Ancient Egypt: Middle Kingdom to New Kingdom – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, the intermediate periods, major rulers, and religious shifts.

Old Kingdom

Early period of ancient Egypt known for pyramid building and centralized royal power.

First Intermediate Period

Era of chaos and anarchy after the Old Kingdom, with little central control.

Middle Kingdom

Period of order after the First Intermediate Period; Thebes becomes the capital; expansion up the Nile; shift from pyramid-building to public works.

Thebes

New capital city in Upper Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdoms.

Memphis

Old capital of Egypt; replaced by Thebes as the center of power in the Middle/New Kingdom.

Valley of the Kings

Underground tombs on the west bank of the Nile; the famous burial place for New Kingdom pharaohs.

Hyksos

Nomadic rulers who invaded Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period; introduced bronze, the horse-drawn war chariot, and new warfare techniques.

Second Intermediate Period

Period of Hyksos rule between the Middle and New Kingdoms.

New Kingdom

Egypt’s empire-building era; militarily powerful, expansive, and expansive into regions like Nubia and Mesopotamia.

Hatshepsut

Female pharaoh of the New Kingdom; renowned builder and expansionist.

Thutmose III

Often called the Napoleon of Egypt; renowned warrior-king who greatly expanded the empire.

Akhenaten

Pharaoh who attempted to establish monotheism by worshiping Aten (the sun disk).

Aten

Sun god central to Akhenaten’s religious reform; key figure in his mono/polytheistic shift.

Nefertiti

Famed queen and wife of Akhenaten; famous bust symbolizing beauty and the Amarna era.

Pharaoh

Ruler of ancient Egypt; divine or god-like status; term referenced by Hebrews in their history.

Bronze

Metal alloy introduced to Egypt by the Hyksos, used for tools and weapons.

War chariot

Horse-drawn military technology introduced or popularized by the Hyksos; increased warfare speed and effectiveness.

Nubia

Region to the south along the Nile; Egypt expands its influence and territory there during the Middle Kingdom.

Cataracts

Rapids or waterfalls along the Nile that act as natural barriers to navigation.

Monotheism

Belief in a single god; Akhenaten’s religious reform attempted to establish worship of Aten.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods; traditional Egyptian religion before Akhenaten’s reforms.

Hebrews

Group associated with biblical monotheism; present in Egypt and linked to discussions of slavery and influence during the Hyksos era.