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Glossary
Accessory
Thing that is extra, helpful, useful, but not essential part of.
Acquisition manner
The method by which the museum acquired the object.
Aha Dn1
The first king of Dynasty One. The unification of the "Two Lands" at the beginning of the dynastic era is attributed to him. He initiated military and economic activities with the southern and western neighbours of Egypt.
Ahhotep Dn18
The queen mother of king Ahmose, first king of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The wife of king Seqnenre.
Ahmose Dn18
The founder of Dynasty Eighteen and responsible for the final termination of the Hyksos occupation of Egypt. He reformed Egypt's administrative system and secured its frontiers.
Ahmose Meret-Amon Dn18
Sister and wife of king Amenhotep I. Her tomb is situated in Deir-el Bahari at Thebes.
Akh
One of the three major components of the personality (along with the ba and the ka), the akh was the essence of each individual's immortality, leaving the body at death to join the circumpolar stars. It was represented by the crested ibis hieroglyph.
Akhenaten Dn18
The heretic king. The Great revolutionist of the ancient world. Famous for his monotheistic attitude. The Aten was the single supreme deity in Egypt during his reign. Moved the capital to Tell-el Amarna and established a new art style.
Am-duat
The "Book of What is in the Underworld". It describes the journey undertaken by the solar bark through the 12 hours of the night to reappear the next morning.
Amarna
Modern name for the site where Akhenaten founded his new capital and residence city called Akhetaten (the horizon of the Aten). The village is about 190 miles south of Cairo.
Amarna Period
Named for the site Amarna; used to designate the part of Akhenaten's reign spent there, or the entire length of his rule.
Amasis Dn26
A veteran of the Nubian campaigns who managed to defeat king Wahibre (Apries), and grasp the throne of Egypt. He attempted to restrict the internal racial conflicts common at the time by granting specific trading rights to foriegners settling in the Delta. Mediterranean trade was a keynote of the reign of Amasis.
Amenemhat II Dn12
Third king of the Twelfth Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 35 years.
Amenemhat III Dn12
Sixth king of the Twelfth Dynasty. He maintained a firm rule over the country and successfully managed its foreign affairs. Ruled for approximately for 45 years.
Amenhotep I Dn18
Second king of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Undertook several successful military campaigns in Nubia and against the Libyans to secure the Egyptian borders. Took great care of Egypt's internal affairs.
Amenhotep II Dn18
Son of Tuthmosis III and his successor. Known for his physical strength and power. He retained his father's empire and maintained peace. Ruled for approximately 24 years.
Amenhotep III Dn18
Son and successor of Tuthmosis IV. With his accession Dynasty Eighteen reached its peak. Famous for his genuine interest in art and architecture and as a great peace maker. Ruled for approximately 37 years.
Amenhotep IV Dn18
SEE AKHENATEN.
Amenhotep called Huy Dn18
A royal scribe, and perhaps identical with an official of the same name who is known as the great steward of Amenhotep III.
Amenhotep son of Hapu Dn18
Inspite of his humble background, Amenhotep won himself several promotions, until he reached the highest offices in the country. During his life time he was the "director of all royal works" and later on, after his death, he was deified.
Amenirdis I Dn25
Daughter of king Kashta. During the reign of her brother Piankhy she was made God's wife of Amon, and adopted as successor in the capital Thebes.
Amon
A minor god of the city of Thebes, the cult of which gained prominence through the political rise of the city at the beginning of the New Kingdom. Represented as a man, sometimes ithyphallic.
Amoneminet Dn18
The overseer of the king's craftsmen during the later part of the Eighteenth Dynasty. He was buried at Sakkara.
Amset (Imseti)
One of the four sons of Horus. The human-headed guardian of the canopic jar of the liver. SEE ALSO HAPI, DUAMUTEF AND KEBEHSENUF.
Amulets
Symbolic figures or objects worn by the living and the dead for their protective powers.
Ankh
The hieroglyphic sign for life.
Antef Dn11
A chancellor and overseer of troops during the reign of Mentuhotep II.
Anubis
The Patron god of embalmers. A god of the dead who is shown as a jackal or as a man with a head of jackal. Closely connected with the nomes of Middle Egypt, and the 12th, 17th, and 18th, nomes of Upper Egypt.
Apis bull
The personification of the ka of Ptah, the god of Memphis.
Archaeology
Study of man's past and his cultural remains.
Architecture
Art and science of building.
Ashait Dn11
The royal wife of Mentuhotep II.
Atef crown
A crown worn by the god Osiris, and by the king. It is composed of a central mitre mounted upon two ram's horns, surmounted by a sun disk and flanked by two ostrich feathers.
Aten
The Aten is the sun-disc god, worshipped as the great creator during the reign of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). Represented as a sun disc with human arms bearing the ankh (life) sign.
Atum
A form of the sun god at Heliopolis. Represents the setting sun.
Auib-Re Hor Dn13
A king from the Thirteenth Dynasty. He was buried at Dahshur.
Ay Dn18
Ay was the second in command acting as the principle advisor to Tutankhamon. Following the death of Tut, Ay ruled as king of Egypt. His reign lasted for about four years during which he contributed monuments to the temples at Karnak and Luxor .
Archaic Period
A term used for the first two dynasties of ancient Egyptian history.
Ba
One of the elements of the human personality. Identified as the soul or spiritual element of an individual. Depicted on tomb walls as a human-headed bird.
Barque
Model boat used to carry the image of a deity at festival times.
Bastet
A cat goddess whose cult center was Bubastis in the Delta. Originally a lioness-goddess, but with time it came to represent the tame aspect of that goddess. It is in Lower Egypt that she appears particularly as a cat.
Beard
From the Old Kingdom onward, the king often wears a long, square-ended artificial (or false) beard, fastened by a strap along the jawbone.
