Pschent

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pschent

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the etymological origin?Derived from the Egyptian Pa-sekhemty, meaning 'The Two Powerful Ones'
2. What is the political symbolism?Represents the pharaoh's absolute sovereignty over a unified Egypt
3. Why does the Pschent have two different crowns?The two crowns represent Upper and Lower Egypt. By putting them together, the pharaoh shows that the two parts of the country are united under one king.
4. What do the cobra (uraeus) and the vulture on the Pschent symbolize?The cobra, called the uraeus, is the symbol of the goddess Wadjet and protects the king. The vulture represents the goddess Nekhbet, who watches over Upper Egypt. Together they show that the king is protected by the gods.

Sovereignty: Supreme power or authority, especially the authority of a state or ruler.
Iconography: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.
Divine Mandate: The belief that a ruler's authority comes directly from a god or gods.