Ancient Egypt: The Gift of the Nile

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the timeline, society, religion, and achievements of Ancient Egypt as presented in the lecture notes.

Herodotus

The Greek historian who described Ancient Egypt as “the gift of the Nile.”

Upper Egypt

The southern region of Ancient Egypt.

Lower Egypt

The northern region of Ancient Egypt.

Unification of Egypt

The event occurring around $3100\,BCE$ when Upper and Lower Egypt were joined under a single pharaoh.

Pharaoh

The ruler of Egypt who was believed to be a living god on earth and the owner of the land.

Hieroglyphics

The Egyptian system of writing used to record laws, religion, and history.

Old Kingdom

The period from $c.\,2686-2181\,BCE$ known as the “Age of Pyramids.”

Memphis

The capital city from which strong central pharaohs ruled during the Old Kingdom.

Middle Kingdom

The period from $c.\,2055-1650\,BCE$ known as the golden age of literature, art, and the “classical” Egyptian language.

Mentuhotep II

The pharaoh who reunited Egypt after a time of division, starting the Middle Kingdom.

Hyksos

A foreign people from the northeast who invaded Egypt and brought the Middle Kingdom to an end.

New Kingdom

The period from $c.\,1550-1070\,BCE$ characterized as a powerful empire and a Golden Age.

Ahmose I

The ruler who drove out the Hyksos and founded the New Kingdom empire.

Valley of the Kings

The site of hidden tombs where New Kingdom kings were buried.

Intermediate Periods

The weaker time periods of division that occurred between the three great kingdoms.

Social Pyramid

The structure of Egyptian society with the pharaoh at the top and farmers, laborers, and enslaved people at the base.

Status of Women

A social dynamic where women had legal rights nearly equal to men, including owning property and bringing cases to court.

Scribes

Highly respected professionals who were trained in reading and writing at temple “Houses of Life.”

Polytheism

The religious system of Ancient Egypt involving the worship of many gods, such as Ra, Osiris, Isis, and Horus.

Mummification

A practice driven by the belief in the afterlife to preserve the body.

Weighing of the Heart

The judgment process where gods determined if a soul was worthy of the afterlife.

Book of the Dead

A collection of spells designed to guide and protect the deceased in the afterlife.

Papyrus

A plant-based paper used by the Egyptians to record ideas and information.

Egyptian Calendar

A scientific achievement consisting of a $365$-day year created by observing the stars.