Ancient Egypt - Daily Life

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Introduction

• Every year the Nile River floods and Egypt celebrates.

• The Opet Festival is celebrated by all people, not just the royals. This festival honors the Pharaoh and patron god.

• Outside of the festival, everyday life has separations, by social class.

Social Class Pyramid

• Society is structured like a pyramid.

• The classes near the top had fewer people and enjoyed a higher status.

• Priests were powerful because religion touched everything.

• Scribes were respected because they were educated and recorded information.

Open Ended

Do you feel that the social class pyramid from ancient Egypt is any different from the way society is today? Why or why not?

Government

• Highest class, after the Pharaoh.

• They were members of the pharaoh's family or noble family.

• 3 Important official: Vizier, Chief Treasurer, and General of the Army.

• The vizier has more power than any of them. they were the judge, aviser, and gave out positions.

• Government had lives of luxury.

Multiple Select

Which member of government has the most power, just under the Pharaoh?

• Treasurer

• Vizier

• General

Priest

• They were powerful and highly respected by society.

• Different Jobs: Religious ceremonies, in charge of temples, gave advice, performed healings, & taught about after-life.

• Every temple in Egypt was home to one or more god, ran by priest.

• Priest has to cleanse their bodies and bahte in holy pools 3 - 4 times a day. They also had to shave all hair on body.

Poll

Priest had many roles and responsibilities, which do you believe is the craziest?

• Shave all their body hair off

• Watch the Temples

• Perform Healings

• Shower 3 - 4 Times a Day

Mummification

• It was believed that the spirit always returned to the body after death.

• All body organs were removed (brain, lungs, liver) with hooks. Only the heart stayed in the body.

• Organs were saved in jars.

• After 70 days the body was washed, oiled, and wrapped.

• They were buried with food, furniture, jewelry, gold, games, and more.

Scribes

• Egypt's official writers and record keepers.

• Only men were allowed to be scribes.

• Anyone from any social class could become a scribe if they could complete the schooling.

• Schooling began at age 5 and they spent 12 years learning and memorizing over 700 hieroglyphs.

• They would write on clay or papyrus paper.

Multiple Select

Could the absolute lowest people on the social class pyramid, the peasants, move up to the pyramid by becoming a scribe?

• yes

• no

Artisans

• Created some of the most beautiful art in Egypt.

• They created jewelry, leather, metal work, painted, pots, statues, baskets.

• They worked in large groups and were looked at as just a common labor by the upper class.

• Sometimes they were celebrated by most of the time they were just the help.

Multiple Select

Were the artisans located below or above the peasants on the social class pyramid?

• above

• below

• same level

Peasants

• Lowest and largest of the social class.

• Grew and provided the food for everyone.

• When not growing food, they helped build monuments.

• Life revolved aroun the flooding of the Nile River.

• Had the fewest comforts and were only allowed to keep left over grain from their crop.

Open Ended

How did social class affect daily life in ancient Egypt? Provide an example to to support your response.