Ancient Egypt: Pharaohs, the Afterlife, and the Pyramids

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key historical terms, deities, leaders, and engineering concepts from the Grade 10 lesson on ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom.

Theocracy

A form of government led by religious leaders, in which the ruler holds both political and religious authority.

Pharaoh

The all-powerful ruler of ancient Egypt; originally translated as "great house," which referred to the palace where the king lived.

Bureaucrat

A government official appointed to carry out the commands of the pharaoh, supervise public works like dams, canals, and granaries, and collect taxes.

Embalming

The process of treating and preserving a deceased body to prevent decay, ensuring the soul had a home in the afterlife.

Pyramid

A great stone tomb constructed to honour a pharaoh, protect their body from floods, animals, and robbers, and house their belongings.

Old Kingdom

A period of ancient Egyptian history lasting from around $2600\text{ B.C.}$ to $2200\text{ B.C.}$ (about $400\text{ years}$), marked by unity, city development, expanded trade, and a centralized government.

Re

The Egyptian sun god, of whom the pharaoh was considered to be the earthly son who protected Egypt.

Osiris

The Egyptian deity who greeted the dead at the entrance to the afterlife.

Book of the Dead

A collection of funerary spells and prayers written on papyrus studied by Egyptians to help their souls navigate and flourish in the afterlife.

Natron

A natural salt compound used during the embalming process to extract moisture and dehydrate the body over several days.

Mummy

A deceased body that has been preserved with natron salt, filled with spices, and wrapped in linen strips before burial.

Imhotep

The first great Egyptian master engineer and architect credited with designing and organizing the construction of pyramids.

King Khufu

The Old Kingdom pharaoh for whom the Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed.

The Great Pyramid

The largest Egyptian stone pyramid at Giza, standing approximately $500\,\text{ft}$ ($153\,\text{m}$) tall and constructed from more than $2\text{ million}$ stone blocks averaging $2.5\,\text{tons}$ each.

Isis

A prominent ancient Egyptian goddess worshipped independently for her maternal power, magical knowledge, and protective abilities.

Mastaba

An ancient Egyptian flat-roofed, rectangular tomb structure used to bury members of the royal family and nobility.

Hili Grand Tomb

A circular stone tomb located in Al Ain, UAE, dating back approximately $4{,}500\text{ years}$ to the same era as the Egyptian pyramids and preserved as part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.