Ancient Egypt

Pharaoh

A king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds

sun god

Ra

Polytheism

belief in more than one god

King Menes (Narmer)

Pharaoh who united upper and lower Egypt

Dynasty

A series of rulers from the same family

New Kingdom Egypt

the period 1550 BC-1050 BC where Egypt reached the height of its power and glory

Rosetta Stone

a huge stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics, Greek, and a later form of Egyptian that allowed historians to understand Egyptian writing.

Embalming

process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death

Shadoof

a bucket attached to a long pole used to transfer river water to storage basins

Papyrus

A reed that grows along the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. From it was produced a coarse, paperlike writing medium used by the Egyptians and many other peoples in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East.

Nile River

The world's longest river, which flows northward through East Africa into the Mediterranean Sea

Cataracts

rapids along a river, such as those along the Nile in Egypt

Upper Egypt

the southern part of ancient Egypt

Lower Egypt

The northern part of ancient Egypt

canopic jars

Jars used during embalming to hold organs (liver, intestines, stomach, lungs)

pyramid

Huge, triangular shaped burial tombs of Egyptian pharaohs

Queen Hatshepsut

First female pharaoh between 1473 - 1458 BCE who expanded Egypt through trade.

King Ramses II

Important New Kingdom pharaoh who defended Egypt from invaders and strengthened defenses

sarcophagus

a large stone coffin