Way of life Flashcards
What is a pharaoh?
King/Ruler of Ancient Egypt
Name the king of all gods.
Osiris
What is polytheism?
To believe in many gods (deities).
Explain the embalming process.
- The priests say prayers as a last attempt to revive the dead person.
- The body is washed and purified.
- The body is taken to the wabet, the embalmer’s workshop.
- They take out all the organs except the heart and store them in containers.
- They fill the body with a salt called Natron, and is left for 40 days.
- After the 40 days, the insides are filled with linen.
- The body is then wrapped in bandages with amulets and jewellery between the layers.
What do we call this embalming process today?
Mummification
What are amulets?
Objects that bring good luck or protection.
What happened to the mummy after the embalming process?
- After about 70 days, it was placed in a special decorated coffin.
- The coffin and other items (food, furniture, statues, gems) were put into the tomb.
- The last ritual called the “opening of the mouth” ceremony was performed by the priest.
- The tomb was then sealed.
What was the purpose of the “opening of the mouth” ceremony?
It was supposed to give the dead person the ability to speak and eat and have full use of his/her body in the Afterlife.
Why were items such as food, furniture and clothing put into the tomb?
It was thought it could be useful in the Afterlife.
Why do you think it took up to 70 days to bury certain people?
It took time to move all the furniture, clothing, food, statues, etc. into the tomb.
Why was the heart not removed during the embalming process?
The heart was weighed to see if the person was good or bad. It was thought to be useful in the Afterlife.
What are dynasties?
Families that rule a country for a long time.
Ancient Egypt’s history is divided into 3 periods. Name them.
Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom
Discuss the role of the pharaoh.
- He was the MOST POWERFUL person in Egypt.
- He was the POLITICAL and RELIGIOUS leader.
- He OWNED all the land.
- He collected TAXES.
- He made the LAWS.
- He DEFENDED Egypt against foreigners.
- He PROTECTED the land.
- He went to WAR when threatened.
- He represented the GODS on earth.
- He performed RITUALS and BUILT temples in honour of the gods.
Explain why the Egyptians thought the pharaoh was so powerful.
The pharaoh represented the gods on earth. The Egyptians thought that he was Horus, the falcon god, with his father, Osiris and his mother, Isis. They believed that when the pharaoh died, he would become one with Osiris.
How important was the pharaoh to the Egyptians? Give a reason why you think so.
Very important. He was the most powerful person in Egypt. The Egyptians built HUGE statues of the pharaoh in his honour.
How do you tell whether the pharaoh was alive or dead when the statue was built?
Alive = left foot of the statue would be forward Dead = both feet would be together
Why did the Egyptians need to develop an alphabet?
When they started trading, they needed to keep a record of what they bought and sold.
What was the name of their first picture writing?
Hieroglyphics
What did each picture stand for?
A sound or word.
What is hieroglyphics?
It is the first form of picture writing developed by the Egyptians. Each picture stood for a sound or word.
Name 3 materials they used to write on?
- Stone.
- Wet clay made into large squares.
- Paper made from reed (papyrus).
Explain how to make paper from papyrus.
- Reeds are cut into strips and laid out to dry.
- Strips are placed in a frame with their edges overlapping.
- They are then flattened with a hammer and pressed to make paper.
What are scribes?
People who do all the writing. They copied books and documents.
