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83 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Accretions
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refers to the layers of stone that made up the first Old Kingdom pyramids (such as the Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara and Sneferu’s Meidum pyramid). These pyramids were built with a solid center with accretions (concentric) layers moving outward. The stone blocks in these accretions were set on a slant tilting inwards.
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Air shafts
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small shafts cut in the Great Pyramid at Giza that extend from the burial chamber and the Queen’s Chamber. They are only about 20cm x 20cm and actually have limestone plugs in them, preventing airflow. It is most likely that they were symbolic routes for the king’s spirit to travel outward.
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Akh
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one of three believed elements of a person’s existence in the afterlife (human soul) that is often associated with “effectiveness” in life and transfiguration into blessed status upon rebirth
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Ankh
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hieroglyphic symbol in the form of a looped cross representing life or to live
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Ascending passage
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a passage in Khufu’s Great Pyramid that extends from the burial chamber to a horizontal passage leading to the Queen’s Chamber
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Ashlar (masonry)
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the architecture of laying smooth cut rectangular or square stones in regular layers separated by mortar. Method used for building the Great Pyramid.
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Ba
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one of the three believed elements of a person’s existence in the afterlife that is associated with the body. The ba is often considered as the manifestation of one’s self after death and is able to leave the tomb and maintain contact with the realm of the living. For the ba to exist, the body had to be preserved.
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Basalt
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a type of stone used in construction, usually for floors. There was an important Old Kingdom quarry in the Faiyum region.
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Black top ware
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the earliest of predynastic pottery made of red clay with black-fired tops
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Boat pit
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pits constructed for the burial of boats that are seen outside many burial sites (Abydos, Giza, Saqqara, etc). The boats had no functional purpose and were most likely there for the afterlife journey of the king. Some boat pits are contain the boats with mud-brick packed in and around the hull (Abydos) and others were rectangular with the boat disassembled inside (Giza).
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Burial chamber
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corbelled chambers built into the pyramids with passageways leading out to a side of the pyramid.
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Cartouche
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oval-shaped loop encircling a royal name, always seen on the coffin of the king or queen
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Causeway
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covered walkway connecting the mortuary temple to the valley temple in Old Kingdom pyramid complexes
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Cenotaph
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a symbolic tomb or mortuary complex (the actual body is buried elsewhere)
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Cist Tomb
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tombs that were lined with mud-brick (stone) and covered with a stone slab. Cist tombs were seen prior to the appearance of burial chambers in Old Kingdom pyramid complexes, for example at Abydos
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Corbel, Cobelling, corbelled vault(ing)
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the construction of the roofs of chambers built inside pyramids that was designed to deal with the downward pressure from the stone layers above. Corbelling involves making the roof of the room in different courses or layers in which each course projects more inward than the one below it.
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Dark on light ware (Naqqada II)
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a type of predynastic pottery seen in the Naqqada II (3500-3200BC) period in which the pottery was made with a light surface and decorated with red designs (There is also light on dark ware that was made before. The shift to dark on light marks the shift into Naqqada II)
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Enclosure Wall
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refers to the wall surrounding the entire mortuary complex. Enclosure walls were tall and thick with recessed paneling. Some Old Kingdom complex enclosure walls (3rd dynasty) had alternating niches and rectangular protrusions that were carved to be false doors, but only one allowed entrance.
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Engaged column
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columns that are not freestanding, they are a part of another architectural element (ex. in a wall or connected at the base). It is possible that the architects did not trust free-standing pillars, but its not certain.
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Faience
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a fabric made of quartz, lime, and alkali used to make statuettes, amulets, and ritual vessels. Often bright blue or bright green, but it could be glazed in a variety of colors
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Faise Beard
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refers to the divine Osirid form of the beard, which was a long, narrow beard of several strands plaited like a braid and jutting out at the end. These beards always seem to represent divine nature. False beards were also worn by kings and secured by a cord for certain occasions to represent living divinity.
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False door
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an architectural feature of mortuary temples and tombs that is a representation of a door. In a temple, it functioned as the focus of mortuary cult activities and in the tomb it served as a means for the ba and ka to travel between the subterranean burial chamber and the tomb chambers
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Frontal-profile view
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view used in art forms of humans in which the face and upper torso faces frontward and the lower torso (waist) and below remain in a profile view.
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Granite
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in ancient Egyptian architecture, granite was used for statues, lining burial chambers, exterior veneers pyramids, temple columns, offering tables, door jambs and thresholds. Though granite was good for ornamental use, its hardness made it difficult to quarry and transport.
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Hieratic (three meanings)
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1.) a kind of script-- a short-hand (scribal) form of hieroglyphics for actual writing (e.g., record keeping); it can also be used for demotic Egyptian writing, 2.) it can mean "religious" or "sacred" (like the Greek stem)--but normally associated with specific priestly offices or titles, or 3.) it can mean formal stylizations in art.
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Hieroglyphic
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a formal writing system consisting of pictures/symbols that was used on the walls of temples and tombs. The Greek word “hieroglyph” literally means “sacred writing”
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Horizontal coursing
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laying the building blocks of pyramids in horizontal layers, leveled with mortar or small rocks
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Indented/palace facade
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refers to the facade of the mastaba that contained recessed paneling. The facade was hung with colored mats and the door posts were surmounted by drum lintel. The doorway was closed with double doors or by a rolled mat that descended like a window shade.
