Ancient Egypt The Old Kingdom
The Old Kingdom Early Egyptian Society Religion and Egyptian Life The Pyramids
Rule by Pharaohs Pharaohs were Egyptian kings Seen as Gods Had absolute power Blamed for bad crops Blamed for diseases Make trade profitable Prevent wars
Social Structure Pharaoh Government Officials Priests Scribes Artisans Peasants
Government Officials Vizier advised the pharaoh Chief Treasurer collected taxes General of the Armies protected Egypt They lived the life of luxury! Egyptian women enjoying a banquet
Priests High Priest advised the Pharaoh Several Baths a day Shaved their head to show cleanliness Oversaw religious ceremonies Oversaw mummification Women could be priestesses
Scribes Record Keepers Rise in social class Only men 12 years or more of school School difficult Became wealthy Paid no taxes
Artisans Sculptors, builders, carpenters, jewelers, metal workers, & leather workers Architects and artists designed and decorated temples and tombs.
Peasants Lowest & largest social class 3 seasons: flooding, planting, & harvest Give crops to pharaoh Work on projects or fight wars Could keep leftover grain Beaten if bad harvest
Religion and Egyptian Life The Gods of Egypt Emphasis on the Afterlife Burial Practices
The Gods of Egypt Anubis = the god of the dead Re or Amon Re = the sun god Osiris = the god of the underworld Isis = the goddess of magic Horus = the sky god, god of the pharaohs
Anubis The god of the dead
Re or Amon Re The sun god
Osiris The god of the underworld
Isis The goddess of magic
Horus The sky god, god of the pharaohs
Emphasis on the Afterlife afterlife-life after death happy place young and healthy ka, or a person’s life force Ka left body at death Stayed at burial site What objects were left at the burial site for the person to use in the afterlife?
Burial Practices mummies-specially treated bodies wrapped in cloth. elite-people of wealth and power. only elite family members mummified poor buried in desert
Famous Mummies Ramses Ramses II KingTut
Canopic Jars Hapi (baboon)-liver Duamutel (jackal)-stomach Qebehsenuef (falcon)-intestines Imsety (man)-liver Heart was only organ left in the body
The Pyramids The pyramids at Giza (the Great Pyramid of Khufu is in the center.
The Great Sphinx The Sphinx had the body of a lion and the head of a man.
Other Pyramids Djoser’s step pyramid Meidum Pyramid Snefru’s Bent Pyramid