Vocabulary

Anicent Eyptain Vocabulary 

Stelae: These are slabs of stone which usually have a picture and the name of the person pictured. Many of these were placed in tombs, often in the shape of a doorway (a false door). The information is usually the name of the tomb-owner, his titles, and sometimes biographical details. The names of other family members are often written near the names of the tomb-owners. It is rare for a woman to have her own stele.

Tomb biographies: Over the course of the Age of the Pyramids, men began to write incidents from their lives on the walls of their tombs. These tomb biographies can tell us about ideas of morality by the lists of virtues that the tomb owners claim. Metjetji, for example, tells us that he was a good son to his parents, and never caused any man or woman to become angry - a boast that few modern Cabinet Ministers would even think to make. Historical events are recorded in tombs of explorers like Weni and Harkuf. Sometimes the information is quite surprising as when a Nomarch named Henku tells us that, during hard times, he fed not only the people of his district, but also the wild animals and birds.

Letters: Kings in the Age of the Pyramids could read and write. On several occasions, nobles had the letters sent to them by the king copied out in stone on the walls of their tombs. Harkuf, Governor of Elephantine, received a charming letter from the boy-king, Pepy II and was so delighted with it, that he had it carved onto the outside of his tomb, where it can still be seen today.

Papyri: Papyrus is a kind of paper made from reeds. In the dry climate of Egypt, it can last for thousands of years. Egyptians wrote on papyrus with brushes dipped in ink . Some temple records from Abusir remain from the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. These are often lists of priests and offerings and help us to understand the practical matters of staffing and provisioning the cult centers.

Pyramid Texts: These were collections of spells and prayers, carved into the walls of the inner chambers of some pyramids during the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. There are over seven hundred utterances. No two pyramids have exactly the same set of formulae. Though sometimes very hard to understand, they are a major source of our knowledge of Ancient Egyptian religion.