Ancient Egypt Vocabulary Definitions & Connections

delta A very fertile area where one body of water deposits silt as it drains into a larger body of water Connect: The Nile delta area of Lower Egypt was great for farming because it was very fertile.

pharaoh Ruler of Egypt – controlled government, army, and religion Connect: At first, pharaohs were considered gods; later, Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was a link between the gods and the people of Egypt. (They believed that the pharaoh was the child of Ra, the Sun God. They believed that Ra gave life to Earth, and the pharaoh gave life to Egypt.)

dynasty A ruling family for generations (when the pharaoh died, his son or other member of his family would take over the throne, and this would continue for many years, decades, and sometimes even centuries) Connect: Several different dynasties ruled ancient Egypt

hieroglyphics Ancient Egyptian system of writing using pictures or symbols to stand for objects, ideas, or sounds Connect: The Rosetta Stone helped archaeologist crack the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

papyrus Reed plant growing along the banks of the Nile used to make paper; or simply the paper itself Connect: Papyrus was a major export of Egypt. (Papyrus reeds could be used to make other things besides paper, such as baskets, sandals, etc.)

civilization A group of people with Government, Religion, Economy & Education, Artisans & Agriculture, Technology, and Social classes Connect: Like Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt was an early river civilization.

import To bring goods in from somewhere else Connect: Ancient Egyptians imported wood because they did not have enough wood to build boats, furniture, etc.

export To send goods out to somewhere else Connect: Ancient Egyptians would export grain and papyrus to other places, since they had plenty of it

interdependent One country or region is dependent on another country or region to provide for their own needs (need to use their resources) Connect: Lebanon was a country Ancient Egypt was interdependent on, because the Egyptians depended on Lebanon’s wood for their homes, boats, furniture, etc.

Trade Barriers (Obstacles) Problems that keep people from trading Examples: War, Geography/Landforms (like mountains, deserts, large bodies of water, etc.), Distance (too far away), or Lack of Resources Connect: Ancient Egypt didn’t always trade with Nubia due to war; and also, getting across the Nile cataracts was dangerous

Rosetta Stone A stone found by French soldiers near the city of Rosetta, Egypt with a passage written in three different languages (hieroglyphics, a late Egyptian form of writing called demotic, and Greek) Connect: Important tool used to crack the code to translating (figuring out) hieroglyphics

Primary Source Document, artifact, eye witness or architecture from the time period or event (happened AT THAT TIME IN HISTORY) Egyptian papyrus with hieroglyphics, Rosetta Stone, mummies, King Tut’s golden mask, Howard Carter…

Secondary Source A retelling or reproduction of an artifact, not actually at the event or time period Textbooks about Egypt

Economics Imports Exports Wood Grain Glass Papyrus Horses Gold and Copper Note: People paid taxes, but not in the form of money. A portion (part) of the things people made, grew, or produced would go to the pharaoh. Farmers paid with the crops they grew, as well as by working on irrigation, serving in the army, and by building pyramids

Religion Impacts Pharaoh was considered a god or link between gods and people, so he had lots of power over the people Polytheism – belief in many gods – so artwork and festivals were about gods/goddesses Believed in afterlife – needed body for the afterlife so pharaohs were mummified Believed in the afterlife so pyramids were tombs and filled with things they’d need, like their treasures, food, jewelry, board games, pets and servants (statues)

Religion Impacts (Continued) West of Nile – believed everything died with the sun in the west – so people were buried on the west side Book of the Dead – a guide of spells believed to help you make it through the underworld and to the afterlife – so people were buried with the Book of the Dead

Irrigation Water crops Provide drinking water Led to a surplus of food Shadoof Used to easily and safely get water out of the Nile Mummification Preserved bodies, usually pharaohs Learned about the human body and medical information Hieroglyphics Write laws, business records, religious practices Papyrus Easier than clay tablets Major export

Pyramids Burial for pharaohs Challenged their architectual skills Gave farmers a job during the non-farming season (flood) Square base with triangle shaped sides/faces

Social Pyramid pharaoh nobles and priests merchants and skilled workers farmers and common workers slaves

GEOGRAPHY Nile Only resource for water; Could be used for transportation Flooding Provided silt (good dirt) Desert Blocked enemies Mediterranean Sea Trade route; Helped to block enemies Delta Fertile area for farming Wind Allowed boats to travel south along the Nile Cataracts Rapid, rocky area that made travel on Nile difficult

MAP

Review What geographical feature did most civilizations develop by? 2. What was Hammurabi’s Code and why was it important? water First set of laws to be written and posted; helped unite everyone under the same set of rules/laws