governed.
What were Hieroglyphics?
A system of writing with picture symbols used to record history and integrate it with art.
What was ‘Ti Watching A Hippopotamus Hunt’?
A relief found in the tomb of an Egyptian official, showing hierarchy in scale and depicting Ti’s pastime.
What is the Law of Frontality?
A technique where figures were shown with their shoulders in a front view, torsos in a three-quarter view, and heads and limbs in profile.
Why were Egyptian sculptures carved from a block?
For stability purposes.
What was the ‘Statue of Menkaure and Khamerernebty’?
A statue where the male is rigid and upright, symbolizing power. Both figures have their left foot advancing, but the male’s foot is further, indicating gender hierarchy.
What was the ‘Death Mask of Tutankhamun’ made of?
Gold and precious stones like lapis lazuli, onyx, turquoise, and agate.
What did the gold in the Death Mask of Tutankhamun symbolize?
Divinity and kingship.
What is a Sarcophagus?
A funeral receptacle for a corpse.
What is a Sphinx?
A mythical beast with the head of a human and the body of a lion, symbolizing the pharaoh as an incarnation of the sun god Ra.
What was the purpose of Egyptian paintings?
They were used in the service of rulers and gods.
What were Frescoes?
Wall paintings that provided the ‘Ka’ with familiar scenes from the deceased’s earthly existence.
What are the two types of Frescoes?
Buon Fresco – Painted on wet plaster, allowing pigments to adhere better.
Fresco Seco – Painted on dry plaster.
What was the ‘Book of the Dead’?
A text describing the judgment process of the dead, where the heart was weighed to determine whether a person had been good or bad in life.
What materials were used in Egyptian architecture?
Clay, sun-dried bricks, and stone for monumental structures.
What is Trabeated Construction?
A system of post and lintel construction.
Who was Imhotep?
The first recorded artist of Western history, deified as the god of learning and medicine.
What did Imhotep design?
The first stepped pyramid in Saqqara for Zoser.
What were Mastabas?
The first funerary temples for commoners, later developed into stepped pyramids.
What is a Necropolis?
A city of Mastabas.
What were the three pyramids at Giza?
The pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.
What did the three pyramids align with?
Certain stars, particularly Orion.
What was the Grand Gallery?
A passage in the Great Pyramid leading to the King’s Chamber.
What were Narrow Shafts used for?
Viewing stars and serving as passages for the pharaoh’s soul.
What is an Obelisk?
A marker with carvings commemorating historical events.
What is a Pyramidion?
The triangular tip of an obelisk or pyramid.
What are the types of Egyptian temples?
Mortuary Temples – For dead pharaohs.
Cult Temples – For worshiping gods.
Rock-Hewn Temples – Carved into cliffs with labyrinthine passageways.
What is the Great Temple of Abu Simbel?
A rock-cut temple commissioned by Rameses II, featuring four statues of himself.
What is the Great Temple of Amun at Karnak known for?
Its hypostyle hall with 134 freestanding columns.
