Early Agrarian Centers - Part 2 (Egypt) Flashcards
Module 2
Divine Kingship
One King or Ruler (Pharaoh) rules over all without dispute, and is ordained by the gods/god to bridge the gap between man and the gods
Who united Egypt and started the empire?
Menes
Why is the Nile river important?
It hydrates the land around it (the Nile delta) allowing for farming to take place despite the lack of rain in the area.
It is also the longest river (4,132 miles) in the world, and was an important mode of transportation in ancient Egypt
Bantu
Bantu means persons or people in Egyptian
People in Sub-Saharan Africa
- languages belonging to the Niger-Congo family
- Pioneer Farmers
- Loved Canoes
- Iron metallurgy
Nubia
Nubia is located South of Upper Egypt, called the Nubian desert today.
- Egyptians called it “Ta-Seti” meaning “the land of the bow”
- In the Bible Nubians are called Cushites (from the land of Cush, or Nubia)
- Moses married a Cushite woman
- Job mentions Cushite Topaz
- Traded baboons with Egyptians, and other things
- Expert archers
Egyptian Women vs. Mesopotamian Women
Women in Egypt
- Had more rights than in Mesopotamia
- Could initiate a divorce
- Pursued trades/jobs
- Families were often matrilineal
- could be priestesses and sometimes queen
- painted in yellow fair skin color (vs men in dark red flesh) from staying indoors
- same level as men in art, showing affection for each other
Egyptian God: Re
Also called Ra, or Amon/Amun-ra
the Sun God,
Floats across the sky every day in a solar barque (boat) called Mandjet, and at night would traverse the underworld in his Mesektet.
Osiris
God of vegetation (taught Egyptians how to farm)
later became god of the Underworld after Set (his brother) dismantled him and Isis put the pieces back together
Isis
Goddess of the Earth
Sister and wife of Osiris, the couple symbolizes life, death, fertility, and victory over death
Horus
Falcon head, “Eye of Horus”
Son of Isis and Osiris
Fights his uncle, Set, and becomes king restoring order after Set’s disruptions
Anubis
God of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld.
Jackal head
Basically Egyptian grim reaper
Ma’at
Represented as a feather in Egyptian artwork and the book of the dead. Ma’at is the order of the universe. It encompasses truth, justice, and harmony.
The Pharaoh’s main purpose and duty was to maintain ma’at
Ankh
Hieroglyphic symbol representing the word for “life”
What do the Papyrus in Tombs tell us about Egyptian society?
We have learned a lot from papyrus scrolls found in tombs, including the reasoning for their elaborate burial accomodations, medicine, and the “Book of the Dead” depicting what they expected in the afterlife.
What do the Pyramids and Tombs tell us about Egyptian society?
The level of importance believed by the Egyptians regarding the afterlife was beyond anything we see today. So many riches and hours of labor were spent especially in the embalming and preparation of a tomb for elites in their society.
