Chapter 2 Ancient Egypt

Queen Nefertari

First wife of Ramses II - died early in his reign. Ramses II had over 100 children with many wives

Eastern Desert

The desert to the east of the Nile

The Red Land

What some Egyptians call the deserts because of the burning heat.

Nefertiti

Wife of Amenhotep aka Akhenaton

shadoof

a bucket attached to a long pole, to lift water from the Nile to the basins.

Pharohs

all-powerful king in ancient Egypt The Egyptians thought their pharaoh was a god on earth who controlled Egypt's welfare

delta

area of fertile soil at the mouth of a river

Deity

god or godess

papyrus

reed plant of the Nile Valley, used to make a form of paper

Women in ancient Egypt

women could own and pass on property. They could buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain divorces. Upper-class women were in charge of temples and could perform religious ceremonies.

Kemet

"The Black Land" - what ancient Egyptians called their land. Heavy rains from central Africa and melting snows from the highlands of East Africa fed the Nile. They left behind a layer of dark, fertile mud.

Amenhotep IV aka Akhenaton

1370 Amenhotep introduced a new religion that swept away the old gods and goddesses. Instead, only one god, called Aton (AH • tuhn), was to be worshiped.

Hatshepsut

1480 B.C came to power in Egypt. She ruled first with her husband and then, after his death, on behalf of her young nephew. Finally she made herself pharaoh. Hatshepsut became the first woman to rule Egypt in her own right. Was more interested in trade than war

Years of the Old Kingdom

2600 BC - 2300 BC The Egyptians of the Old Kingdom built huge stone pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs.

This number of dynasties lasted over how many years?

31 dynasties, 2800 years

Temple of Karnak

A temple built by Ramses II

The Great Pyramid What is it and when was it built? Who was it built for?

About 2540 B.C., the Egyptians built the largest and grandest of the pyramids known as the Great Pyramid. Built for King Khufu The Great Pyramid is truly a marvel because the Egyptians built it without using beasts of burden, special tools, or even the wheel.

Nile River

Although Egypt (EE • jihpt) was warm and sunny, the land received little rainfall. For water, the Egyptians had to rely on the Nile River (NYL). They drank from it, bathed in it, and used it for farming, cooking, and cleaning. The river provided fish and supported plants and animals. To the Egyptians, then, the Nile was a precious gift. They praised it in a song: "Hail O Nile, who comes from the earth, who comes to give life to the people of Egypt." Even today, the Nile inspires awe. It is the world's longest river, flowing north from the heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. This is a distance of some 4,000 miles (6,437 km). Traveling the length of the Nile would be like going from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Francisco, California, and then back again. The Nile begins as two separate rivers. One river, the Blue Nile, has its source in the mountains of eastern Africa. The other, the White Nile, starts in marshes in central Africa. The two rivers meet and form the Nile just south of Egypt. There, narrow cliffs and boulders in the Nile form wild rapids called cataracts (KA • tuh • RAKTS). Because of the cataracts, large ships can use the Nile only for its last 650 miles (1,046 km), where it flows through Egypt.

670 BC

Assyrians Ruled

Hittites

Attacked Amenhotep aka Akhenaton Egypt's longtime enemy

What geographic features help protect the ancient Egyptians

Cataracts to the south, Delta Marshes to the north offered no harbors for invaders approaching from the sea, Sahara Desert - on the West Eastern Desert - on the East

New Kingdom

Egypt acquired new territory and reached the height of its power. 1550 B.C. to 1080 B.C. Egypt built a strong empire and expanded trade. During the New Kingdom, slavery became common. Enslaved people did have some rights. They could own land, marry, and eventually be granted their freedom.

Re

Egyptian Sun god. Egyptians believed Pharohs were the sons of Re

1150 BC

Egyptians lost empire and controlled only the Nile Delta

surpluses

Extra Amounts of Food

Egypt's Lower Class

Farmers and herders Unskilled workers

Howard Carter

Found King Tut's tomb in 1922

Bastet

Godess She represented motherhood, grace, and beauty, and often appears in paintings and statues as a woman with the head of a cat.

