Ancient Egypt

Daily life: social classes

Ancient Egypt society

The majority of the population could not read nor write.Only the rich and powerful or scribes received an education.

In the Egyptian society there were big diferences betwen the rich and the poor:

Women had similar legal rights to men.

They could have lands, work and get divorced, but they didn’t go to school.

The traditional family was the fundamental social unit of ancient Egypt. The father was responsible for the economy of the family. The mother supervised the household and cared for the children.

Ancient Egypt societyAncient Egyptians entertained themselves in different ways:

Rich Egyptians had parties with entertainment, food and drink.

The Nile was also good for entertainment. People took trips in boats, fished, swam and even hunted crocodiles and hippopotamuses.

Children had different toys including balls and model animals.

They liked listening to and playing music on instruments such as the harp.

Ancient Egypt society consisted of some social groups.

Ancient Egypt society

The class structure in Egypt was extremely rigid: everyone knew where they stood in society and accepted their position.

The pharaoh The most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh.

The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people:

Political: As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners.

He also helped maintain 'Maat' - the divine order in the world. Without the pharaoh, The Egyptians believed that the world would descend into chaos.

Religious: As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the pharaoh represented the gods on Earth. He performed rituals and built temples to honour the gods.

Priests

There were some different kinds of priests:

Other priests were in charge of funerals, and some other specialized in astrology, architecture or medicine.

The high priests were the most important ones. They were the 'First Prophet of the God‘. High priests did sacred rituals at temples.

Priests enjoyed great power and richness in Egyptian society. They passed down their positions from father to son.

Priests Whatever their position all priests had to obey a number of strict

rules:

They could not wear wool, because most animal products were viewed as unclean.

They could not eat fish, because it was seen as peasant food

Many priests took three or four baths a day in sacred pools in order to keep themselves pure.

They had to shave their heads to ensure cleanliness.

Nobles Nobles were rich people with high social

position

The noble class of Ancient Egypt typically worked for the pharaoh or the pharaoh’s family in some way.

They also supervised the preparation of the pharaoh's tomb.

Their job was to collect taxes for the pharaoh.

Traders Egypt was one of the richest countries in the ancient world.

Egyptian traders carried products such as gold, papyrus, linen

cloth, and jewelry to other countries.

In exchange, they brought back wood and animals such as lions for the temples or palaces.

Artisans The Egyptian objects that we see in museums today were created by

anonymous artists working for the pharaoh, the government, or temples.

some of the objects they created were: carpentry, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, wall painting and glass making.

glass making

sculpture

wall painting

potteryjewelry

carpentry

Scribes Scribes had a high status in Egyptian society.

They studied for many years to learn to read and write hieroglyphics.

Scribes had great opportunities as accountants, priests, doctors, and government officials.

Farmers Farmers worked on the lands that were property of the pharaoh, the government, a

temple, or a rich landowner.

They got very little money for their job.

In addition to working in the land, they maintained the irrigation canals that every year brought water to their fields and to the place where the pharaoh's tomb was constructed.

Servants and slaves Servants and slaves were the lowest

class of Egyptian society

These workers were often foreigners.

Slaves could be bought and sold like property. People could also sell themselves into slavery and buy themselves out of it.

They worked in the household or in the fields.

Servants recieved a very little pay and they were free.

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Ancient Egypt society!

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