Ancient Egypt Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and definitions related to Ancient Egypt.

Nile River

The river that provided water, fertile land, and transportation for ancient Egypt; its predictable floods supported agriculture.

Delta

The triangular fertile region where the Nile meets the Mediterranean Sea; important for farming and settlement.

Upper and Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt is the southern part of the Nile Valley; Lower Egypt is the northern delta region; Egypt was unified under one ruler.

Cataracts

Rocky rapids along the Nile that served as natural barriers and protected Egypt from invasion.

Ra (Re)

The sun god, creator of life, traveled across the sky by day and through the underworld by night.

Amon-Ra

The combination of Amon and Ra, worshipped as the supreme god during the New Kingdom.

Aten

The sun disk god worshipped mainly under Akhenaten during Egypt’s brief monotheistic period.

Osiris

The god of the afterlife and resurrection; judged souls and symbolized renewal.

Horus

The sky god and protector of the pharaoh, often shown as a falcon.

Anubis

The god of mummification and protector of the dead; a jackal-headed deity.

Thoth

The god of writing and knowledge; scribe of the gods, often shown as an ibis.

Ma’at

The goddess of truth, justice, and order; represented balance in the universe.

Ba

The personality or soul of a person that could travel between the living world and afterlife.

Ka

The life force or spiritual double of a person that required offerings after death.

Akh

The blessed spirit that successfully reached the afterlife.

Duat

The underworld where the soul traveled after death to face judgment.

Ammit

A creature that devoured unworthy hearts during the judgment of the dead.

Field of Reeds

A paradise-like afterlife where worthy souls lived eternally in peace.

Mummification

The process of preserving the body through embalming and wrapping so the soul could recognize it in the afterlife.

Canopic Jars

Containers used to hold internal organs removed during mummification.

Book of the Dead

A collection of spells to guide the deceased through the afterlife.

Weighing of the Heart

The ceremony where Anubis weighed the deceased’s heart against Ma’at’s feather to determine worthiness.

Temple

A sacred place dedicated to the worship of gods and goddesses.

Priest

A person who performed rituals, maintained temples, and served as an intermediary between gods and people.

Scribe

An educated person who could read and write; kept records and copied religious texts.

Polytheism

The belief in many gods and goddesses, each with specific roles and powers.

Divine Kingship

The belief that the pharaoh was both a king and a god, chosen to uphold Ma’at.

Negative Confession

A list of 42 statements where the deceased declared innocence of sins before the gods.

Ma’at: connection to the pharaoh

The pharaoh’s main duty was to uphold Ma’at, ensuring justice and balance in the kingdom.

Narmer

The king credited with uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BCE; depicted on the Narmer Palette.

Old Kingdom

The era of pyramid building where pharaohs were considered divine and major projects were conducted in Giza.

New Kingdom: Hatshepsut

A female pharaoh who expanded trade and built monumental temples; ruled peacefully.

New Kingdom: Akhenaten

A pharaoh who introduced monotheism centered on Aten and altered artistic styles.

New Kingdom: Tutankhamen

A boy king who restored traditional gods; his tomb’s discovery provided insights into burial customs.

Death Mask of Tut

A gold funerary mask symbolizing power and protection in the afterlife.

Hyksos

Foreign rulers who controlled parts of Egypt and introduced new technologies like the chariot.

Hittites

A rival empire in Anatolia; fought Egypt at Kadesh and later signed an early peace treaty.

Rosetta Stone

A stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek; key to decoding hieroglyphs.

Palette of Narmer

A ceremonial palette showing King Narmer uniting Egypt; one of the earliest historical records.

Step Pyramid of Djoser

The first large stone building in Egypt; designed by architect Imhotep at Saqqara.

Great Pyramid of Khufu

The largest pyramid at Giza; one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Hymn to Akhenaten

A poetic praise of Aten as life-giver; reflects Akhenaten’s religious reforms.

Theories about Akhenaten

Debates whether he was a true monotheist or used religion to centralize power.