Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid

Lesson 9 : Section 1
Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid

Egypt's society was structured like a pyramid and was based on an Egyptian principle called  ma'at , which stressed the importance of truth, order, and balance.  At the very top of this  social pyramid  was the pharaoh, Egypt's  supreme  ruler.  Egyptian religion strengthened the pharaoh's authority.  Because pharaohs were believed to be gods, their word was law.

Multiple Choice

Which class of Egyptian was the highest on the social pyramid ?

• merchants

• peasants

• soldiers

• scribes

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Next in importance were several layers of  social classes .   The classes near the top of the pyramid had fewer people and enjoyed higher status, while those nearer the bottom had greater numbers of people but lower status.

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Egypt's Social Classes Below the pharaoh were the next two highest classes in the social pyramid—government officials and priests. They were the most powerful groups in Egypt.

Government officials carried out the orders of the pharaoh. Most officials came from noble families. They were powerful and wealthy, and they enjoyed a high quality of life.

Multiple Choice

Other than the Pharaohs, who were the two most powerful groups in ancient Egypt ?

• farmers and artisans

• Priests and soccer players

• peasants and nobles

• Priests and government officials

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Priests were also a powerful group because religion touched every part of people's daily lives. Priests were responsible for the temples and religious rituals, as well as the elaborate ceremonies surrounding death and burial.

Next on the social pyramid were scribes. Scribes held a respected position in society because they recorded information for government and religious leaders. It took many years of schooling to become a scribe.

Multiple Choice

Priests were responsible for rituals and ceremonies for burial and death. In this context, the word rituals means ......?

• things you do to clean your house

• something done as a social custom or ceremony

• prayers said at a funeral

• thing we do in the winter

Egypt's social pyramid

Artisans occupied the next layer of the social pyramid. This group included craftspeople like carpenters, metalworkers, painters, sculptors, and stone carvers. Artisans were highly skilled but had low social status.

At the bottom of the social pyramid were the peasants, the largest social class. Peasants worked the land, providing the Egyptians with a steady food supply. When not farming, peasants worked on the pharaoh's massive building projects.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is not true about being a peasant in ancient Egypt ?

• They were at the bottom of the social pyramid

• They made a lot of money and were rich

• they worked to produce food for Egypt

• they often worked on the Pharaoh's building projects

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Life in Egypt's Social Classes Egypt's social pyramid was fairly rigid. Since most people belonged to the same social class as their parents, there was little chance of improving their status. Members of different classes may have had some things in common, but, generally, their lives were quite different.

Egyptians in all social classes cherished family life. Most Egyptians married within their social group.

Multiple Choice

If you worked hard, it was easy to change your social status in ancient Egypt.

• True

• False

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Men and women had different  roles  within the family.  Men were the heads of their households and worked to support the family.  Fathers often began to train their sons at a young age to continue their line of work.  Women typically managed the home and raised the children.  Upper-class women had servants or slaves to help them, but lower-class women did the work themselves.

Open Ended

What part of this information sounds similar to life today in our society ?

Egypt's Social Pyramid

Men were in charge of Egyptian society, but women enjoyed more freedom and rights than most women in the ancient world.  They could own land, run businesses, and even ask for divorces and represent themselves in legal matters.  Some women in the middle and upper classes worked as doctors, government officials, or priestesses.  Both women and men enjoyed a better quality of life the higher they were on the social pyramid.

Egypt's Social Pyramid

The Egyptians believed that their class system created a stable, well-ordered society.  Each group had its own role to play.  Let's investigate the duties and daily lives of the various social classes during the time of the New Kingdom.