Vocabulary Terms
Cataract - dangerous, fast-moving waters
Significance: There are many cataracts in the Nile, making it hard to travel.
Delta - a fan-shaped area of silt
Significance: Lots of plants can grow in the Nile delta and the land is good for farming.
Shadoof - a bucket attached to a long pole that lifts water
Significance: It makes work easier and much more efficient.
Papyrus - a reed plant that grew wild along the Nile
Significance: It was used to make many things like paper, mats, and sandals.
Hieroglyphs - a writing system made up of a combination of pictures and sound symbols
Significance: It was the Egyptian's way of keeping records.
Red Land - the barren desert that protected Egypt
Significance: This protected Egypt from foreign invaders.
Black Land - the fertile land on the banks of the Nile
Significance: This was the land they farmed.
Dynasty - a line of rulers from one family
Significance: This shows how long a family kept power in Egypt.
Theocracy - government by religious leaders
Signifcance: This made everyone have the same religious and political beliefs.
Pharaoh - ruler of ancient Egypt
Significance: The pharaoh kept control in Egypt.
Bureaucrats - a government official
Significance: Bureaucrats helped carry out the pharoah's orders. They supervised construction and helped run the country.
Embalming - the process of treating a body to keep it from decaying
Significance: It protected the Egyptian's bodies so they could enter the afterlife.
Pyramid - great stone tomb built for an Egyptian pharaoh
Significance: Egyptians honored pharaohs with pyramids. They put the pharaoh's body in the pyramids.
Incense - a material that produces a pleasant smell when burned
Significance: The Egyptians traded beads, metal tools for incenses.
Envoys - a government representative to another country
Significance: Envoys were used to maintain close ties with foreign countries.
