History Middle & New Kingdom

Thebes

capital of Egypt during the Middle & New Kingdom

Dynasty

series of rulers from the same family

Hyksos

Invaders who ruled Egypt for ~150 years; Had better weapons, stronger steel, and horse drawn chariots. End of Middle Kingdom

Avaris

Capital of Egypt under the Hyksos.

Ahmose

drove the Hyksos out of Egypt using their own weapons; start of New Kingdom

Hatshepsut

EGYPTIAN PHARAOH INTERESTED IN TRADE AND BUILDING TEMPLES RATHER THAN WAR.

Was Regent for her step-son Thutmose III, but refused to give up power. Wore a beard and dressed as a man.

Famous for building Temple at Deir el-Bahr

Regent

Someone who serves as pharaoh until person is old enough to become pharaoh

Thutmose III

Wanted war and expansion; Egypt reached its largest size during his reign.

Perhaps attempted to remove all evidence of the reign of his step-mom Hatshepsut, who ruled while he was too young.

Nubia

southern region of Egypt, aka Kush; taken over by Thutmose III

Savanna

a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees; Upper Nile River where the Kingdom of the Kush was located was a savanna

Amenhotep IV

changed his name to Akhenaten to demonstrate his devotion to the god Aten; then tried to make Egypt monotheistic.

Akhenaten

Only monotheistic pharaoh. He believed in one god – ATEN – sun disc

Armana

Egypt’s capital city under Akhenaten; abandoned shortly after his death.

TIme period of Akhenaten’s rule is called the Armana Period

Heretic

person who does not follow widely held beliefs or practices; some called Akhenaten a heretic for trying to make Egypt monotheistic.

Nefertiti

wife of Akhenaten; name means “beautiful wife”

Tutankhamun

KING TUT – best known for the treasures found in his tomb;

son of Akhenaten; Tut restored Egypt to polytheism

Cause of death not known.

Some believe he was killed by an advisor, Ay or Horemheb

Vizier

adviser to the pharaoh

Lord Carnavon

financed the search for King Tut’s tomb.

Valley of the Kings

where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried

Ramses II

warrior pharaoh, built cities and temples with slave labor. 

Built famous temple at Abu Simbel.

Had ~150 children, ~200 wives

Kadesh

Location of famous battle fought between Ramses the Great and the Hittites; Battle was a draw; both sides signed a peace treaty