Egyptian vocabulary

1. ADAMS SOCIAL STUDIES
PROJECT
ANCIENT EGYPT
VOCABULARY
DATE 2014 CLIENT

2. Nile River
major river where ancient Egyptian
civilizations thrived
flows north, starting
at Lake Tana and
emptying into the
Mediterranean Sea
longest river
in the world

3. Mediterranean Sea
the sea located to the north of Egypt
and to the south of Europe
important to ancient civilizations for
fishing, trade routes,

4. Desert
a very dry area with little to no rain

5. Flood
A time when the river water rises high and
spills over the river banks.

6. Irrigation
bringing water to crops

7. barter
To trade

8. economics
the study of how money/goods
are produced and used

9. pharaoh
ruler of ancient Egypt

10. vizier
The Pharaoh’s chief advisor or high
priest.
He was responsible for food supply and
settling arguments between nobles.

11. papyrus
type of paper made from the papyrus grass

12. hieroglyphics
Picture writing used by the ancient Egyptians

13. Rosetta Stone
Stone slab found that allowed archeologists to read hieroglyphs

14. scribe
someone who could write

15. Peasant
poor farmer, low on the social pyramid

16. tomb
stone structure above or below ground
where a dead person buried

17. Pyramid
a large tomb built for Egyptian pharaohs

18. sphinx
half-man, half-lion creature

19. polytheism
the belief in many gods

20. Afterlife
Life after death

21. mummification
process of preserving a dead person

22. Sarcophagus
coffin for ancient Egyptians