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Ka
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the part of the soul represented in human form. The element of the being that requires sustenance after death. The ka travels through the false doors from the burial chamber to offering chambers.
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Ka tomb
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symbolic tomb for the resting place of the king’s ka (for example, the South Tomb in Djoser’s complex at Saqqara is believed to be for the ka) – (I also found out that there was a king named Ka who was buried in a tomb at Abydos, but I think this term refers to the symbolic tomb)
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Libyan palette
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a palette dating to late 4th millennium BC of which only the lower part has been recovered. It is carved on both sides with raised relief, showing on one side a group of animals divided into three registers, or sections, and groups of trees in the fourth one. On the first section, we see oxen depicted with large eyes and strong, stylized musculature. The second section shows donkeys, while the third one depicts rams. The opposite side portrays a falcon, a lion, a scorpion and an additional pair of falcons equipped with hoes. The animals are participating in a foundation ceremony for cities. These are represented by surrounding walls and buildings, some of which are accompanied by hieroglyphic names of localities in the western Delta.
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Lotus/sedge
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a flower native to Upper Egypt and was therefore a common symbol of Upper Egypt. Lotus flowers were often depicted as intertwining with papyrus leaves to represent the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (ex. Narmer Palette)
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Mace head of the Scorpian King
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artifact recovered at Hierakonpolis dating from the Early Dynastic period. The mace head depicts the king Scorpion wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt with 2 men behind him fanning him.
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Mastaba
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Mud-brick or stone rectangular tomb superstructure characteristic of Archaic royal tombs and private tombs of the Old and Middle Kingdoms
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Monolithic
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a sculpture or building that is shaped from a single block or stone (usually also characterized by massiveness and uniformity, ex. the Sphinx)
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Hieroglyphic
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a formal writing system consisting of pictures/symbols that was used on the walls of temples and tombs. The Greek word “hieroglyph” literally means “sacred writing”
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Horizontal coursing
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laying the building blocks of pyramids in horizontal layers, leveled with mortar or small rocks
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Indented/palace facade
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refers to the facade of the mastaba that contained recessed paneling. The facade was hung with colored mats and the door posts were surmounted by drum lintel. The doorway was closed with double doors or by a rolled mat that descended like a window shade.
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Ka
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the part of the soul represented in human form. The element of the being that requires sustenance after death. The ka travels through the false doors from the burial chamber to offering chambers.
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Ka tomb
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symbolic tomb for the resting place of the king’s ka (for example, the South Tomb in Djoser’s complex at Saqqara is believed to be for the ka) – (I also found out that there was a king named Ka who was buried in a tomb at Abydos, but I think this term refers to the symbolic tomb)
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Libyan palette
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a palette dating to late 4th millennium BC of which only the lower part has been recovered. It is carved on both sides with raised relief, showing on one side a group of animals divided into three registers, or sections, and groups of trees in the fourth one. On the first section, we see oxen depicted with large eyes and strong, stylized musculature. The second section shows donkeys, while the third one depicts rams. The opposite side portrays a falcon, a lion, a scorpion and an additional pair of falcons equipped with hoes. The animals are participating in a foundation ceremony for cities. These are represented by surrounding walls and buildings, some of which are accompanied by hieroglyphic names of localities in the western Delta.
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Lotus/sedge
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a flower native to Upper Egypt and was therefore a common symbol of Upper Egypt. Lotus flowers were often depicted as intertwining with papyrus leaves to represent the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (ex. Narmer Palette)
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Mace head of the Scorpian King
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artifact recovered at Hierakonpolis dating from the Early Dynastic period. The mace head depicts the king Scorpion wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt with 2 men behind him fanning him.
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Mastaba
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Mud-brick or stone rectangular tomb superstructure characteristic of Archaic royal tombs and private tombs of the Old and Middle Kingdoms
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Monolithic
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a sculpture or building that is shaped from a single block or stone (usually also characterized by massiveness and uniformity, ex. the Sphinx)
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Mortuary complex (pyramid complex)
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refers to the set of buildings that not only serve as burial sites for the king (and sometimes others as well as burial goods) but also as a place of ritual practice of the mortuary cult. Mortuary/pyramid complexes generally consisted of symbolic tombs, courtyards (heb sed), boat pits, pyramid or mastaba with burial chamber, satellite pyramids (sometimes Queen’s pyramids also), causeway, mortuary temple, and valley temple.
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Mortuary palace or mortuary enclosure
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Mud-brick enclosures from the Archaic Period where the deceased king was supposed to perform the Hebsed ceremony during the afterlife. These buildings were replicas of actual palaces where the Hebsed took place.
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Mortuary Shrine/Chapel
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Activity around the site of the tomb at the burials at Abydos, which shows the presence of a mortuary cult
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Mortuary temple
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In a mortuary complex, the area built for the cult of the king. This was the most important area of the complex in actual use.
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Naqada
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A pre-dynastic burial ground, where pit graves were used.
