Key Item | Definition |
Desertification | Any change of fertile land into desert. |
Delta | A triangle-shaped area of islands and marshes at the mouth of a river |
Silt | Fine bits of rock and soil carried of deposited by water. |
Predict | To tell ahead of time what will happen. |
Cataract | A waterfall or spot where water runs fast over rocks. |
Dynasty | A series of rulers from the same family. |
Pharaoh | A ruler of ancient Egypt. |
Papyrus | A paperlike material ancient Egyptians used to write on; made from reeds that grow in the Nile River. |
Pyramid | A burial place for the dead, often for a dead ruler in Ancient Egypt. |
Peasant | A poor person who lives on and farms the land. |
Edict | A command. |
Hieroglyphics | A writing system in which pictures or symbols stand for sounds, whole words, or ideas. Writing system used in Ancient Egypt. |
Mummy | A preserved body. |
Obelisk | An ancient stone monument. |
Annex | To take over. |
Independence | Complete freedom. |
Trading Network | A group of buyers and sellers. |
Kemet | What the Egyptians called their land. It means "Black Land" and came from the fact that the land around the Nile was dark and rich. |
Inundation | The period of time in Egyptian society when water covered the fields. It began in the spring and did not leave the fields until late summer. This is when the river deposits the rich silt on the land to make it fertile. |
Emmergence | The land "emerges" again. Begins in the late summer and does not end until the middle of winter. This is when the farmers begin planting and growing all the crops. |
Harvest | Is the dry time of the year. At this time farmers will care for and collect their crops. This will last from Middle of Winter to late spring. |
Upper Egypt | The area of Egypt where the river begins. They are the villages that are in the southern area of the Nile River. In the upper part of the river. |
Lower Egypt | The villages in the Northern part of the river. The area that is the delta and the land right before the delta. In the lower part of the river. |
King Menes | The king that legend claims to have united Upper and Lower Egypt in 3000 BC. |
Amon Re/Re | The sun god of Ancient Egyptian religion. Created the other gods and the world as the Egyptians knew it. It is believed that the pharaoh is the son of Amon Re. |
Egyptian Religion | Developed because the people needed a way to explain things that science and technology could not. The stories describe nature and human nature. |
Vizier | A government official who was an advisor to the pharaoh. |
Old Kingdom | 2625 BC to 2130 BC. Also known as the "Age of the Pyramids." It is during this time that the Great Pyramid in Giza was built. Also, from this time period we learn the most about Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. |
Middle Kingdom | 1980 BC to 1630 BC. It is during this time that the Middle Class develops. Society changes from only two classes (Nobles and Peasants) to a structure that involved 5 classes. The pharaoh is at the top, then Nobles and Priests, Craftworkers merchants an |
New Kingdom | 1539 BC to 1075 BC. It is during this time that Egypt experiences a religious crisis. King Akhenaton and his wife Nefertiti create a rule where Egyptians will only worship one god. Society panics and is afraid that society will crumble. Also expands t |
Imhotep | The great architect who created the first pyramid for King Zoser. Built a brick mastaba and then stacked smaller mastabas on top. It created a stair case effect, making the pyramid a "staircase to heaven." |
Masataba | A flat stone tomb that is just like a rectangle. |
slaves | Usually were prisoners of war. They were allowed to own personal objects and even hold government jobs. Also they were allowed to earn their freedom. |
Akhenaton | "Servant of Aton." The pharaoh that made the decision to change Egypt from worshiping the many gods to only one, Aton. This is going to cause panic because the people are afraid the other gods will be angry the people are not worshipping them. |
Nefertiti | The wife of Akhenaton, who urged him to change the religion. |
Aton | The only god that was worshipped during the reign of Akhenaton and his wife Nefertiti. |
King Tutankhamen | Came to throne when he was 9 and died and the age of 18. Restored the worship of many gods in Egypt. Remembered bacause the amount of wealth that was found in his tomb. Gives historians the most information about Ancient Egypt. |
Queen Hatshepsut | Fought her way to becoming pharaoh. Is remembered for expanding trade routes, building temples, and conquering more land. Took on the title of King to continue tradition. |
Nubia | The land to the South of Egypt that was full of goods to trade. Developed at about the same time as Egyptian culture. Also are very similiar that it is difficult to tell the two apart. Has granite, ivory, spices, salt, slaves, and gold. |
Wawat | What the Egyptians named the northern area of Nubia after they conquered the land. |
Kush | What the Egyptians named the Southern part of Nubia after it was conquered. Will be the new name of the area after it gains its independence from Egypt. |
King Kashta | The most well known Kushite leader to become pharaoh in 750 BC. Will be followed as leader by his sons for about 100 years. |
Iron Working | The Hushites will develop a method for making iron. This is going to improve weapons, tools, trade, and other products. |
Meroe | The Kushite capital where most trading will be conducted. Depended on iron working to bring wealth to Kush. |