Block statue
Schematic cube-shaped representation of a squatting human figure.
Book of Gates
Funerary composition decorating royal sarcophagi and tomb walls describing the passage of the sun-god Re through the twelve gates of the under world.
Book of the Dead
Collection of funerary spells usually written on papyrus and placed with the deceased in the tomb.
Buchis
Sacred bull of Armant assimilated to Montu.
Byblos
A site on the coast of Lebanon north of Beirut. The major port through which Egypt imported timber.
CD-ROM
[Compact Disk-Read Only Memory] a disk on the surface of which are microscopically small pits for storing computer data which can be read using laser light.
Canopic jars
Funerary jars containing human organs extracted during the process of mummification. The stoppers of the jars took the shape of the heads of the four sons of the god Horus, who are the patrons of the liver, lungs, stomach and intestine.
Cartouche
Sign representing an oval loop of rope with the ends bound together, within which the birth and coronation names of the king are inscribed. The cartouche was also used for the names of the god Aten and the Divine Votaress in Late Period Thebes.
Category
A standard classification that is used to divide the collections of a museum.
Cavitto Cornice
An Egyptian architectural element consisting of an incurvate cornice stylized after palm fronds.
Click
Pressing the mouse left button on a specific item on the computer screen.
Clothing
Covering for a person's body.
Co-regency
Period during which a king and his successor rule jointly.
Colossus
Same as statue but bigger than normal human size - over 2 mt.
Computer
A programmable electronic device designed for storing, retrieving, and processing data.
Condition
The state of preservation of the object.
Coronation name
Royal throne name, one of the five elements in the king's titulary. The royal throne name or the prenomen was written inside a cartouche and usually accompanied by the phrase Nsw Bity (He of the Sedge and the Bee) or Neb Tawy (Lord of the Two Lands).
Crook or heka scepter
Crooked sceptre serving as part of the royal insignia.
Cult object
SEE RELIGIOUS OBJECTS.
Cursive
Rapid, handwritten form of the script, chiefly hieratic and demotic.
Date of find
Date when object was discovered.
Demotic
From Greek "popular", a further elaboration of hieratic. Developed in northern Egypt in the 7th century BC. The normal everyday script of the Late and Graeco-Roman Periods. Latest dated text 452 AD.
Dier El Bahari
A site on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor.
Dier el Medina
The village of craftsmen who were responsible for the preparing of the royal tombs at Thebes during the New Kingdom.
Divine Votaress
Chief priestess of Amon at Thebes from the New Kingdom to the Late Period. In the 23-26th Dynasties the holder of the title and her "adopted" successor played a powerful role in political control of the country.
Djed
The hieroglyphic sign of a pillar. It symbolised stability and duration.
Djer Dn1
Third king of the First Dynasty. His reign was characterized by further developments in foreign policy. He also set about the economic and religious organization of the country. Established a palace at Memphis and built his tomb at Abydos.
Djoser Dn3
Second king of the Third Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 19 years. Owner of the Step pyramid at Sakkara. He is famed for having invented stone-built architecture with the help of his architect Imhotep.
Duamutef
One of the four sons of Horus. The dog-headed guardian of the canopic jar of the stomach. ALSO SEE HAPI, AMSET AND KEBEHSENUEF.
Dwarf Seneb Dn5
Seneb was "chief of all the palace dwarfs", charged with the care of the royal wardrobe. He was also attached to the funerary cults of kings khufu and Djedf-re of the Fourth Dynasty. He was buried at Giza.
Dynasty
A line of kings, usually related by blood, who succeeded each other on a throne. Egyptian history was divide into (31) dynasties by Manetho. SEE ALSO TIME PERIODS
Egyptology
The science of studying Ancient Egypt.
Ennead
Group of nine gods. The earliest and most famous of which was the "Great Ennead" of Heliopolis, consisting of Ra-Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Seth.
Excavation number
Object discovery number.
Excavator name
Name of the discoverer who found the object.
Ethiopian Period
Egypt was under the rule of Ethiopian kings. The capital was moved to Napata, near the forth cataract.
Faience
Fired quartz paste with a vitrified outer layer.
False door
Funerary architectural element imitating a door through which the spirit of the deceased could communicate with the world of the living.
Fan-Bearer on the Right of the king
Court title, probably purely honorific or ranking of high officials of the New Kingdom. The right was the prestigious side.
Fayum
An oasislike region southwest of the Nile Delta.
Figure
Not fully shaped statue, but still finished by the artist: different from unfinished statue.
Figurine
Same as figure but much smaller below - 30 cm. - also, like for example erotic, shaped differently from normal or in a material which is unusual ex. wax (votive figurines)
Flabellum
A large ceremonial fan, with a long handle and ostrich feathers, connected with royalty.
Flagellum
SEE FLAIL SCEPTRE.
Flail or nekhakha
A sceptre composed of a handle and three loose strands. It served as part of the royal insignia.
Furniture
All those movable things such as chairs, beds, etc needed in a house, office, etc.
Geb
The Earth god. Always represented as a man. Member of the Ennead of Heliopolis and male counterpart of the sky goddess Nut.
God's Wife
SEE DIVINE VOTARESS
Graeco-Roman Period
Marked by the invasion of Alexander the Great to the Egyptian territory, in 332 B.C. It comprises a series of Greek (ptolemaic) and Roman rulers.
Hapi
One of the four sons of Horus. The baboon-headed guardian of the canopic jar of the lungs. SEE ALSO AMSET, DUAMUTEF AND KEBEHSENUEF.
Hapy
God of the Nile in the innundation. Represented as a man with full, heavy breasts, a crest of papyrus on his head and bearing heavy laden offering tables.
Har-hotep Dn11
A chancellor who lived during the Middle Kingdom.
Harasphes
The god worshipped in the form of a ram at Heraclopeolis.
