Midterm 2023: Egypt + Mesopotamia

Scarab/Dung Beetle

symbol of rebirth in Ancient Egypt; “life emerging from the waste”

Importance of sun

sun = life

Ra

God of sun & light; creator god; considered King of Gods in Old Kingdom

Amun

God of air; name means “the hidden”; Considered King of Gods in Middle Kingdom

Amun-Ra

Amun and Ra combined into one; all powerful god of sun and universe

Syncretism

Blending of two or more religious beliefs or deities

Myth of Osiris

Egyptian myth that reinforces Egyptian concept of life, death & rebirth

Eye of Horus

symbol of healing & protection

Set

god of chaos; human qualities

dualism

two sides; sense of balance

Hieroglyphics

sacred carvings used for royals

Papyrus

paper-like substance made out of papyrus plant

The Rosetta Stone

an inscribed stone with three languages that helped decipher the Ancient Egyptian language

Pharoah

Great house; ruler of Egypt

Dynasty

right to rule passed through family

Mastaba

the first Egyptian tomb built for pharoahs

step pyramid

second phase of pyramids where its built like cakes

full pyramids

final pyramids which we recognize today

mummification

the preservation of a dead body

Hyksos

nomadic tribe from Asia that ruled Egypt for 100 years

chariots

brought to Egypt by Hyksos

Egyptian Empire

Egypt conquering other nations

Kingdom/Monarchy

ruled by king/queen

Empire

conquered others

Imperialism

empire-building

city state

a town or city and the surrounding land

cuneiform

wedge shaped writing

ziggurats

temples of layers

polytheism

belief in multiple gods

Hammurabi

leader of Babylon

Code of Hammurabi

complex harsh system of laws

Ashurbanipal

leader of Assyria; known for great library at Nineveh

Assyrian accomplishments

among first to use calvary; destroyed Babylon

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Mesopotamian story focused on topic of immortality