Transcript Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
Chapter 9
Social Classes
pharaoh
Priests
Artisans & Craftspeople
Egypt’s
Social
Pyramid
People usually belonged to the same
social class as their parents.
Men and women had different roles
in the home:
Men supported the family and trained their
sons to take on their line of work.
Women raised the children. Upper class
women had servants or slaves.
– Egyptian women had more rights that in other
societies. They could: ask for divorces, represent
themselves in legal matters, upper and middle
class women could be doctors, government
officials and priestesses
Government Officials
Three important officials were
the: vizier, chief treasurer
and the general of the armies.
The vizier advised the
pharaoh and supervised the
other government officials.
He also served as a chief
judge.
The chief treasurer managed
Egypt’s wealth. Egypt’s
economy was based on goods
and people paid their taxes in
grain, cows, cloth, silver and
even beer.
The General of the armies
was the top military
commander and helped the
pharaoh make alliances.
Priests
Egyptians believed in life
A temple’s God was
thought to live in the
statue. Only a priest
could enter the
sanctuary where the
statue was housed.
To enter the priests
had to be purified
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Could not eat fish
Bathe 3-4 times daily
Shave all body hair
Could not wear animal
skins
after death. The priests
were in charge of
embalming and
mummifying the body.
First, the organs except
the heart were removed
and packed in salt.
The body was washed
and oiled, wrapped,
decorated and wrapped
again.
When the body was
ready it was put in a
sarcophagus.
Scribes
Only boys could go
to Scribe School.
They began at age 5
and continued for 12
years or more.
Students had to
memorize 700
hieroglyphs and
frequently went to
school from dawn to
dusk.
Artisans and Craftspeople
This class included
carpenters, jewelers,
leatherworkers,
metalworkers, painters,
potters, sculptors and
weavers.
Artisans played an
important role in temple
and tomb building.
Despite artisans skill and
creativity they were seen
as common laborers.
Talented artists were never
allowed to sign their work.
PeasantsMember of the
peasant class grew
the crops that
supplied everyone
with food. When
they weren’t working
the fields they helped
build monuments like
the pyramids.
Three seasons of the
Nile:
– Flooding Season: June
– September
– Planting Season:
October
– The Harvest Season:
March