Hat Dn18
Hat was probably an "adjutant" in the chariot force. There is a possibility that he might have owned a tomb in the Amarna area.
Hathor
A goddess represented as a cow, as a cow-headed woman, or as a woman with a horned headdress. She is the suckler of the king and "the Golden One". Equated by the Greeks with Aphrodite. Cult centers were in Denderah, Thebes, Gebelin and Memphis.
Hatshepsut Dn18
The famous queen of Deir El-Bahari. Attained power through her husband Tuthmosis II, and her father Tuthmosis I. She sent expeditions to Punt and ordered some major constructions in Thebes. Ruled for approximately 20 years.
Heb-Sed Festival
A jubilee festival that the king celebrated usually after thirty years of rule. The powers of the king were symbolically rejuvenated during the festival.
Heka
See Crook.
Hesire Dn3
A high official during Dynasty Three. His titles include "chief of the royal scribes", "chief of Buto", "chief dentist", and "greatest of the tens of Upper Egypt". He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Hetepdief Dn3
Probably the cult priest of kings Hetepsekhemwi, Raneb, and Nynetjer of the Second Dynasty. He held the title "great of incense in the red house". Not much is known about him. He was buried in a tomb at Memphis.
Hetepheres Dn4
Queen mother of khufu, and wife of Senefru. She was buried at Giza.
Hieratic
From Greek "sacred", the normal form of the script, mostly written on papyri or ostraca. The earliest hieratic documents date to the Fourth Dynasty, but the origins of hieratic are probably almost as early as the hieroglyph script itself. Hieratic signs lost the pictorial character of hieroglyphs and are often joined together.
Hieroglyph
From Greek "sacred carving". Egyptian writing system, used from the late Predynastic Period until the end of the fourth century AD. It consisted of pictorial signs and was used for the monumental form of the script.
High priest
Conventional translation of the title of the head of the local priesthood.
Horus
The falcon god. Originally the sky god. Identified with the king during his life time. Son of Isis, and avenger of his father Osiris. Cult centers: Delta, Edfu, Hierakonpollis and Behdet.
Horus name
The first and earliest recorded name (or epithet) in a king's titulary identifying the king with a particular aspect of the falcon god Horus, and usually written inside a serekh.
Hurun
A Canaanite god, whose cult was almost exclusive to Giza. During the New kingdom the Asiatics confused their god Hurun with the Egyptian god Harmachis, and adopted him as a god of the dead.
Hyksos
The Hellenized form of the Egyptian term designating the Asiatic nomads who invaded Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, and eventually dominated the northern half of the country in the Second Intermediate Period.
Ibentina Dn18
Ibentina was the wife of Satnem. They were both members of the workmen's village of Deir el-Medina at Thebes (Luxor). Both were buried in the tombs carved in the hills opposite the village.
Ika Dn5
Ika was a purification priest, and "chief of the Great House" (palace). He and his wife, Iymeret who was a priestess of Hathor, were buried at Sakkara.
Image
A likeness to an object or person created electronically.
Implement
Tool or instruments for working with.
Isis
The divine mother. Wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. A protectress goddess guarding coffins and canopic jars of the dead. Her cult grew larger in the Late Period, has a temple at Philae.
Isis Dn18
Mother of King Tuthmosis III.
Isis, lady Dn19
Probably one of the wives of Khabekhnet, son of Sennedjem, the artisan of Deir el-Medina. She was buried in Sennedjem's tomb.
Jewellery
Ornaments such as rings, necklaces, bracelets....etc.
Journal d-Entre number(J.E)
Is the main numbering system used inside the Egyptian museum for inventory control and it has been implemented since 1858.
Jubilee
SEE HEB-SED.
Ka
One of the elements constituting both human and divine personality. It represents the vital force or energy of life. Its hieroglyphic sign portrays a pair of arms up-lifted towards the heaven.
Ka-aper Dn5
A chief lector-priest during the reign of king Userkaf. He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Kaemheset Dn5
A royal architect and chief of sculptors during the Fifth Dynasty. He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Kaemked Dn5
The funerary priest of the noble Urirni.
Kaemrehu Dn5
The priest of Niuserre's Pyramid at Abusir.
Karnak
Modern (Arabic) name for the area on the east bank of ancient Thebes that included the precinct of the great temple of Amon and other temples nearby.
Kashta Dn25
Founder of the Twenty-fifth Dyansty. Father of Kings Piankhy and Shabaka.
Kawit Dn11
The royal wife of king Mentuhotep II.
Kebehsenuef
One of the four sons of Horus. The falcon-headed guardian of the canopic jar of the intestines. ALSO SEE HAPI, DUAMUTEF, AND AMSET.
Khaemwas Dn19
A son of Ramses II and the royal wife Isetnofret. The high priest of Ptah in Memphis. Constructed several monuments in Memphis and Sakkara and restored some others, thus becoming the first restorer in Egyptian history.
Khaemwas & Manana
A couple who lived during the reign of Amenhotep III.
Khafre Dn4
The builder of the second pyramid on the Giza plateau. Ruled for 26 years. The construction of the Sphinx is attributed to him.
Khasekhemwy Dn2
The last king of the Second Dynasty. There is a possibility that Khasekhem and Khasekhemwy are the same person, and that the king changed his name to Khasekhemwy during the last years of his reign.
Khat
A royal headdress which completely envelopes the hair.
Khekher
An Egyptian decorative element. Composed of a frieze which resembles the tops of stalks tied into bundles. Usually found adorning the uppermost reaches of decorated walls.
Kheperesh
A blue crown with tiny curls. For no particular reason, it is often called a "war helm".
Khepri
The scarab-beetle god, identified with Re as a creator-god. Often represented as a beetle within the sun-disk.
