ANCIENT EGYPTANCIENT EGYPT Chapter 9Chapter 9

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE LEARNING ABOUT? Daily life in Ancient Egypt Daily life in Ancient Egypt Egypt’s social pyramid – Govt. officials – Priests – Scribes – Artisans – Peasants

INTRODUCTION New Kingdom ( B.C.E ) Opet Festival – Annually, Nile flooded – Everyone participated

ANCIENT EGYPT’S SOCIAL PYRAMIDANCIENT EGYPT’S SOCIAL PYRAMID Class system= stable society Top: Fewest people, highest status Bottom: More people, lower status Very rigid – Little chance to move up Family life important

ANCIENT EGYPT’S SOCIAL PYRAMIDANCIENT EGYPT’S SOCIAL PYRAMID Men and women had different roles – Men: heads of households – Women: managed home, raised children Egyptian women had more freedom and rights – Own land, run businesses, divorce, work

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALSGOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Highest class (after pharaoh) Led lives of luxury Assist the pharaoh Three main officials – Vizier, chief treasurer, general of armies – Vizier: high ranking government official Advised pharaoh, carried out commands, chief judge Chief treasurer – looked after govt. wealth – Collect taxes ( goods) General of armies – Top military commander after pharaoh – Helped pharaoh make alliances Alliance: an agreement between nations to work together for common interests

PRIESTS Pharaoh= highest ranked priest – Network of priests under him/her Different priests=different jobs – High Priest: Advised the pharaoh, oversaw ceremonies – Temple Priest: In charge of temples – Other: common concerns, advice, healings Women were allowed to be priests as well – Oversee music/dancing temples Temples were important in Egyptian society – Each temple dedicated to diff. gods – Temple‘s god would live in statue – Must be “purified” before entering

PRIESTS (9.4)PRIESTS (9.4) Priests important in burial process – Embalming: to treat a dead body with preservatives to prevent it from decaying Remove organs ( only heart remained) Natron: special salt used to dry out body and organs Washed/oiled body Wrap in linen, spread black gooey gum, wrapped again Mummies were placed in sarcophagus – Sarcophagus: a large stone coffin

SCRIBES One level below priests Official writers/record keepers Men only – Only way to raise social class Scribe school – Age 5, 12 years – Hieroglyphs: A system of writing developed in around 3000 B.C.E – Not an easy life Long hours, beatings Wide variety of jobs – Records, census, court cases, etc – Census: official count of population or number of people living in an area Tools used – Reeds, papyrus, tablets of wood or stone

ARTISANS Below the scribes on pyramid Highly skilled laborers – Rarely got credit Carpenters, jewelers, leatherworkers, painters, sculptors, weavers, etc – Most skilled: stonecarvers Lived in modest homes Worked side by side in workshops – 10 days at a time – Often went hungry Called upon often by pharaohs Not allowed to sign work

PEASANTS Lowest and largest class Grew crops, helped build monuments Life revolved around the Nile – Flood season: June- Sept. – October: planting season – March: Harvest season – Worked from dawn to dust Simple houses, mud bricks Simple diet – Famine: severe shortage of food Little free time Rewarded for good harvest – Punished for poor harvest

REVIEW -Each social class had role Top: Fewest people, highest status Bottom: More people, lower status Very rigid social structure