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Nemes head-cloth
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The most important symbol of royalty. It is shown in the statue of Djoser from the 3rd dynasty.
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Offering Table
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The platform in the offering chamber where people could leave offerings to sustain the king’s ka. There was often a false door near the offering table for the ka to move through. Menkaure's mortuary complex contained an unfinished offering chapel in the mortuary temple.
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Palette
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A slab of stone used for mixing face paint. These were often decorated, often depicting violence and sometimes made to look like animals, and have been found in burials from the Pre-dynastic period.
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Palette of Narmer
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found in the Abydos cemetery, this palette is thought to be from the first king of a unified Egypt, Narmer (who is wearing the white crown of Lower Egypt in the palette). It contains the serekh along with the horus falcon on top of a bundle of papyrus flowers. There is also cattle on the palette, which represents the goddess Hathor. The palette is thought to represent the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt.
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Palm columns
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Columns in temple architecture resembling the shape of palm trees. An example of this is found in Unas’ 5th dynasty mortuary complex.
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Papyrus
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The symbol for Lower Egypt
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Pented roof
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Discovered in Khafre’s tomb, and made out of limestone
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Peribolos wall
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First appearing in the 2nd dynasty at Abydos, it is a wall surrounding the burial area. The peribolos wall is used in later dynasties as well.
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Pillard Hall/Hypostyle hall
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A long hallway full of columns. In many mortuary complexes, the columns are made to look like bound papyrus.
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Pyramid Town
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An area around the mortuary complex where individuals who worked on the building of the pyramid and the surrounding buildings would live. Priests, builders, designers, and many families would live in these towns.
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Portcullis
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A large block of stone in an entrance to a tomb. They were used in the mortuary complexes to try to stop grave robbers.
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Pyramid
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The superstructure of a mortuary complex, which is directly above the burial of the king. The first pyramid was built by Djoser in the 3rd dynasty, which started out as a mastaba and continued to be added onto until a pyramid was created.
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Pyramid Complex
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Another name for the mortuary complex. All of the buildings, along with the pyramid that are a part of a king's burial.
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Pyramid Ramp
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Ramps used in order to build a pyramid. Once the pyramid was completed, the ramps were disassembled and much of the rubble was placed in quarries nearby.
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Pyramid Texts
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A collection of texts from the 5th and 6th dynasties. Hieroglyphs were found carved into the side of the burial chamber of Unas, the last king in the 5th dynasty. They consist of chants, spells, and hymns which were supposed to ensure the preservation of the king.
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Queen's Pyramid
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In some of the mortuary complexes of the 4th dynasty, there were separate, smaller pyramids for the queen(s) to be buried.
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Red Crown
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The crown worn in Lower Egypt
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Reserve Head
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Placed in mortuary complexes, it is thought that they were another place for a deceased person’s ka to go if something happened to a statue or the person’s body. These are replicas of the king’s head.
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Ripple flaked flint blades
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A form of flint knives found in pre-dynastic Egyptian burials. These blades were unused and built specifically with the intention of burying them with a body. They were serrated on one end and were made up of many small grooves, creating a rippled effect.
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Satellite Pyramid
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A separate, smaller pyramid built next to the larger pyramid in a mortuary complex.
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Serda
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A statue chamber first built in Djoser’s mortuary complex, and allows the ka to receive offerings from the mortuary cult. The serdab is near the mortuary temple, and represents the beginning of a statue cult.
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Serekh
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a rectangular area that represents the name of the king. The serekh is almost always accompanied by the Horace falcon.
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Sekhem sceptor
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a symbol of high rank, this is shown many times in Hesire's tomb, who was a royal scribe.
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Sphinx
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designed to ward off evil spirits (apotropaic), and sculpted out of rock. The sphinx is a representation of the king with a lion’s body, and the most famous one is a part of Khafre’s mortuary complex.
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Statue cult/mortuary cult
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The individuals who worshipped at the mortuary temple. They gave offerings and sacrifices at the shrine in order to allow the king’s ka to be maintained.
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Statue niche
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An area in a mortuary complex, especially in the mortuary temple, where there is a recess in the wall for a statue.
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Stele
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Slabs of wood or stone used as a monument, especially in a tomb. In the 3rd and 4th dynasties, stelae were depicted on the false doors of the mortuary complex.
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Step pyramid
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The very first type of pyramid, created by Djoser in the 3rd dynasty. This pyramid is created by creating layers which grow smaller as they go up, thus creating a step-like look instead of the smooth sides of the later pyramids.
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True Pyramid
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The version of the pyramid that p eople think of today. This smooth sided pyramid was first created by Snefuru in the 4th dynasty.
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Tura limestone
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A white limestone used in the creation of the pyramids. This contrasts with the rest of the environment and makes the pyramids stand out.
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Valley Temple
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Part of the 4th dynasty mortuary complex, and connected to the rest of the complex via a causeway. Sneferu created a physical connection to the alluvium when he created the valley temple.
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Was sceptor
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A symbol of royalty, the scepter has a curved prong at the bottom that kings would be shown holding
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White Crown
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The crown worn in Upper Egypt
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