Chapter 2: Ancient Egypt
The Book of the Dead
A collection of spells and prayers studied to help obtain the afterlife
dynasty
A line of rulers from one family; power passes from father to son
incense
A material burned for its pleasant smell
pharaoh
All-powerful king of ancient Egypt; believed to be the son of Re, the sun god
Tutankhamen
Became pharaoh at age 10; restored Egypt's original religion; well-known because his tomb was found intact
mummy
Body that has been embalmed and wrapped in linen
The Great Pyramid
Built by King Khufu; tallest building in the world for 4,000 years
King Khufu
Built the Great Pyramid at Giza
Thebes
Capital of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom
Memphis
Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom
Meroe
City the capital of Kush was moved to in order to avoid the Assyrians; became center of trade and ironmaking due to iron ore deposits located in the desert to the east
Napata
City the first Kushite kings ruled from
Thutmose III
Expanded Egypt's borders north to the Euphrates and south to Nubia; nephew of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Female pharaoh who concentrated on building the Egyptian economy
delta
Flower-like feature formed where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea
tribute
Forced payments made to the pharaoh by conquered peoples
deity
God or goddess
Middle Kingdom
Golden age of prosperity, achievement and stability in Egypt
savannas
Grasslands south of Egypt and the Sahara
Ramses II
Greatest of the New Kingdom pharaohs
gentle & dependable
How can the flooding of the Nile be described?
Kush
Independent kingdom formed by Nubians
Kerma
Kingdom created when more powerful Nubian villages overtook weaker ones
Piye
Kushite king (son of Kashta) who completed the conquest of Egypt in 723 BC
Kashta
Kushite king who began the conquest of Egypt in 750 BC
Sahara
Largest desert in the world; west of Egypt
Ahmose
Led an uprising against the Hyksos
Nile
Longest river in the world; Egyptian civilization depended on it
Giza
Modern-day city where the Great Pyramid is located
pyramid
Mountain-like stone structure used as a tomb
Hyksos
People of western Asia who conquered Egypt
embalming
Process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death
papyrus
Reed plant used to make sandals, baskets, river rafts and paper
Nubia
Region along the Nile to the south of Egypt; present-day Sudan
Narmer (Menes)
Ruler who united Upper & Lower Egypt into one kingdom
Lower Egypt
The land around the Nile delta
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton)
Tried to change Egypt's religion to worship only one god
Iron tools & weapons, gold, ivory, incense
What was traded by Egypt & Nubia
cataracts
Wild rapids formed by boulders and narrow cliffs found on the Nile River; natural barrier that protected Egypt in the south
hieroglyphics
]Writing system that uses thousands of picture symbols