Afterlife
The perfect afterlife lay at the end of the dead person’s journey through the netherworld. Here the dead person would enjoy eternal life alongside the gods
Amarna Period
The Amarna Period was an era of Egyptian history during the latter half of the Eighteenth Dynasty when the royal residence of the pharaoh and his queen was shifted to Akhetaten ('Horizon of the Aten') in what is now Amarna. It was marked by the reign of Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaten (1353–1336 BC) in order to reflect the dramatic change of Egypt's polytheistic religion into one where a sun-god Aten was worshiped over all other gods. Aten was not solely worshipped (the religion was not monotheistic), however, it was close as the rest of the gods were worshipped to a significantly lesser degree. The Egyptian pantheon of the equality of all gods and goddesses was restored under Akhenaten's successor. Other rulers of this period include Amenhotep III, Smenkhkare, Neferneferuaten, Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemheb.
Amun
a primeval Egyptian personification of air and breath; worshipped especially at Thebes
Apotropaic
Something, often an image or object, which will ward off evil forces or bad luck.
Aten
the sun (or solar disc) which was the deity of a monotheistic cult under the Pharaoh Akhenaten
Ba
Spirit of the dead person which left the physical body at death.
Book of the Dead
Papyrus manuscript of written spells and magical images which would help the dead person journey through the netherworld to achieve the perfect afterlife.
Bronze Age
(archaeology) a period between the Stone and Iron Ages, characterized by the manufacture and use of bronze tools and weapons. (Classical mythology) the third age of the world, marked by war and violence
Caesar
conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC)
Celts
a member of a European people who once occupied Britain and Spain and Gaul prior to Roman times
Chariot
a two-wheeled horse-drawn battle vehicle; used in war and races in ancient Egypt and Greece and Rome
Coventina
Coventina was a Romano-British goddess of wells and springs. She is known from multiple inscriptions at one site in Northumberland county of the United Kingdom
Cremation
the incineration of a dead body
Cybele
great nature goddess of ancient Phrygia in Asia Minor; counterpart of Greek Rhea and Roman Ops
Dynasty
a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
First Intermediate Period
The First Intermediate Period, often described as a "dark period" in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately one hundred years, from ca. 2181–2055 BC, after the end of the Old Kingdom.
Gaul
an ancient region of western Europe that included what is now northern Italy and France and Belgium and part of Germany and the Netherlands
Gods and goddesses
Divine supernatural beings (deities) which the ancient Egyptians believed controlled their cosmos.
Hallstatt Culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC, developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture
Hathor
Hathor is one of the most famous goddesses of Ancient Egypt. She was known as "the Great One of Many Names" and her titles and attributes are so numerous that she was important in every area of the life and death of the ancient Egyptians.
Hieratic
a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests
Hieroglyphic
a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
Hieroglyphs
Signs used to write the ancient Egyptian language.
Hornefer
Son of Kalibis from the Ptolemaic period (280 BCE)
Horus
Egyptian solar god with the head of a falcon; the son of Osiris and Isis
Inhumation
the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
Iron Age
(archaeology) the period following the Bronze Age; characterized by rapid spread of iron tools and weapons. (Classical mythology) the last and worst age of the world.
Isis
Egyptian goddess of fertility; daughter of Geb; sister and wife of Osiris
Ka
the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person.
La Tène Culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland
Mastaba
an ancient Egyptian mud-brick tomb with a rectangular base and sloping sides and flat roof
Middle Kingdom
The Middle Kingdom of Egypt is the period in the history of ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Twelfth Dynasty, between about 2000 BC and 1700 BC
Mithras
ancient Persian god of light and truth; sun god
Mummy
Artificially preserved body of a dead person.
Naqada culture
The Naqada culture is an archaeological culture of Chalcolithic Predynastic Egypt, named for the town of Naqada, Qena Governorate.
Netherworld Realm of the dead which lay beneath the earth. A landscape of paths, rivers, mountains, lakes and fields with guarded gateways to pass and hostile creatures to avoid.
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt
Old Kingdom T
he Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization
Osiris
Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead; husband and brother of Isis; father of Horus
Papyrus
A material made from the papyrus reed which grew in the marshes alongside the River Nile. Thinly cut strips of the papyrus were pressed together and polished to create a smooth writing surface.
Polytheistic
worshipping or believing in more than one god
Ptolemaic period
The Ptolemaic period is so-called because at this time Egypt was ruled by a series of kings all named Ptolemy. The period began with the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great. On Alexander's death in 323 BC his empire was divided among his generals; Egypt fell to one named Ptolemy, who later declared himself king. Greek became the state language and the capital moved to the newly founded Alexandria.
Roman Period
By the defeat of Cleopatra and Antony in the battle of Actium 31 BC, Egypt was annexed to the Roman Empire (30-324 CE).
Sarcophagus
a stone coffin (usually bearing sculpture or inscriptions)
Shabti
each of a set of wooden, stone, or faience figurines, in the form of mummies, placed in an ancient Egyptian tomb to do any work that the dead person might be called upon to do in the afterlife.
Spell
Written incantations which gave the dead person power to control their body and successfully negotiate the dangers of the netherworld.
Stele
an ancient upright stone slab bearing markings
Tomb
The place where the dead person’s mummy was placed. A tomb consisted of an open chamber for commemorating the dead person and leaving offerings (this space was often decorated with wall paintings and a statue of the dead) and a sealed burial chamber where the mummy and the burial goods were placed.
Urnfield Culture
The Urnfield culture was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields.
Vignette
A picture on a papyrus manuscript.