Khnum
A ram-headed god. Responsible for the creation of mankind using a potter's wheel.
Khnumit Dn12
Daughter of Amenemhat II. She was buried at Dahshur.
Khonsu Dn19
Son of Sennedjem, the artisan of Deir el-Medina. Like his father he held the title "servant in the place of truth" which is a title borne by the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina. He was buried in his father's tomb.
Khonsu (Khons)
A moon god. Together with Amon and Mut, as mother and father, they form the triad of Thebes. Represented as a man, with a disk on his head or with the head of a falcon.
Khufu Dn4
The builder of the great pyramid at Giza. He ruled for approximately 23 years. Not much is known of his reign. A very small statuette (7.5cm in height) remains to be our only complete representation of the king.
Kush
The ancient Egyptian name for much of the Nile Valley south of the ancient boundary at Aswan.
Kushite
A person from Kush; often used to describe the Twenty-fifth Dynasty rulers from kush.
Lapis Lazuli
A semi-precious stone of an intense blue colour. It was very popular in the ancient Near East for decorative inlays, beads, etc.
Lector Priest
Priest (literally "one who bears the ritual book") whose function was to declaim the ritual texts in funerary and temple cult. Chief Lector Priest was a higher rank.
Location
Location of object inside the museum (Floor/ Exhibition area/ Direction/ Case/ Case division).
Lower Egypt
The lower Nile valley in Egypt: northern Egypt.
Late Period
A period of decline, the power of the ruling monarchs was challenged by other foreign forces. Covers Dynasties 25 to 31.
Maakare Dn21
Probably the daughter of the high priest Pinedjem I and of Queen Henuttawy. She held the titles of Divine Votaress and God's Wife.
Maat
The goddess of the truth and divine order. Represented as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head.
Maiherperi Dn18
Most likely a foster brother or son of an early Eighteenth Dynasty king. He held the titles "fan bearer on the right of the king", and "child of nursery". He was buried in a tomb at the Valley of the kings.
Manetho
An Egyptian priest who wrote a history of his country in c3 BC. Though the work is lost, quotations from it in later writers are extremely important for reconstructing dynastic lists of pharaohs.
Mastaba
The Arabic word for "bench". Used to designate a type of tomb consisting of subterranean chambers surmounted by a super-structure bearing a bench-like form. Used primarily during the Early Dynastic Period and the Old Kingdom.
Material(s)
Raw materials used by the ancient artists to form the object (Main / Specific).
Meketre Dn11
A nobleman who lived during the Middle Kingdom.
Menat
A beaded necklace of gold whose counterpoise bears the image of the goddess Hathor; attribute of the goddess.
Menkaure Dn4
The builder of the third pyramid on the Giza plateau. Ruled for 18 years. His pyramid, although much smaller than that of Khufu, is much finer.
Mentuhotep II Dn11
The unifier of the two lands after the First Intermediate Period, and the founder of the Elventh Dynasty. He was buried in his mortuary temple at Thebes. Ruled for approximately 21 years.
Menu
A list of choices available in a computer program.
Merenptah Dn19
A Son of Ramses II. Ascended the throne at an advanced age. He was able to secure Egypt's boundaries against foreign attacks. Ruled for approximately 10 years.
Mereret Dn12
Daughter of Senusert III and sister of his successor Amenemhat III. She was buried at Dahshur.
Meresankh Dn5
He held the title of Director of funerary priests. He was buried in a tomb at Giza.
Merimde
A site on the west bank of the Nile Delta representing one of the earliest cultures of Egypt.
Merit-Amon Dn19
One of the daughters of Ramses II. Upon the death of her mother, queen Nefertari, she was granted the position of great royal wife.
Meritaten Dn18
The daughter of king Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). She married Smenkare, the immediate successor of Akhenaten.
Mesehti Dn11
A prince from Assuit who lived during the Middle Kingdom.
Min
The god of fertility. Represented in an ithyphallic form, raising one arm and holding the flail.
Mitri Dn5
He was an official of high rank. His titles included: administrator of the nome, priest of the goddess Maat, great one of the Tens of Upper Egypt, unique companion and overseer of scribes. He was buried in a mastaba tomb at Sakkara.
Mnevis
The sacred bull of Heliopolis. The incarnate of the god Re.
Model
A small scale reproduction or representation.
Montu
Montu was the local deity of Hermonthis, south of Luxor. Later the war-god of Thebes. Represented as falcon-headed human being.
Montuemhat Dn25
The fourth prophet of Amon, Mayor of Thebes (Luxor), and Governor of Upper Egypt. He comes from a family of priests for his father was himself the mayor and prophet of Amon and Montu at Thebes.
Mortuary (or cult) temples
Temples in which the cult of the deceased king was celebrated. In pyramid complexes the mortuary temple was immediately adjacent to the pyramid. From the early New Kingdom onwards the mortuary temple was located separately from the royal tomb.
Mouse
A hand held pointer device used in interfacing with the computer.
Mummiform
Wrapped like a mummy, so that arms and legs are bound and hidden.
Mut
The vulture goddess of Thebes. Female counterpart of Amon, mother of Khonsu, and a member of the triad of Thebes.
Middle Kingdom
The re-establishment of a single administration for the whole country. It was a period of revival for the ancient Egyptian character after a period of disintegration. The capital was near El-Lisht. It included Dynasties 11 and 12.
Nakht Dn12
The chief goldsmith during the reign of Senusret I. He was buried at Abydos.
Nakht-Her-Heb Dn30
SEE NECTANEBO II.
Nakht-Neb-Ef Kheper-Ka-Re Dn30
SEE NECTANEBO I.
Nakhtmin Dn18
Nakhtmin was a royal scribe and a generalissimo. Based on the available sources there is a possibility that he was also a member of the royal family. The location of his tomb is still unknown.
