Download Egypt Review Key

Social 9 Review of the Egypt Section of this Unit
1. The landscape plays a role in where and how a civilization develops. In
a well written paragraph, explain how the geography of ancient Egypt affected its
development.
THINGS TO INCLUDE - Nile – Defenses – (all directions)
Optional items – water source, food source, trade location
The geography of Ancient Egypt really affected its development. Egypt’s most important
geographic feature is the Nile River. It provided good soil for farming when it overflowed its
banks, it was a water source and used for transportation and trade. Egypt was also well
protected by natural defenses. To the north the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by the cataracts
on the Nile, to the east and west deserts and also in the east was the Red Sea and some
mountains. The only vulnerable spot was the Isthmus of Suez.
2. Egypt is often referred to as the “Gift of the Nile”. Explain that statement and all of the ways
that the Nile was used by the Egyptian civilization.
The Greeks will call Egypt the Gift of the Nile because without the Nile River, Egypt could not
exist. It provides fresh water in the middle of desert conditions. It floods is banks up to 40 km
on each side, which provides fertile soil for growing. It is used for transportation and trade
because the winds blow one way and the current flows the other way. It provides some natural
defense with the cataracts to the south. It was so important that the Egyptians considered it to
be sacred.
3. In point form list the steps for the process of mummification. Use the terms canopic and
natron in your answers.
The body is washed and purified with water from the Nile
A cut is made on the left side of the body and the internal organs are removed. The heart was
considered important so it is left in.
The brain was not considered important. A long rod was shoved up the nose a moved around
to pull out the brain.
The liver, lungs, intestines and stomach are packed in natron and put in canopic jars.
The body is packed with natron and left to dry for 40 days.
The natron is removed and the body is cleaned and has oils put on it. The body is then stuffed
with materials to maintain its shape.
The body is now ready for wrapping with fin strips of linen. Amulets and the Book of the Dead
are placed with the body.
The body is placed in multiple coffins or a sarcophagus and buried.
4. Why was it important to have your body mummified for the Egyptians.
Mummifcation was important because the Egyptians believed that you needed your body again
in the Afterlife.
5. Ancient Egyptian history is divided into 3 periods called __THE OLD KINDGOM________,
__THE MIDDLE KINDGOM_________, and the ___NEW KINGDOM______. We also refer to
periods of Egyptian history by the line of families that was ruling. These ruling families were
known as ___DYNASTIES______.
6. List 2 characteristics of each of the 3 Egyptian kingdoms.
OLD Kingdom = Age of the Pyramids – This is when the Upper and Lower Egypt are united to
form one Kingdom. The Pharaohs are all powerful and have pyramids built for their place of
burial – The Old Kindgom only extended to the first cataract
NEW KINGDOM – Age of the Pharaohs – We know a lot about this age due to the records of
the Pharaohs and their achievements. The new Kindgom extended to the 2nd catatract.
7. Fill in the answers for the following statements:
a) Name of the pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt. ____MENES______________
b) Name of the pharaoh who was a female leader who ruled for her young stepson. She often
had to dress like a man, including wearing a chin wig. ____HAPSHEPSUT______________
c) This “Great” pharaoh was one of the last strong rulers. He expanding the empire and ruled
for a long time. He had many wives and fathered over 100 children. ___RAMSES II__________
d) This pharaoh was fairly unimportant. The only reason he is famous today is because his tomb
was not robbed by grave robbers. ____TUTANKAHMEN___________________
e) This pharaoh attempted to have everyone believe in a single god Aten. That didn’t go over
very well. ______AMENHOTEP IV or AKENATEN___________________________
f) Last pharaoh of Egypt. ____CLEOPATRA_______________________________
g) Ruler of Rome, that Cleopatra used in order to gain an upper hand over her younger
husband/brother Ptolemy XIII.
____JULIUS CAESAR____________________
h) Roman, who Cleopatra turned to and used after the death of the leader from question g.
_MARK ANTHONY_____________
8. Match the Egyptian Gods/Goddesses
a) god of embalming
ISIS
__B___
b) goddess of women and fertility, protector of children
GEB
__H___
c) god of the sky
AMUN__F___
d) ruler of the underworld
HORUS__ C___
e) the sun god, most important god
NUT
_G____
f) king of the gods
RA
_E____
g) sky-goddess, whose body arches across the sky
SETH __I___
h) the god of the earth
ANUBIS__A___
i) god who had his brother killed, and cut his body into 14 pieces
OSIRIS __D___
_G___
__D__
__B___
__A___
__F____
___H____
__I___
__E___
9. What was the focus of the Egyptian religion? Why was it so important?
The focus of Egyptian Religion was life. It was about living in this world but also preparing for the
Afterlife. The Afterlife is all of eternity so it was important
10. Is Egypt polytheistic or monotheistic? POLYTHEISTIC
12. Explain the Egyptian idea of where the soul travelled after it was buried? What happened on this
journey to the afterlife?
The soul of a person would have to travel through the Egyptian underworld. It would face many obstacles
such as lakes of fire and monsters along the way. At the end of the journey, the soul’s heart would be
weighed against the feather of truth. If the heart was light and carefree, the soul could enter the Afterlife.
If the heart was heavy and filled with guilt, the heart would be fed to a monster called the Devourer.
13. Based on our internet game and class videos –
- how were the pyramids built?
- who built the pyramids? (workforce)
- where are the pyramids located?
- why did the Egyptians stop building them?
- where were later pharaoh’s buried?
Pyramids were built as tombs for the early pharaohs of Egypt. They are located at the Giza Plateau and
are perfectly aligned with the points of the compass. There are many theories on how they were built
including the idea of a external straight ramp, an external spiral ramp, machines that could lift blocks up a
layer at a time, and then the internal ramp idea. No one knows for sure how it was done. They were
built mainly by peasant farmers during the times they could not work on their fields. Eventually the stop
building pyramids because they kept getting robbed for all their treasures. They started burying pharaohs
in the Valley of the Kings.
14. List 10 things the Egyptians contributed to help advance society. Choose 4 things from that list and
practice writing a paragraph describing the importance of these Egyptian contributions.
The Egyptians gave us many things that helped advance society. They created a form of writing called
Hieroglyphics which we can now understand thanks to the Rosetta stone. They also created paper from
the papyrus plant for writing on. They had ink for writing. They developed a calendar with 365 days on
it. They were excellent astronomers to figure that out and to be able to align the pyramids with the stars.
They had excellent engineering skills to build the pyramids. The developed a base 10 system of
mathematics and used the decimal. They knew lots about the body from mummification and developed
medicine, including the first pregnancy tests. They also took a lot of pride in their appearance so
deodorant, make-up and perfume were developed. They worked with hot glass to create glass objects.
They developed the sail for transportation on the Nile.
15. Be prepared to compare the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Use the charts provided
for practice.