1. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Vocabulary, Section 1
Nubia: an ancient region in the Nile River Valley
Cataract: rock-filled rapids
Herodotus: Ancient Greek explorer who wrote of Egypt
Herodotus wrote that there would not be an Egypt without the Nile River
Nile River: longest in the world; 4,000 miles
Two sources: Blue Nile from highlands of Ethiopia – rapid, fast-moving; White Nile from Eastern Africa – calmer, flows through swamps; they meet in Sudan
Blue Nile
White Nile

2. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Confluence: Where two smaller streams meet to form larger stream or river
The Nile River forms at confluence of Blue and White Nile
Ancient Nubia was along Nile River
Their section of river had six major cataracts
People had to live and farm close to river

3. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Delta: a plain of land and swamp at mouth of a river; formed by river depositing soil
Silt: fine soil found in river bottoms
Fertile: land that is good for raising crops
Nile ran 700 miles through Ancient Egypt from Aswan to the Mediterranean Sea
In “Upper Egypt” it had a narrow strip of approximately 6 miles on each side, then desert

4. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Nile flows south to north “up” the map
As Nile flows north, it slows down and spreads out
Yearly floods deposited fertile silt along lower Nile
River branches out as it reaches Mediterranean and forms a delta with rich farmland

5. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Ancient Egyptians believed Hapi was the God of the Nile
Egyptians called their land Kemet, “Black Land” due to dark, fertile soil
They called deserts “Red Land” and knew they were useless for farming but protected from invasion

6. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Nile served as “highway” for trade
Trading and farming communities grew along Nile
Nubians traded in caravans as their part of river was hard to sail

7. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Vocabulary, Section 2
Pharaoh: Title used by Egyptian kings
Dynasty: a series of rulers from the same family or ethnic group
Ethnic group: people of the same race
Ancient Egypt had 31 dynasties from 3100 BCE to 332 BCE.
The dynasties were divided into three periods: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom

8. Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Monarch: a queen or king
Regent: someone who rules for a child until he or she is old enough to become monarch
Hatshepsut was a woman who took title of pharaoh
Menes was pharaoh in First Dynasty; unified Upper and Lower Egypt