Naos
Small divine sanctuary or chapel.
Naqada II
The late predynastic culture of Egypt.
Narmer Dn0
First king of Dynasty Zero. Traditions identify him with king Menes, the unifier of the "Two Lands". The Narmer palette remains to be the most important record we have of him. Not much is known of his reign.
Nebnakhtu Dn18
A priest of Harsaphes and Sekhmet. Also a "royal scribe" and "overseer of cattle", during the New Kingdom. He was buried at Heracleopolis, near present day Fayum.
Necropolis
Greek word for cemetery. "Necropolis" normally describes large and important burial areas that were in use for long periods.
Nectanebo I Dn30
Founder of Dynasty Thirty. Ruled for approximately 18 years. His reign is marked by a renewed spirit of nationalism, and a return to the traditions of the glorious past. Building activities were resumed and Egypt experienced a revival in architecture.
Nectanebo II Dn30
Third and last king of Dynasty Thirty. The serious attempts undertaken by his predecessors to revive the past were pursued during his reign. Had to repel some Persian attempts to re-conquer Egypt.
Nefer-Herenptah (Fifi) Dn5
The purification priest and prophet of the mortuary cults of Khafre and Menkaure. He was buried in a tomb at Giza.
Nefer-Maat Dn4
The son of king Senefru of the Fourth Dynasty. He was buried in a tomb at Medum.
Neferefre Dn5
Fifth king of the Fifth Dynasty. He was buried at Abusir. Not much is known of his reign.
Neferirkare Dn5
King Neferirkare was the third king of the Fifth Dynasty, however his reign is poorly documented. According to Papyrus Westcar he was king Sahure's brother. He built his mortuary temple at Abusir where a very important archive of papyri was found.
Nefertari Dn19
Chief royal wife of king Ramses II. Famous of her beauty, and was favoured by Ramses who built for her a temple at Abu-Simbel.
Nefertiti Dn18
Akhenaten's chief wife. Gained a special prominence rarely given to any queen in the Egyptian history. She was depicted as the king's equal while worshipping the Aten, and took part in all his activities. Famous for her exceptional beauty.
Neferuptah Dn12
A possible daughter of Amenemhat III. She was buried at Hawara.
Nekhakha
SEE FLAIL.
Nekhbet
The vulture goddess of the nome of El-Kab. The guardian goddess of Upper Egypt.
Nemes
A royal headdress composed of ribbed and pleated material. Characterized by folds on each side of the forehead, and by pleats, two of which fall down on the shoulders, and one on the back.
Neolithic Period
The third period in the Stone Age during which man was producing his own food by cultivation of crops and domestication of animals, though still using stone as the material for his tools and weapons.
Niankh-Pepi Dn6
The chief of Upper Egypt during the reign of king Pepi II.
Nikaure Dn5
Nikuare was a judge, overseer of envoys, and chief administrator of the palace. He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Nimaatsed Dn5
He held the position of judge and prophet in the pyramids of Neferefre, Neferirkare and Niuserre of the Fifth Dynasty. Nimaatsed was also attached to the cults of Re and Hathor in the temple of Neferirkare. He was buried at Sakkara.
Nine Bows
The nine traditional enemies of Egypt. Always shown controlled and dominated by the king. Represented as of different races.
Nofret Dn12
Royal wife of Senusert II.
Nome
A Greek word designating the administrative districts or provinces of ancient Egypt.
Nu-jars
Small gobular bowl with rimmed opening, used for offering milk and other liquids.
Nubia
The area south of ancient Egypt which extended up the Nile from Aswan and the first cataract into what is now the Sudan.
Numbering systems
The inventory control numbering systems used inside the museum.
Nun
The watery abyss of chaos.
Nut
Goddess of the Sky, and wife of Geb the Earth god. They are both part of the Ennead of Heliopolis. Represented as a woman with her curved body forming the sky, or as a cow snagled with stars.
Nyphthys
One of the protector goddesses of the dead, and guardians of canopic jars. Her name means the "lady of the house". The sister of Isis and Osiris and female counterpart of Seth.
New Kingdom
The peak of the Egyptian civilization. Characterized by the vast military expansions, and the maturity of the political and religious sectors. The capital was at Thebes (modern day Luxor). Covers Dynasties 18 to 20.
Ogdoad
A group of eight gods.
Organic
Anything made of part of an animal body or plant.
Osiride
In the form of the royal god of the dead, Osiris: with arms crossed aver chest; sometimes, but not necessarily, and mummiform.
Osiris
The god of the underworld. Identified with the dead king. Also a god of innundation and vegetation. Identified as a mummified king. His original cult center was in Abydos.
Osorkon I Dn22
The successor of Sheshonq I, and the second king of Dynasty Twenty-two. Ruled approximately for 35 years.
Ostracon
A limestone flake or pottery sherd used as a surface for writing or sketching.
Overseer of seals
Title of the head of the Treasury. The term probably derives from the fact that most containers of produce and goods were sealed when entering or leaving the Treasury magazines.
Old Kingdom
It represents an important phase in the evolution of the ancient Egyptian character. It includes the pyramid age. The capital was at Memphis. Covers Dynasties 3 to 6.
Pabasa
An overseer of priests during the reign of Psammetik.
Palace facade
Style of architecture consisting of a series of recessed niches along the frontage of a building. The exteriors of the early mastaba tombs at Abydos and Sakkara are decorated in a palace facade style.
Palette
In the Predynastic Period geometrical and animal-shaped small slabs of stone were used for grinding cosmetics. The protodynastic period was marked by the appearance of large ceremonial palettes bearing carved reliefs commemorating important events.
Pectoral
Trapezoidal pendant adorning the breast at the height of the pectoral muscles.
