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Egypt Study Guide Answers
Textbook pgs. 38-67 (old book) 100-127 (new book)
Vocabulary: cataract, delta, papyrus, hieroglyphics, dynasty, pharaoh, deity, embalming, mummy, pyramid, tribute,
incense
Cataract
Steep rapids formed by cliffs and boulders in a river.
Delta
Area of fertile soil at the mouth of a river.
Papyrus
Reed plant of the Nile Valley, used to make a form of paper.
Hieroglyphics
System of writing made up of thousands of picture symbols developed by the ancient Egyptians.
Dynasty
Line of rulers from the same family.
Pharaoh
All- powerful king in ancient Egypt.
Deity
God or goddess.
Embalming
Process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person’s body after death.
Mummy
Body that has been embalmed and wrapped in linen.
Pyramid
Huge stone structure built by the ancient Egyptians to serve as a tomb.
Tribute
protection.
Payment made by one group or nation to another to show obedience or to obtain peace or
Incense
Material burned for its pleasant smell.
Shadoof
A bucket attached to a long pole used to transfer water to storage basins.
Geography: think about your Egypt real estate flyer: delta, river valley, describe the flooding, defensive protection
from deserts & cataracts, access to trade
The Nile River floods gently on a regular dependable schedule that keeps the Nile delta soil rich and fertile. The
Nile River Valley contains rich fertile soil due to the gentle flooding of the Nile River. The Nile delta consists of
marshes that offered no natural harbors for invaders approaching from the sea. On both sides of the Nile River
and Nile Valley there is desert. The Sahara desert lies to the west of the Nile and the Eastern desert lies to the east
of the Nile and stretches all the way to the Red Sea. To the far south, the Nile’s dangerous cataracts blocked
enemy boats from reaching Egypt. Early Egyptians were able to use the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea to
trade with people outside Egypt. The Nile was also heavily used by Egyptians for trade and transportation.
Early Egyptian Government:
Need/purpose for
Egyptians needed an irrigation system built and maintained. They also needed
a way to store and distribute crops. Finally, they needed a way to settle disputes.
Upper & Lower Egypt
the Nile Delta).
Narmer - Memphis
Upper Egypt was located (up river) and Lower Egypt was located (down river at
King of Upper Egypt who took over Lower Egypt and united both Upper and
Lower Egypt. He ruled from Memphis and wore a double crown to represent
both kingdoms.
Khufu
King or Pharaoh who the Great Pyramid was built for.
Egyptian life:
Social classes
UpperThe Pharaoh and his family were at the very top of the Social Pyramid. Made
up of Nobles, Priests, and other wealthy Egyptians who worked as government
officials.
They lived in cities and large estates along the Nile. Their homes were elegant
homes with beautiful gardens and pools.
They had servants who waited on them and performed household tasks.
Men and women wore white linen clothes and heavy eye makeup and jewelry.
Middle
Skilled workers, including traders, shopkeepers, scribes and artisans.
Lived in smaller homes, dressed simpler.
Lower
Unskilled workers and farmers.
Some lived in villages along the Nile, in one room huts with roofs made of palm
leaves, while others lived in the crowded city neighborhoods in small mud-brick
homes with hard-packed dirt floors. They ate a very simple diet.
Role of men and women Men
The father was the head of the family. He taught his sons farming or skilled
trades.
Women
Mothers taught their daughters to sew, cook and run a household. Women
had more rights than females in most other early civilizations. They could own
and pass on property. They could buy and sell goods, make wills, and obtain
divorces.
Upper class women were in charge of temples and could perform religious
ceremonies.
Religion
Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses who they thought controlled
the forces of nature and human activities.
Re: sun god for harvests etc.
Hapi: god of Nile River
Isis: goddess of mothers and wives
Osiris: god of the dead, afterlife
Egyptians believed in a hopeful afterlife. They believed the next life was even
better than this one because the dead reach a place of peace and abundance.
They studied collections of spells and prayers found in the Book of the Dead,
which they believed would help them obtain life after death. They believed
that Osiris would meet then at the entrance to the afterlife. Those that were
“good” and knew the prayers/spells were allowed in. They also believed that
the spirit of a dead pharaoh needed a body to make the journey to the
underworld, so they tried to preserve the body through mummification. If the
body decayed, they believed the spirt would be forced to wander forever. In
order to preserve the dead bodies of pharaohs, they used embalming.
Embalming involved the removal of the body’s organs by a priest. After
removing the organs, the priest placed them in jars for preservation. Then the
body was rubbed with salt and allowed to dry. Next, the body was filled with
spices and perfumes, stitched up, and wrapped in clean linen and oil.
Medicine:
Egyptians learned much about the human body as result of
embalming the dead. Egyptian doctors became skilled at sewing up
cuts and treating broken bones. They focused on treating particular
parts of the body, which led to specialized medicine and doctors.
Egyptian doctors used herbs and drugs to treat many different
illnesses. They wrote about their experiments and medical techniques
on papyrus scrolls, creating the world’s first medical books.
Pharaohs:
General responsibilities/life
The Pharaoh guided Egypt’s every activity. His word was law. The
Egyptians believed he was a god, being the son of Re, the sun god. He
had government officials who oversaw things such as canals,
planting crops, grain storage and collecting taxes.
He was the first person to cut the grain to bring a good harvest. He
drove a sacred white bull through the streets of Memphis, which the
Egyptians believed would bring rich soil and good crops.
He lived in a beautiful huge palace with his family, where servants
took care of all their needs. When the pharaoh appeared in public,
citizens were required to bow down and touch their heads to the
earth.
Major accomplishments of individuals:
Ahmose
Led a rebellion that drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. Egypt became richer and more powerful.
Hatshepsut
First female pharaoh. Focused on increasing trade, building the economy and restoring wealth
for Egypt.
Thutmose III
Led aggressive wars of conquest. Expanded Egypt’s borders. Egypt controlled more
territory than any other time before.
Akhenaton
Tried to change Egypt’s religion to worshipping one god, Aton. He neglected his duties
and therefore Egypt was attacked and lost land.
King Tut
Became Pharaoh at the age of 10. Restored the old religion. Only ruled for 9 years until
his mysterious death.
Ramses II
Extremely effective ruler. Launched huge building program and built several major
temples. The last great pharaoh of Egypt. So effective and well liked that 9 other
pharaohs later took his name.
Pyramids:
Purpose
The purpose of the pyramids was to protect the bodies of the pharaohs from floods,
wild animals, and grave robbers. Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh’s spirit needed a
body to journey to the afterlife so they believed it was very important to keep the body
preserved and protected. The pyramids also served as storage for all the things the
Pharaoh might need in the afterlife.
Major engineering accomplishments: Building pyramids led Egyptians to create advances in mathematics. They
invented a system of written numbers based on 10 and also created fractions.
Great Pyramid of Giza The great Pyramid of Giza was built for the body of King Khufu.