1. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2, Life in Ancient Egypt

2. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 1
*How did work roles change for the people of Egypt?
*Because of food surpluses, societies begin to expand and cities emerge as centers of culture and power.
*People, eventually, learn to do jobs that do not involve agriculture.
*For example, some ancient Egyptians learned to be scribes, people whose job was to write and keep records.

3. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 2
-What types of specialized jobs did ancient Egyptians have?
-As Egyptian civilization grew more complex, people took on jobs other than that of a farmer or scribe.
-Some skilled artisans erected stone or brick houses and temples.
-Other artisans made pottery, incense, mats, furniture, linen, clothing, sandals, or jewelry.
-Traders took Egyptian products such as scrolls, linen, gold, and jewelry.
-Traders brought back exotic woods, animals skins, and live beasts.

4. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 3
*Who was in charge of Egypt’s government?
*Egyptians created a government that divided the empire into 42 provinces.
*Many officials kept the provinces running and Egypt also had an army to defend itself.
*Priests had one of the highest jobs because they were in charge of rituals and took care of the temples.
*Egyptians feared the gods, so it was the responsibility of the ruler and priests to create ceremonies that would honor the gods.
*By doing so, the ruler and priests would maintain social and political order.

5. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 4
-How was life for slaves and women?
-Slaves were at the bottom of Egyptian society.
-People became slaves if they owed a debt, committed a crime, or were captured in war.
-In general, slaves were treated well and were usually freed over a period of time, except the ones who worked in the mines and died from exhausting labor.
-In Egyptian society, men and women had fairly equal rights and they both could own and manage property.
-Most Egyptian women took care of their children, but some wove cloth, worked in the fields or workshops.

6. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 5
*What was life like for Egyptian children?
-What were the levels of Egyptian society?
*Children played with toys such as dolls, animal figures, board games, and marbles.
*Boys and girls from some wealthy families went to schools run by scribes or priests, and almost all were married in their early teens.
-At the highest level was the pharaoh, followed by priests, then scribes, merchants and craftspeople, farmers and laborers, and slaves at the bottom.

7. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 6
*How did learning advance in Egypt?
*As in many ancient societies, much of the knowledge of Egypt came about as priests studied the world to find ways to please the gods.
*Egyptian priests studied the sky as part of their religion.
*About 5000 years ago, they noticed a star called Sirius that appeared shortly before the Nile would flood and would reappear at the same position 365 days later.
*Based on that, Egyptians developed the world’s first practical calendar.
*Egyptians developed some of the first geometry because architects used geometric shapes in the design of royal temples and monuments.
*Egyptian doctors performed some of the world’s first surgeries because they often gained knowledge by preparing dead bodies for burial.

8. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 7
*How did learning advance in Egypt?
(continued)
*Ancient Egyptian doctors believed that the heart controlled thought and the brain circulated blood, which is the opposite of what is known today.
*Beginning in about 3000 BC, Egyptians developed a writing system using hieroglyphs.
*Hieroglyphs are pictures that stand for different words.
*Early Egyptians created a hieroglyphic system with about 700 characters that grew to include 6,000 symbols.
*They also developed a paper like material called papyrus from a reed of the same name.
*They would cut the reed stems into strips, press them, and dry them into sheets that could be rolled into scrolls and made into books.

9. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 8
-What religious beliefs did Egyptians hold?
-Historians know from Egyptian writings and art that the ancient Egyptians had a positive view of life.
-The positive outlook shaped their religion and led them to believe that the gods favored them.
-As a result, they believed that their happiness would continue in the afterlife.
-An afterlife is a life believed to follow death.
-The Egyptians were polytheistic because they believed in many gods.

10. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 9
-What religious beliefs did Egyptians hold?
-Some of their most important gods included:
Re--the sun god
Osiris--a god who judged Egyptians after death
Isis--a fertility goddess who was Osiris’ wife
Anubis--a god of the dead

11. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 10
*Why did Egyptians make mummies?
*Egyptians thought they would need their bodies in the afterlife, so they embalmed dead people.
*Embalm means to preserve a body after death.
*Embalmers removed all organs, except the heart, and would fill the body with salt and herbs to create a mummy.
*A mummy is a body that has been dried so it won’t decay.
*The mummy was placed in a coffin inside a tomb that contained everyday objects, furniture, food, and scenes of a person’s life painted on the walls.

12. SS Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Slide 11
-Summary
-The Egyptians developed a calendar, early geometry, medical knowledge, and hieroglyphic writing.
-Ancient Egypt had a complex society with specialized jobs. Women and slaves lived better there than in many other ancient lands.
-The Egyptians believed in many gods related to nature. They also believed in a happy afterlife.

13. Questions??? What was the job of a scribe?
What were two product that traders brought back or traded for?
How or why did a person become a slave in ancient Egypt/
Who was at the highest level of Egyptian society?
What was the name of the Egyptian writing system?
What is the name of the process that preserves a body after death?