Pepi I Dn6
Third king of the Sixth Dynasty. He maintained stability throughout the country and established good contacts abroad. During his reign expeditions were sent to Nubia, Libya, Somalia and Sinai. Ruled for approximately 36 years.
Pepi II Dn6
Son of Pepi I. Succeeded his half-brother Merenre to the thrown, it was traditionally believed that he reigned for over 90 years. It was during his long reign that the central government eventually collapsed, and Egypt experienced a period of downfall.
Personal computer
A microcomputer mainly intended for office & business use rather than for home use.
Petosiris Ptolemaic Period
Petosiris was an important dignitary from the area of Hermopolis, also high priest of Thot and other deities of the nome. He was buried at Tuna el-Gabal.
Pharaoh
A word transmitted from the Bible from the Egyptian word "Per-aa" meaning "the Great House" or the royal palace, and in the New Kingdom, the master of the palace, i.e. the king.
Piankhy Dn25
Second King of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. Ruled Upper Egypt from Napata in the Sudan.
Pinedjem I Dn21
High priest and king of the Twenty-first Dynasty at Thebes. Married Henuttawy, daughter of the king of Tanis. Pinedjem attempted to rescue the royal mummies and thus had them re-wrapped and grouped together. He was buried at Thebes.
Pinedjem II Dn21
King from the Twenty-first Dynasty at Thebes, which was a dynasty of high priests. Ruled for 21 years. Buried at Thebes.
Primordial ocean
The waters of chaos preceding the creation of the world.
Printer
A device used for printing out paper copies of programs, data ...etc under the control of a computer.
Program
A list of instructions written in a language that can be translated into an understandable computer format.
Provenance
Area where the object was found (Area / Site / Place).
Psammetik I Dn26
Second king of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 50 years.
Psammetik Dn26
An overseer of the seals and governor of the palace at the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. He was buried at Sakkara.
Psusennes I Dn21
Third king of the Twenty-first Dynasty at Tanis. Ruled approximately for 45 years. He was buried at Tanis.
Ptah
The Creator god of Memphis. He is represented as a man, mummified and possibly originally as a statue. He is the patron god of craftsmen. Equated with the Greek god Hephaestus.
Ptahmose Dn18
A vizier, mayor, and high priest of Amon during the reign of king Amenhotep III.
Ptolemy V Graeco-Roman Period
One of the enlightened and energetic Ptolemaic rulers who was a benefactor of the temples. The decree inscribed on the Rosetta stone was passed in his honour.
Pylon
Monumental gateway of a temple consisting of a pair of a slopping massif of masonry usually supposed to represent the akhet (horizon) hieroglyph. Pylons are the largest part of the temple and were mostly built last.
Prehistoric Period
The time before recorded history.
Persian Period
Two Dynasties of Persian rulers. Dynasties 27 and 31.
Ptolemaic Period
After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire was divided among his generals and Egypt fell to the share of Ptolemy and his family. For 250 years Egypt was ruled by Greeks until in the year 30 BC the country became a Roman province.
Rahotep and Nofret Dn4
Rahotep held the titles of High Priest of Re at Heliopolis, Director of Expeditions and Chief of Construction. His wife, Nofret, held the title "one known to the king". They were buried in a tomb at Medum.
Ramesside Period
Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties, during which most of the rulers were called Ramses.
Ramses I Dn19
First king of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 2 years.
Ramses II Dn19
Son and successor of Seti I. He was able to regain Egypt's lost influence in Syria and Palestine. Erected the Abu-Simbel temples for himself and his beautiful wife Nefertari. He fathered more than a 100 child. Ruled for approximately 65 years.
Ramses III Dn20
Last of the great kings of the New Kingdom. During his reign Egypt experienced a revival, but it was still suffering from foreign attacks which triggered its soon to come downfall.
Ramses IV Dn20
Ramses IV occupied the throne for 6 years. During his short reign the political and social systems were unstable, and the country was in a state of decline.
Ramses VII Dn20
Sixth king of the Twentieth Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 7 years. Evidences of political and social unrest during his reign.
Ranefer Dn5
A high priest of Ptah and Sokar during the first part of the Fifth Dynasty. He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Ranking title
Titles that indicates status but does not go with any specific function.
Re
The sun god of Heliopolis, and head of the Great Ennead. The supreme judge, who is linked with other gods, such as Amon-Re and Sobek-Re. Represented as a man with falcon's head or if in the dead form, with a ram's head. The king is regarded as his son.
Red crown
Red headdress in the form of a mortar. It symbolizes the sovereignty of the king over Lower Egypt.
Registration date
Date when object was registered inside the museum.
Relief, raised and sunk
Two-dimensional art created by carving the representations so that they have some degree of plasticity. In raised relief, the background is cut back so that the figures are raised. In sunk, instead the figure is outlined by a sort of trench within which it is modeled.
Religious objects
Anything used in religious ceremonies or celebrations.
Remains
What is left, organic or inorganic.
Reserve Head
Realistic image of the head of the deceased sculpted in limestone and usually placed near the entrance to the burial chamber. Only about thirty reserve heads have been found, primarily in Fourth Dynasty private mastaba tombs at Giza.
Restoration date
Last restoration date.
Rocks
A solid stony part of the earth's crust.
Rosetta Stone
A basalt slab discovered at Rosetta, at the western mouth of the Nile during Napoleon's occupation of Egypt. An honorific decree of Ptolemy was carved on it in Greek, demotic and hieroglyphic.
Royal birth name
The nomen or the royal birth name of a king was one of the five parts of the king's titulary. The second of those written in a cartouche, it was usually accompanied by the phrase "son of Re".
Sahure Dn5
The Second king of the Fifth Dynasty. He built his mortuary complex at Abusir.
Sarcophagus
A container for the human corpse.
Sat-Hathor Dn12
The daughter of king Senusert II, and sister of king Senusert III. She was buried in a tomb next to the pyramid of Senusert III at Dahshur.
