Geography & the Nile
Why was Egypt called the “Gift of the Nile”?
The Nile provided food, water, trade, and protection.
Pharaohs were both political leaders and ____.
Religious leaders (god-kings).
Egyptians practiced what type of religion?
Polytheism.
Most Egyptians were part of what social class?
Farmers/peasants.
What was Egypt’s system of writing called?
Hieroglyphics.
The Nile’s flooding was different from Mesopotamia’s because it was…
Predictable and helpful.
What concept of truth, balance, and justice guided Egyptian law?
Ma’at.
Who was the Egyptian sun god?
Ra.
What role did scribes play in Egyptian society?
Kept records, taxes, and wrote documents.
What plant was used to make paper-like material?
Papyrus.
What natural feature protected Egypt from most invasions?
The deserts (Sahara & Eastern deserts).
Who helped the pharaoh run the government by carrying out orders?
Viziers and bureaucrats.
What was the process of preserving bodies for the afterlife?
Mummification.
How were women’s rights in Egypt different from Mesopotamia?
Egyptian women could own property and run businesses.
What did Egyptians use math for?
Building pyramids and measuring farmland.
What are cataracts on the Nile?
Rapids that blocked travel and invasions.
How was Egypt’s government different from Mesopotamia’s?
Egypt was unified under one pharaoh; Mesopotamia had many city-states.
What book guided Egyptians through the afterlife?
The Book of the Dead.
Name two jobs artisans might have had in Egypt.
Potters, jewelers, builders, painters, sculptors.
Name one medical advancement from Ancient Egypt.
Surgery, healing practices, setting bones, early dentistry.
Compare Egypt’s geography to Mesopotamia’s in one similarity and one difference.
Similarities = fertile land; Differences = Nile predictable vs. Tigris/Euphrates unpredictable, deserts gave Egypt protection.
Why was the pharaoh considered so powerful in Egyptian society?
Seen as a god on Earth who controlled laws, taxes, war, and religion.
Why did Egyptians invest so much in tombs, mummification, and treasures?
They believed in an eternal afterlife and wanted to prepare for it.
If you lived in Egypt, which social class do you think had the hardest life, and why?
Opinion-based, but must connect to roles (ex: farmers worked hardest with little reward).
Which Egyptian achievement do you think had the greatest impact on future civilizations? Explain.
Opinion-based, but possible = writing, calendar, medicine, architecture.