Old Kingdom Egypt

Where is Egypt located?

Country in northeastern Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea

How long is The Nile

6650km

Examples of Ancient Soruces.

Literary works, archaeological sites, human remains, inscriptions, tombs and coins.

What does archaeology do?

It helps us understand ancient cultures, their lifestyles, and how they interacted with their environment.

Define artefact.

Object made by a human, typically of cultural, social, and historical importance.

Define cartographer.

A map maker.

Define context.

Information regarding artefact or authors, it assists in interpretation.

Define Excavation.

Process of removing earth to discover what lies beneath.

What are Scarabs

Ancient Egyptian amulets in the shape of beetles, they are also known as dung beetles.

What do scarabs symbolize?

Often associated with Sun God Ra, they represented the cycle of life and rebirth and were buried with the deceased to protect their soul during their journey to the afterlife.

When and where were scarabs used?

Scarabs were used in ancient Egypt during the Middle Kingdom (around 2000-1700 BCE).

Why was the Nile River so productive in terms of agriculture.

Annual Flooding deposited nutrient-rich silt into the soil, replenishing crops and provided a reliable water source for irrigation.

What was the main agricultural crop?

Emmer wheat and barley.

Which direction dose the Nile River Flow?

South to North.

What is the Nile Delta?

Where the Nile River breaks into several branches and drains into the Mediterranean Sea.

From the beginning of the Dynastic period, what was the capital of Egypt?

Memphis.

Which part of Egypt were the pyramids built in?

Saqqara, Giza.

What were the administrative districts or provinces known as?

Nomes.

Where else could people live besides the flood plains, given the surrounding desserts?

Oases

What minerals were found in the Eastern Dessert and the Red Hills?

Gold, copper, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, and limestone.

How wide was the flood plain?

25km across.

What was the Delta of the Nile used for? (Agriculture Terms)

Animal grazing, farming, cultivation of crops and trading.

What are some of activities Ancient Egyptians enjoyed during their earthly life?

They enjoyed sports and festivals, work, jousting and feasts

How did the Egyptians perceive death?

As an extension of their Earth Life

What were the three main parts that made up a person according to Ancient Egyptians beliefs?

Ba, Ka and physical body

Why was mummification significant in the Ancient Egyptian culture?

A body needed to be preserved in a life like way to ensure it could still house the Ba and Ka.

What was the Ancient Egyptian underworld called?

The Duat

What was the name of the god that guided the person through the challenges in the underworld?

God Anubis

What was the role of the Book Of The Dead?

Book containing prayers and instructions for passing the trials of the underworld.

What did Ancient Egyptians believe would happen in the Hall of Truth?

They’d meet the god of the afterlife, Osiris, the would have to make negative confessions, after the confessions their heart was weighed.

What happened when their heart was weighed?

If their heart was lighter than a feather they’d continue into eternal life but if it weighed more than a feather they would be eaten by a beast called Ammit and would cease to exist.

What is the Field of Reeds?

An afterlife similar to earth, paradise with lush vegetation and an idealized version of life

Which god was considered the key god related to the afterlife during the old kingdom?

Sun God Ra

What is meant by the ‘democratization of death’?

Regardless of social status, you could have a good afterlife (following proper rituals)

How did increased literacy affect beliefs about the afterlife?

Allowed more people to read and understand funerary texts that were needed for a successful journey into the afterlife.

What are shabti dolls, and why were they important?

They represented servants, and were important because they were buried with the deceased to help them get into the afterlife.

When did the use of shabti dolls become more widespread

During the New Kingdom because they became cheaper to make.

Did the beliefs about the afterlife in ancient Egypt differ in various periods?

Yes, for examples they believed in different gods, shabti dolls, etc.

What role did Ma’at play in the ancient Egyptian belief system

Ma’at was the goddess of truth and justice, after confessions a persons heart would be weighed against Ma’at’s feather.

What was the relationship between the earthly life and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian beliefs?

Like Earth life they’d have houses, families, enjoy favourite things from earth such as pets and food in the afterlife

Did the ancient Egyptians believe in a putative afterlife?

No, the ancient Egyptians believed the afterlife was an idealistic version of earth, ‘Hell’ didn’t exist, if they hadn’t of lived a virtuous life, they’d simply cease to exist.

What did the ancient Egyptians believe happened to their Ba and Ka after death?"

The Ka would go to the underworld and the Ba was depicted as a bird with a human head, it was able to fly between earth life and afterlife.