Sat-Hathor-Yunet Dn12
Daughter of Senusert II. She was buried at El-Lahun.
Scarab
The dung beetle, held sacred by the ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the motive power of the sun, which was equated with the beetle's ball of dung.
Sceptre
Baton or insignia of authority, such as the crook, flail, " Was", or the "kherep".
Scribe
Literate Egyptian.
Sculpture
Art of making representations in stone, wood, metal... by carving or modeling.
Sea Peoples
A mixture of Indo-European peoples who migrated southwards across the Mediterranean and through the Levant during the late 2nd millennium BC, and are associated with a wave of destruction on Near Eastern sites.
Section
The Egyptian museum's collections are divided into 7 sections (1-7), for controlling purposes.
Sekhmet
A lioness-headed goddess, who personified the cruel power of the sun god. The daughter of Re and the female counterpart of Ptah. In mythology, she fought against the enemies of Re and once was about to destroy mankind. Worshipped in Memphis.
Selket
A scorpion goddess, identified with the scorching heat of the sun. She is one of the four protectors of the dead and the canopic jars. Often shown as a woman with a scorpion on her head.
Sema-tawy
The ancient symbol of the union of the two lands. Literally meaning "unification of the two lands" i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt.
Senbi Dn12
His tomb was located at Meir in one of the necropolises where high officials of the nome of Cusae were interred from the end of the Old Kingdom to the Twelfth Dynasty.
Senefru Dn4
First king of the Fourth Dynasty. A punitive expedition to Nubia and another against the Libyans were conducted during his reign. Foreign trade with western Asia continued. Ruled for approximately 24 years. The only ruler to whom three pyramids are ascribed.
Senet
An Ancient Egyptian game, whose board is divided into thirty squares. It symbolizes the passage of the deceased to the nether world.
Senmut Dn18
The most favoured and influential person during the reign of queen Hatshepsut. Inspite of his modest background, he held more than 80 titles among which were, "steward of the estate of Amon", "chancellor of the king", "overseer of the queen's household".
Sennedjem Dn19
One of the artisans who lived in the village of Dier el-Medina during the reign of king Ramses II. He is the owner of one of the most beautiful tombs carved in the cliff facing the workmen's village.
Sennefer Dn18
Mayor of the city of Thebes (Luxor) during the reign of Amenhotep II. He was given the title "royal favorite". He was buried at Thebes.
Senusert I Dn12
The second king of the Twelfth Dynasty. He established a firm control over the country, and executed a number of irrigation projects. Foreign affairs flourished during his reign. Ruled for approximately 45 years.
Senusert II Dn12
Fourth king of the Twelfth Dynasty. He was buried at El-Lahun. Ruled for approximately 19 years. He was the first pharaoh to undertake the extensive exploitation of the Fayum area.
Senusert III Dn12
Son and successor of Senusert II. He undertook large irrigation projects in the Fayum, and all over the country. Took great care of Egypt's foreign relations. Ruled for approximately 39 years.
Sepi Dn12
A general of the Fifteenth Upper Egyptian nome. He was buried at El-Bersheh.
Serapeum
Set of underground galleries at Sakkara serving as the burial place of the sacred Apis bulls from the Eighteenth Dynasty onwards. The term Serapeum strictly refers only to the Graeco-Roman temple at ground level, dedicated to the syncretic god Serapis.
Serapis
A combination of Osiris, the Apis bull and various Hellenistic deities whose worship was introduced into Egypt in the reign of Ptolemy I.
Serdab
An Arabic word referring to the corridors of mastabas, where the statue of the deceased was placed.
Serekh
A form of decoration found on the facades of royal palaces, also a frame to the Horus name of the king which was part of the royal titulary.
Seth
The god of storms and violence. Brother of Osiris, and his murderer, and the rival of Horus. Identified with many animals, but represented as an unidentified type. Associated with the Delta and the desert.
Seti I Dn19
The virtual founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Builder of the great hypostyle hall at Karnak temple. He initiated a number of military campaigns to regain the lost influence of Egypt abroad. Ruled for approximately 11 years.
Seti II Dn19
Seti II ruled for 6 years. He maintained his predecessor's achievements.
Setne Khaemwas Dn19
SEE KHAEMWAS
Shabaqa Dn25
Shabaqa succeeded his brother Piankhy to the thrown. He set out to take personal control of the whole Nile valley, and continued with Piankhy's policy of a return to traditional Egyptian values. He died after a reign of approximately 15 years.
Shawabty (shabti, ushabti)
Mummiform figure, usually of faience, wood or stone, which was placed in the tomb (often in large numbers, one for each day of the year) to take the place of the deceased in performing certain manual tasks in the after world.
Shen
An oval shaped figure. Symbolic of all what the sun encircles throughout the daytime.
Shendjyt kilt
Royal pleated kilt with a distinctive central tab.
Sheshonq I Dn22
First king of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 21 years.
Shu
God of the air, whose female counterpart is Tefnut, goddess of dew and moisture. They both form the first pair in the Heliopolitan Ennead. Usually represented as a man separating Nut (sky) from Geb (earth).
Sistrum
A ritualistic musical instrument, related to the goddess-Hathor.
Sobek
The crocodile god. Worshipped throughout Egypt, but more importantly in Fayum, Kom Ombo, and Gebelin.
Special Register number (S.R)
A numbering system used inside the Egyptian museum by which the museum collections where classified into sections and it was implemented in 1960.
Sphinx
A Greek word derived from the Egyptian shesep-ankh, meaning the "living image". It designate a statue with a body of a lion and the head of the king, a form that is symbolic of sovereignty.
Standard
Sacred staff whose "shield" bears the emblem of a divinity.
Standard-bearing statue
A type of royal or private statue representing the individual bearing a divine emblem.
