Daily life: social classes Ancient Egypt Daily life: social classes

Ancient Egypt society 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 majority of the population could not read nor write. Only the rich and powerful or scribes received an education. 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 society Ancient Egyptians entertained themselves in different ways: They liked listening to and playing music on instruments such as the harp. Rich Egyptians had parties with entertainment, food and drink. Children had different toys including balls and model animals. The Nile was also good for entertainment. People took trips in boats, fished, swam and even hunted crocodiles and hippopotamuses.

Ancient Egypt society Ancient Egypt society consisted of some social groups. 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. Religious: As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the pharaoh represented the gods on Earth. He performed rituals and built temples to honour the gods. He also helped maintain 'Maat' - the divine order in the world. Without the pharaoh, The Egyptians believed that the world would descend into chaos.

Priests Priests enjoyed great power and richness in Egyptian society. They passed down their positions from father to son. There were some different kinds of priests: The high priests were the most important ones. They were the 'First Prophet of the God‘. High priests did sacred rituals at temples. Other priests were in charge of funerals, and some other specialized in astrology, architecture or medicine.

Priests Whatever their position all priests had to obey a number of strict rules: They could not eat fish, because it was seen as peasant food They could not wear wool, because most animal products were viewed as unclean. 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. Their job was to collect taxes for the pharaoh. They also supervised the preparation of the pharaoh's tomb.

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

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 They worked in the household or in the fields. These workers were often foreigners. Servants recieved a very little pay and they were free. Slaves could be bought and sold like property. People could also sell themselves into slavery and buy themselves out of it.

Thank you for your attention, I hope you liked it… …And now we are going to do an activity about Ancient Egypt society!