Only Deck: Ancient Egypt Vocab Flashcards
Pharaoh
The title of the leader of Egypt
- Often married sibling(s)
- Viewed and treated as deities
- Built structures, to often outdo earlier pharaohs, pyramids built to honor them
- Mummified after death, and thought to become a deity
- Responsibilities: keeping peace with the deities, collecting taxes, leading the military, etc.
King Tut
- Became Pharaoh at 9 after his father (Akanaten or Imhotep) died
- Married his sibling and died at 19 (Pharaoh for a decade)
- Made the nation polytheistic again after his father made it monotheistic (only worshipping Ra, the sun god)
- Tomb found in 1922
Queen Hatshepsut
- Became Pharaoh in secret (dressed like a man)
- Built a big funerary temple
- Was a big leader of trade; she traded to Punt (modern-day Ethiopia)
Ramses II
- Was a great military leader
- Had many wives and children (had over 100 children)
Khufu
- Built the Great Pyramid of Giza (tallest pyramid in the world and oldest and the only still-existing Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)
- Father of Kaffre (Kaffre built the Sphinx)
Akenaten (a.k.a. Imhotep)
- Father of King Tut
- Unsuccessfully tried to change the nation from polytheistic to monotheistic (only worshipping Ra)
- As a result, he changed his name to Imhotep to show his devotion
- When his son became Pharaoh, he changed the nation to polytheistic again
King Narmer (a.k.a. Menes)
- United Upper and Lower Egypt (this involved fighting)
- Created the double crown (this unified Upper and Lower Egypt)
- Created a centralized government (created capital of Memphis)
OSIRIS
- God of the underworld (death), agriculture, and resurrection
- Father of Anubis and Horus
- Married both of his sisters, Isis (goddess of love and magic) and Nephthys (goddess of the air)
- His brother, Set (god of chaos) was jealous of him and killed him; Isis put him back together but he was incomplete, then he ruled over the underworld
Delta
A triangular area of fertile land at the end of the Nile River that deposits into the Mediterranean Sea.
Nile River
The river where the Egyptians settled; it flooded yearly and produced rich soil that was essential for farming.
Trade Route
One trading path (ex: rivers, roads, seas) used by merchants.
Social Hierarchy
A social system that determines your rank in society based on the job of your family.
Skiffs
Canoe-like boats that the Egyptians used (ex: for trade, travel, etc.) that were made of papyrus reeds that grew along the Nile River.
Hieroglyphics
The Ancient Egypt writing system that was used for special occasions (ex: writing in temples and artwork) and helped translate languages. Hieroglyphics consisted of pictures that represented words, syllables, or sounds.
Dynasty
A line of royal rulers from the same family (ex: mother is queen, then son becomes the next king)
Export
Products and crops that exit the country and then enter other civilizations to be sold. If they are sold, money is earned.
Sphinx
The human-headed, lion-bodied work of architecture that Kaffre, son of Khufu, constructed.
Pyramid
A large, triangular prism that was used as a cemetery.
Sarcophagus
The decorated, stone coffin a mummified person was laid in after the mummification process. It had a face on the front and a body-like shape to keep a realistic picture.
Canopic Jars
Special jars that certain organs were placed into during the mummification process (ex: intestines, lungs, eyes, etc.), often decorated with the heads of gods.
Merchant
Middle-class people that traded products with people from other civilizations. They worked for the Pharaoh.
Trade Network
Multiple trading paths used by merchants around varying civilizations who trade with each other.
Import
Products or crops that come into from other civilizations. If they are bought, money is spent.
Cartouche
An oval typically consisting of a name and title of an Egyptian ruler, written in hieroglyphics.
