Glossary
Plain definitions for real historical terms used across this site. Every term also gets explained the first time it appears on the page where it's used. This page collects them all in one place, and grows as more of the site gets written.
- Kush
- An ancient civilization that ruled the Nile Valley in what is now Sudan for over a thousand years. For about 100 years, Kushite kings also ruled Egypt directly.
- Why Sudan Has More Pyramids Than Egypt
- Kandakekan-DAH-kay
- The title given to Kush's ruling queens, who governed with the same authority as kings. Several Kandakes ruled independently, with no king at all. The English name Candace comes from this title.
- Rich vs. Poor in Ancient Kush
- Nubia
- The region along the Nile River in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan, home to several ancient civilizations over thousands of years. Kush is the best documented and longest lasting of them.
- What Does Nubian or Kushite Ancestry Mean?
- Meroiticmer-oh-IT-ik
- Kush's own language and writing system, developed and used across the kingdom, especially in its later centuries when Meroë was the capital. Reading and writing it required years of training.
- Rich vs. Poor in Ancient Kush