Vocabulary
Describe a delta
A fan-shaped region created when silt is deposited at the end of a river when it branches out into many sections before emptying into the sea.
What is the name of the Ancient kingdom to the south of Egypt?
Kush/Nubia
Describe a tributary
A smaller river that flows into a larger river.
What was the reason for mummification in ancient Egypt and why were a person's belongings buried with them?
The Egyptians believed that their soul (Ka) still existed in the afterlife, so their bodies and important belongings needed to be preserved so they could use all of those things.
In a dynasty when one Pharaoh dies, describe what happens to decide who the next pharaoh will be.
The next relative in line becomes pharaoh
What are hieroglyphs and what do they represent?
Hieroglyphics is the Egyptian writing system using symbols to represent sounds and ideas.
What is the name of the northernmost region of Egypt with low elevations?
Lower Egypt
Why was the Nile River Delta a great place for ancient Egyptians to settle in?
The Nile River Delta experiences yearly flooding in which nutrient-rich soil (silt) is deposited. That silt makes perfect land for farming and feeding a growing civilization
Who was the god of the underworld and agriculture who determined if spirits of the dead could enter the afterlife at the Hall of Judgment in Egyptian mythology?
Osiris
Why was the pharaoh the most important leader in ancient Egypt? Think: What did they represent and WHO gave them all that power.
They were chosen by the gods and represented the earthly form of the falcon god Horus.
What is a pantheon and give some examples from the Egyptian religion.
A pantheon is the collective group of deities in a specific religion. Examples of gods within the Egyptian religion can be Osiris, Isis, Anubis, Ra, Set, Bastet, Ma'at.
What is the name of the southern region of Egypt with higher elevations?
Upper Egypt
There are two tributaries that connect to form the Nile River. Name both of these tributaries and describe them (which one is in the west and which is on the east?)
The White Nile in the west is the longer and calmer of the two tributaries. The blue Nile to the east is the shorter and more turbulent of the two tributaries
What were the powers/duties of the god Anubis?
He oversaw mummification, protected cemeteries and tombs, and guided souls in the afterlife.
Describe actions by the pharaoh Akhenaten that negatively impacted his kingdom and the people in it.
What is the Rosetta stone and how was it used to decode hieroglyphs?
Rosetta Stone large stone slab with the same message written in 3 different languages. Researchers used their understanding of the Greek language on 1/3rd of the stone to work on decoding the symbols of the hieroglyphs and demotic script.
The Nile River empties to the north into what sea?
Mediterranean Sea
Name the lake and modern country that the White Nile begins in
Lake Victoria in Uganda
What was the one organ that was left inside of a mummy and what was the religious reason for this?
The heart was left inside the mummy because it was believed to be the center of intelligence and emotion, which they needed in the afterlife.
What is the real reason King Tut is so well known today?
His sealed tomb with all of his belongings was discovered intact over 3000 years after his burial
Other Pharaoh's burials at this point in history were already robbed and destroyed centuries ago, so his intact tomb taught us a lot about Egyptian tombs, pharaohs, and mummification.
Define canopic jars AND explain the religious purposes for them
canopic jars are sealed jars containing four mummified internal organs.
Each jar contains one of the 4 organs (liver, stomach, intestines, and lungs) with the head of one of the four sons of Horus meant to protect these organs for the afterlife.
What are the names of the two tributaries that join together to form the Nile River?
The White Nile and the Blue Nile
Name the lake and modern country that the Blue Nile starts in
The Blue Nile starts at Lake Tana in Ethiopia
Describe the weighing of the heart ceremony including the roles played by Ma'at, the feather of truth, and Osiris
In the weighing of the heart ceremony, the soul of the dead has their heart weighed against Ma'at's feather of truth. If the heart is lighter than the feather, Osiris allows that person into the afterlife. If the heart is NOT lighter than the feather, Osiris allows the soul to be consumed by Ammit, a beast that is part crocodile, part lion, part hippo.
This ruler was a commoner that rose to the position of pharaoh with the great military strength of his family. He is also the only pharaoh to have "The Great" added to their name.
Ramses II