What did the word Pharoh mean

Great house

900 BC

In the 900s B.C., Egypt lost power to outside invaders. Lybians controlled Egypt (people from the West)

Egyptian Medicine

In the course of embalming the dead, the Egyptians learned much about the human body. Egyptian doctors used herbs and drugs to treat many different illnesses. They grew skilled at sewing up cuts and setting broken bones. Some doctors focused on treating particular parts of the body, becoming the first specialists in medicine. Egyptians also wrote the world's first medical books on scrolls of papyrus

760 BC

Kush controlled Egypt (people from the South)

Which two bodies of water gave the Egyptians a way to trade with people outside Egypt?

Mediterranean Sea to the North Red Sea - beyond the desert to the East

Thutmose III

Nephew of Hatshepsut participated in aggressive wars of conquest.

Lower Egypt

Nile Delta

Isis

She represented the loyal wife and mother, and she ruled over the dead with her husband Osiris

Sahara

The largest desert in the world. To the west of the Nile.

Did Egyptians believe in a gloomy afterlife?

They believed that life in the next world would be even better than life on Earth. Following a long journey, the dead would reach a place of peace and plenty

Book of the Dead

This was a collection of spells and prayers that Egyptians studied to obtain life after death

Tutankhamen

Tutankhamen ruled briefly but gained fame because of treasures found buried with him. He relied on help from palace officials and priests, who convinced him to restore the old religion. After ruling for only nine years, Tutankhamen died unexpectedly. He may have suffered a fall or been murdered; no one is sure

Mummy

body that has been embalmed and wrapped in linen

Osiris

god of the dead Egyptians believed that the god Osiris would meet newcomers at the entrance to the next world. If they had led good lives and knew the magic spells, Osiris would grant them life after death.

Hapi

god who ruled the Nile River

Middle Kingdom What are the years?

golden age of peace, prosperity, and advances in the arts and architecture Egypt expanded its borders, and the arts flourished. 2050 B.C. to 1670 B.C

pyramid

huge stone structure built by the ancient Egyptians to serve as a tomb

Narmer (who was he and when did he rule)

king of Upper Egypt, he led his armies north and took control of Lower Egypt 3100 BC

Ahmose In what year?

led an uprising that drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. 1550 BC

dynasty

line of rulers from the same family

Incense

material burned for its pleasant smell

Egypt's upper class

nobles, priests and other wealthy Egyptians who worked as government officials

tribute

payment made by one group or nation to another to show obedience or to obtain peace or protection

Hyksos

people from western Asia, attacked Egypt The Hyksos were mighty warriors. They crossed the desert in horse-drawn chariots and used weapons made of bronze and iron. Egyptians had always fought on foot with copper and stone weapons. They were no match for the invaders. The Hyksos ruled Egypt for about 150 years

Egypt's middle class

people who ran businesses or produced goods Artisans formed an important group within the middle class. They produced linen cloth, jewelry, pottery, and metal goods

Embalming

process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death For centuries, Egyptians believed that only the pharaohs and an elite few could enjoy the afterlife. They also believed that the pharaoh's spirit needed a body to make the journey to the afterlife. If the pharaoh's body decayed after death, his spirit would be forced to wander forever. It was vital that a pharaoh's spirit reach the next world. There, the pharaoh would continue to care for Egypt.

Ramses II

reigned for a remarkable 66 years, from 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C. During this time, Egyptian armies regained lands in western Asia and rebuilt the empire. Ramses also launched an ambitious building program, constructing several major new temples. Ramses II was Egypt's last great pharaoh. Nine kings who ruled after Ramses II named themselves in his honor. Many centuries later, archaeologists nicknamed the pharaoh "Ramses the Great" because of his fame on the battlefield, his construction and restoration of buildings and monuments, and his popularity among the Egyptian people. His subjects fondly called him "Sese," an abbreviation of Ramses.

Upper Egypt

south, upriver

Cataract

steep rapids formed by cliffs and boulders in a river

heiroglyphics

system of writing made up of thousands of picture symbols developed by the ancient Egyptians

Aton

the one god under Amenhotep who was to be worshiped

Valley of the Kings

tombs cut into cliffs west of the Nile River

Earliest rulers of ancient egypt

village chiefs