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Cataract- A place on a river (like the Nile) in which water tumbles over rocks (like a waterfall.) Why it's important; Kept boats from moving up and down the river. They made Egypt hard to invade by sending big ships up and down the Nile because they only let small boats slip through. Cataracts on the south kept southern invaders away and the delta to the north kept people coming from the Mediterranean sea out.
Linen- Fabric woven from the flax plant. Why it's important; Kept people comfortable despite the heat. Also, it was important for mummification because mummies where wrapped in strips of linen, and mummification was very important to the ancient Egyptians.
Papyrus- A lot like paper, but made from the papyrus plant. Why it's important; Ancient Egyptian writing thrived because it was easy to write and carry writing around because its hard work and takes a while to carve words into stone tablets, and its not easy to carry. But papyrus is light and easy to write on and carry. Like paper.
Dynasty- A series of rulers who are all descended from one person. Numbered 1-30. Why it's important; Each dynasty was a Pharaoh and his decedents. That was a dynasty. It was a big deal when one ended. Also, the Egyptians calendar was based on the dynasty's.
Step pyramid- A pyramid made from slab like pieces of stone that appear to form a big staircase. Why it's important; It was the predecessor to the pyramids you think of when you hear "pyramid" Also, other cultures like the Aztecs and Mayans used step pyramids, just like the Egyptians.
Ramses II- The 3rd pharaoh of the 19th dynasty, Called "Ramses the great." Why he's important; He created the first ever peace treaty, and was very well known as his name was found in lots of Egyptian ruins.
Delta- A place at the end of a river where sediments have collected and spread out. Why it's important; The Egyptian delta keeps invaders out of Egypt because it is very marshy and stops most big boats. This made it hard for invaders to get in troops and supplies, which makes invading much harder. Also, the Egyptian delta is EXTREMELY fertile and good for farming.
Red and black land- Black land is covered in fertile black silt from the flooded Nile river. Red land is like the desert, and is terrible for farming. Most of Egypt is red land, or desert, but every year, when the Nile floods, fertile black soil is deposited on the shore. Why it's important; Most of Egypt is desert, or red land. So having black land was a pretty big deal for farming and life.
Afterlife- The Egyptians didn't believe that death was permanent. They believed that as long as the body was correctly preserved, you could live forever! The belief was that Pharaohs where the only ones who could live the afterlife, but later, it changed to the belief that anyone who's body was preserved could go on to the afterlife. That's why mummification was so important. Why it's important; No one wants to be dead, and the Egyptians believed that the afterlife allowed you to be alive, even when you are dead. :O
Succession- A group of people or things that share a similar characteristic that follow one after another. Why it's important; The succession of a pharaoh to his son was very important.
Khufu- The 2nd king of the 4th dynasty. Why he's important; Built the great pyramid, which was the largest building at the time.
Silt- Fine particles found at the bottom of rivers. Why it's important; It is very fertile and good for farming. Farming was important to ancient Egypt because everyone needs to eat, and it was especially important because most of Egypt is desert, so silt was very important for farming.
Scribe- Someone who was hired to write documents and record information. Why it's important; They were needed to record information as computers hadn't been invented. Also, they where some of the only people who knew how to read or write, and that is an important skill if you want to record or share information.
Embalm- The process of preserving and cleaning a body to make it last longer. Why it's important; Mummification was an important part of the ancient Egyptian religion, and a body needed to be embalmed before it could me mummified.
Pharaoh- An Egyptian king or queen. a Pharaoh used to be the building that the king or queen lived in, but later, it changed to mean the king or queen themselves. Why they're important; The Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs where all descended from the gods, and they believed that by having a Pharaoh lead them, they where being led by a god.
Hatshepsut- Became the queen of Egypt, and built lots of huge things. She was unknown to archaeologists, as she asked to be drawn and sculpted as a man rather than a woman, because she thought that a Pharaoh had to be a man to be good. Also, Thutmose III tried to erase every trace of her from history, so that no one would know that there was a woman in the dynasty. Why she's important; She attempted to create a foreign policy for trade, and built temples and obelisks, remodeled places, and extended her fathers tomb so it would fit her too when she died.
Hieroglyph- The ancient Egyptian writing system, consisted of pictures and later on, symbols that mean sounds where added. Why it's important; Writing was important for communication and recording data, and hieroglyphics where especially important because Egypt was one of the few ancient countries that allowed people who weren't scribes to learn to read and write.
Mummy- An embalmed and preserved body of a Pharaoh. The process was very complicated and took lots of time, but in the end, you had a dried body with no organs inside stuffed with herbs and preservatives and wrapped in linen strips, called a mummy. Why it's important; Mummification was believed to be necessary to pass on to the afterlife.
Pyramid- A large, pyramid shaped building that housed the tomb of a Pharaoh. They where full of supplies, valuables like gold, and other things the pharaoh might need in the afterlife. Why it's important; the Egyptians put their mummified pharaohs in them and used them to protect the bodies and valuables from the weather.
Obelisk- A large pillar, usually made from red granite, with a pyramid, which is usually an alloy of gold and silver, on top. All four sides of the pillar are covered in hieroglyphs that tell the story of an important event, usually involving the sun god, that the obelisk is dedicated to. Some are very tall, as tall as 105 feet, and some are as short as 10 feet. The Washington Monument is a type of obelisk. Why it's important; They were for decoration and remembering important events.
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