 | Term | Definition |
| |
Afterlife |
An existence following death |
| |
Cataract |
Waterfall |
| |
Cuneiform |
Wedge-shaped writing of the ancient Sumerians and other ancient peoples |
| |
Delta |
Triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers |
| |
Dynasty |
Ruling family |
| |
Egypt |
North African country called the “gift of the Nile”. |
| |
Fertile Crescent |
A geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates |
| |
Gilgamesh |
The oldest work of literature, dating back over 5,000 years |
| |
Hammurabi |
King of Babylon. Created one of the first written code of laws called the code of Hammurabi |
| |
Hebrews |
One of the first groups of people to believe in one God |
| |
Hierarchy |
System of ranks |
| |
Hieroglyphics |
Form of picture writing developed by the ancient Egyptians. |
| |
Isis |
Egyptian goddess who appealed especially to women. She promised life after death to people who were faithful |
| |
Levee |
A barrier built to contain the flow of water or to keep out flood waters |
| |
Lower Egypt |
The northern part of ancient Egypt |
| |
Mediterranean |
Sea located North of Egypt |
| |
Mesopotamia |
“Land between two rivers”. Area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers |
| |
Middle Kingdom |
Time period in Egyptian history when there was great turbulence. |
| |
Monotheistic |
Believing in one God |
| |
Mummification |
Practice of preserving the bodies of the dead |
| |
New Kingdom |
Time period in Egyptian history when the Egyptian Empire began. |
| |
Nile River |
River that runs the entire distance South to North in Egypt. |
| |
Osiris |
Egyptian God of the Nile River. Responsible for the annual flooding of the Nile |
| |
Papyrus |
Reedy type of plant used to make paper that grows along the Nile |
| |
Persian Gulf |
Body of water that lies southeast of Iraq and east of Saudi Arabia. Used as a trade route in the ancient Middle East |
| |
Pharaoh |
Egyptian ruler |
| |
Phoenicians |
Sailing and trading people who had many colonies on the Mediterranean coast |
| |
Pyramid |
Tombs built for the pharaohs |
| |
Rosetta Stone |
Stone that contained carved messages in hieroglyphics, Greek and demotic. Led to deciphering of hieroglyphics. |
| |
Silt |
Rich soil deposited by floodwaters |
| |
Stylus |
Wedge shaped reed used for writing cuneiform |
| |
Sumer |
Name of the first civilization established in Mesopotamia |
| |
Sargon I |
The first emperor of Sumer |
| |
Theocracy |
A system of government by priests claiming a divine appointment |
| |
The Fertile Crescent |
An arc of land that began between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and extended to the Mediterranean coast |
| |
The Old Kingdom |
(The Pyramid Age): Time period in Egyptian history when the pyramids were built |
| |
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers |
The land between these two rivers contained the early civilizations of Mesopotamia |
| |
Upper Egypt |
Southern Egypt |
| |
Ur |
The first important city in Mesopotamia |
| |
Ziggurat |
A temple tower of ancient Mesopotamians, having the form of a terraced pyramid. |
| |
this is a gay set |
hthfhfgh |
