The Ancient Near East: Egypt Flashcards
What did agriculture in Egypt depend on?
The flood of the Nile river each year - not the climate or weather
When did the floods of the Nile occur?
Floods peaked in September, and receded in October
What did the flooding of the Nile bring?
Brought silt from the riverbed, which made the soil very fertile - all you needed to do was drop seeds and stamp them into the ground
What is a nome?
A group of villages
How many dynasties occurred in Ancient Egypt?
History shows 20 occurred, although they were “implemented” later by an outsider Greek priest
How is the Egyptian history normally divided?
Three kingdoms: Old, Middle, and New
How is the area of Egypt normally divided?
Upper Egypt ( Southern) and Lower Egypt (Northern/Delta area)
Who was Narmer?
A Pharaoh in the Archaic period, who worked to unite Upper and Lower Egypt (may also be known as Menes) and finally succeeded in unifying the civilization
What is Cartush?
Means the name of the current king/pharaoh
When was there a period of confusion?
Between Old and Middle Kingdom, but it was important that the Pharaoh show divine power
What was considered the Classical Period of Egypt?
The Middle Kingdom, due to a stand-up army, as well as building innovations
Who were the Hyksos?
Semitic speaking people not from Egypt; they rose up and took Upper Egypt
What did the Hyksos bring to Egypt?
New ideas (bronze age), use of horse-drawn chariots, development of scales (armour), the composite bow, new daggers and weapons, and peaceful ideas
When did the New Kingdom begin?
When a Prince rose up in 1570 and drove out the Hyksos
Who was Hatshepsut?
Daughter of Thotmes I, married to Thotmes II; became a Pharaoh, and was depicted as a man, as there was no word for ‘Queen’ so she was addressed as “His majesty”
Who was the Napoleon of Egypt?
Thotmes III; he was a warrior king who brought the Egyptian empire to the zenith of its power, by conquering all of Syria, crossing the Euphrates river, and going down to Sudan and Nubia
Who was Amunhotep IV (Akhenaten)?
He was a Pharaoh that ascended to the throne after being appointed as heir after his father Thotmes III died. Nefertiti was his wife.
What did Amunhotep IV/Akhenaten do?
He abolished priests/worship of Amun, and instead placed worship on the sun as a disk, and was very unaware of what was going on outside his city
Who was Tutankhamun?
Younger brother of Amunhotep IV, he rose to the throne after him, and died young
Who had to fight off many attacks from the North East?
Ramses III