Ancient Egypt, Ch 4.2 "The Old Kingdom" - Study Guide (Holt)

afterlife

Life after death; a life that would continue after death

nobles

A member of a ruling family or one of high rank; a rich and powerful person

engineering

Application of science and mathematics to develop useful structures and machines; the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

How did religious beliefs affect Egyptian burial practices?

Believing that the spirit remained linked to the body, Egyptians developed mummification and filled tombs with food and other items the spirit might need in the afterlife.

Why were pyramids important to the ancient Egyptians?

Burial in a pyramid demonstrated a pharaoh's importance. The size and shape of the pyramid were symbolic. Pointing to the skies, the pyramid symbolized the pharaoh's journey to the afterlife. The Egyptians wanted the pyramids to be spectacular because they believed that the pharaoh, as their link to the gods, controlled everyone's afterlife. Making the pharaoh's spirit happy was a way of ensuring one's own happy afterlife.

Khufu

Egyptian pharaoh of the 4th dynasty who built the Great Pyramid at Giza; ruled in the 2500 BCs

Why was the pharaoh's authority never questioned?

He was believed to be the Son of Re, which the pharaoh a god on earth; The Egyptian political system is based on the belief that the pharaoh was both a king and a god.

pyramids

Huge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top; a huge triangular tomb built by the Egyptians and other peoples

Which group helped run the government and temples?

Nobles. they ruled in the 2500's BC. They were from rich and powerful families.

How did gods participate in the afterlife?

Only the god Anubis was allowed to perform the first steps in preparing a mummy.

elite

People of wealth and power

How was society structured in the Old Kingdom?

Social classes were inherited and they determined a persons importance, Society abided by a strict hierarchal system.

How did workers get their stone blocks to the pyramids?

Teams of workers dragged the stones on wooden sleds to the pyramids

mummies

The Egyptian method of preserving dead bodies by wrapping them in cloth; a specially treated body wrapped in cloth for preservation

What does the building of the pyramids tell us about Egyptian society?

The Egyptians had enough power, resources, organization and technology to build them; Egyptian society was capable of the complex organization and discipline required to build the pyramids.

Old Kingdom

The period from about 2700 to 2200 BC in Egyptian history that began shortly after Egypt was unified

Why do you think pharaohs might have wanted the support of nobles?

They were people who were wealthy and powerful; they included the priests and government officials

Why was embalming important to Egyptians?

To keep the ka or spirt alive; If a body was allowed to decay, the spirit would not be able to recognize it in the afterlife.