Lecture 1 - January 8th, 2025 Flashcards
What is Archaeology?
The scientific study of human history and prehistory through excavation and analysis of artifacts, structures, and other physical remains.
Who is Erich von Daniken?
A pseudoarchaeologist who speculated that aliens created the Nazca drawings and wrote ‘Chariots of the Gods’.
What are the kinds of Archaeology?
- Prehistoric: study of human past before written records
- Historic: study of periods with written records
- Classical: focuses on Greece and Rome
- Underwater/Marine: studies shipwrecks and coastal activities
What is Egyptology?
The study of ancient Egypt.
When did the first stone tools appear?
3.3 million years ago.
When did the earliest Homo sapiens appear?
200,000 years ago.
When did the earliest art appear?
45,000 years ago.
When did the earliest farming societies emerge?
10,000 years ago.
When did the first cities develop?
6,000 years ago.
What is the Law of Association?
A principle stating that items found on the same horizontal plane are assumed to be of similar age. Proposed by J.J.A. Worsae
What does the Law of Superposition state?
In stratigraphy, lower layers are older than higher layers.
What are the geographical borders of Egypt?
- Libya to the west
- Sudan to the south
- Mediterranean Sea to the north
- Palestine and Red Sea to the east
What is the current population of Egypt?
112 million people.
What is the Nile River known for?
It is the longest river in the world, flowing 6,700 km from East Africa into the Mediterranean.
What is the Nile Delta?
An area formed by the deposit of sediment over time, known for its marshland and channels.
During which months did the annual flooding of the Nile occur in ancient Egypt?
Between July and October. Now this flooding no longer happens.
What is the term for the productive land along the Nile?
Black Land (Kemet).
What did the ancient Egyptians refer to the desert as?
Red Land (Deshret). The ancient Egyptians viewed this desert terrain as evil and rarely ventured out into it.
What are some dangers associated with the Nile River?
- Winds
- Shallows
- Cataracts (white water rapids of the Nile)
- Nile crocodiles
- Hippos
- Parasitic infections
What major construction was completed in 1968 that affected flooding in the Nile?
The Aswan Dam.
What was the International Rescue Effort for Ramses Temple?
A major archaeological effort to move the Temple of Ramses II, requiring the displacement of 100,000 people.
What is scarab?
The dung beetle. It was a god in ancient Egypt.
What did the ancient Egyptians refer to summer as?
Akhet.
