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 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 Could not eat fish Bathe 3-4 times daily Shave all body hair Could not wear animal skins Egyptians believed in life 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.

Peasants Member 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