Statue
Big detailed representation of humans, animals, birds or reptiles.
Statuette
Same as statue but smaller - below 50 cm high.
Stela
A rectangular or rounded slab of stone or wood, with texts, reliefs or paintings, which served as commemorative or funerary monument.
Stone Age
The earliest technological period of human culture when tools were made of stone, bone or antler. It is divided into three periods Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.
Sun temple
Term referring to a variety of sacred buildings dedicated to the worship of the solar deity. In the reign of Akenaten several unusual temples for the Aten were built, consisting of sequences of open courtyards with numerous open-air alters.
Taharqa Dn25
Fifth king of Dynasty Twenty-five. Son of Piankhy and brother of Shebitku, fourth king of the same dynasty. Considerable building and restoration activities were carried out during his reign.
Taweret
The hippopotamus goddess. Patron of women in childbirth.
Tawesrt Dn19
A minor queen who ruled for approximately 2 years at the end of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Her reign was followed by a period of internal unrest.
Temporary Register (T.R)
A numbering system used inside the Egyptian museum to register the newly delivered objects till inspection OR objects that do not have a J.E number and it was implemented since 1914.
The Two ladies
The vulture-goddess Nekhbet and the cobra-goddess Wadjet, representing the Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt respectively.
The Two lands
Term referring to Upper and Lower Egypt.
Thebes
The ancient name for the city of Luxor.
Thinite Period
The term was first used by Manetho to designate the first two dynasties. Thinite derives from the name of the kings' supposed city of origin: a place called This, near Abydos.
Thoth
The ibis-headed god of Hermopolis. The ibis and the baboon were sacred to him. The scribe of the gods and the inventor of writing.
Thuya Dn18
Mother of queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep III, and wife of Yuya. Grandmother of Amenhotep IV. Her title was the chief lady of Amon's harem.
Titulary
Five names given to the king all of which are epithets that seem to refer to aspects of the king's being. These were: the Horus name, the Two ladies name (Wadjet and Nekhbet), the Nsw Bity, the son of Re name, and the Golden Horus name.
Tiye Dn18
Royal wife of Amenhotep III. Mother of Akhenaten. Gained special prominence during her life time.
Tjay Dn18
A royal scribe and chief of stables of Pharaoh during the reign of king Amenhotep III.
Tomb equipment
Anything related to tomb.
Triad
Group of three deities, usually comprising father, mother and son. (e.g. Amon, Mut and khonsu).
Tutankhamon Dn18
Second successor of Akhenaten. Ruled for about 9 years, under the supervision of high priests of Amon. The capital of Egypt returned to Thebes during his reign. He executed some minor constructions in Luxor temple. Died at 19.
Tuthmosis I Dn18
Third king of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Ruled for approximately 15 years. First king to carve his tomb in the hills of present-day Valley of the Kings. He extended Egyptian boundaries beyond the third cataract.
Tuthmosis II Dn18
Son and Successor of Tuthmosis I. Ruled for approximately 14 years. There is a possibility that he suffered from poor health. He did not continue with the program of reforms begun by his predecessors.
Tuthmosis III Dn18
Successor of queen Hatshepsut. His expansions in Asia and to the north and south of Egypt won him the title of Egypt's greatest military leader. During his long reign the Egyptian empire reached its zenith. Ruled approximately for 45 years.
Ty Dn5
A high official during the reigns of Neferirkare and Niuserre, and one of the influential personage of the court. Ty was also in charge of two pyramids and several solar temples dating to the Fifth Dynasty. He was buried in a tomb at Sakkara.
Time periods
The ancient Egyptian history is divided into dynasties. These represent the group of kings that ruled Egypt since the beginning of its civilization, placed in a chronological order. This system was first adopted by the Egyptian priest Manetho.
Ukh-Hotep Dn12
Ukh-Hotep was one of the last nomarchs (governors) of the Middle Kingdom. He was buried at Meir.
Upper Egypt
The upper Nile valley in Egypt: southern Egypt.
Uraeus
The term is derived from the Egyptian word for "cobra". Usually found adorning the forehead of the king and certain deities, as a protective element.
Userkaf Dn5
The first king of the Fifth Dynasty. He ruled for seven years, yet his reign was characterized by a certain amount of building activity. He built the first sun temple at Abusir, a tradition that was to be carried on by his successors.
Ushabti, Shabti
SEE SHAWABTI.
Valley of the Kings
A rocky valley cut into the western bank of Thebes. Chosen as the royal cemetery by New Kingdom pharaohs, beginning with king Tuthmosis I.
Valley temple (funerary temple)
Section of the pyramid complex in which the embalming, purification and "opening of the mouth" ceremonies took place. It was usually connected to the mortuary temple and pyramid by an ascending causeway.
Viscera
Human organs extracted during mummification. These were: the stomach, the liver, the intestine and the lungs.
Visitors workstation
A dedicated workstation designed as an electronic guide to help the museum's visitors during their visits inside the museum.
Wadjet
A cobra goddess. The guardian goddess of Lower Egypt.
Was scepter
A sceptre with a canine head. A common attribute of the gods.
Weighing of the Heart
Judgement scene from the Book of the Dead in which the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather symbolizing the goddess Maat in the presence of the gods, determining whether he could pass through to eternal life in the after world.
Weshekh
An Egyptian word designating a certain type of collars, which is composed of beads.
White crown
A tall conical mitre with a bulbous terminus. It symbolizes the sovereignty of the king over Upper Egypt.
Work station
A self-contained unit comprising all necessary facilities for computing activities.
Yuya Dn18
Father-in-law of Amenhotep III. Grandfather of Amenhotep IV. Husband of Thuya. His titles were the god's father, prophet of Min at Akhmim and overseer of horses. He was buried in a tomb in Valley of the Kings.
