Y7 Key groups in Ancient Egypt

I’m the pharaoh’s second-in-command. I give him advice. This gives me considerable influence. I supervise the other officials and judge law-breakers. I also make sure people pay their taxes – in grain, goods or their labour.

• Pharaoh

• Merchant

• Noble

• Vizier

Except for the slaves I’m at the bottom of the heap. I grow wheat and barley and the flax used to make linen. I work very hard, digging canals for irrigation and preparing the soil. During the flood, I help out the pharaoh’s building work. I pay over half of the grain I produce as tax to the pharaoh.

• Farmer

• Craftsman

• Slave

• Merchant

I am one of the very few who can read and write. I record the pharaoh’s orders and decisions, and help the vizier keep the tax records. I also keep accounts for the army, write letters for local people and prepare inscriptions for tomb walls and sculptures.

• Merchant

• Scribe

• Pharaoh

• Vizier

 I am a trader. I’m always sailing up and down the Nile, with goods from Egypt such as linen, papyrus and grain. Goods I bring back from other places include ebony wood, ivory, incense, copper and baboons.

• Craftsman

• Scribe

• Merchant

• Noble

I represented our country’s top priest the pharaoh, in looking after the gods. I am allowed to go into the inner part of the temple where the statue of the god is kept. Each day I wax it, wrap it in clean linen and bring it food. If I don’t do this, bad things would happen. On special days, I take it out to show the people.

• Pharaoh

• Priest

• Goddess

• Merchant

I was born in Libya, but was captured as a prisoner of war. Others come from Syria and Nubia. My master uses me as a field hand. Some of the lucky ones in my class work in the palace of the pharaoh – much better than working in the quarries or the mines.

• Chief Priest

• Farmer

• Slave

• Merchant

Some of the pots I make I pay to the pharaoh as tax. Some are exported to other countries. Most of my mates are in the same business too. A few make jewellery, others make papyrus, boats or furniture. I wish I was smart enough to be a scribe.

• Merchant

• Farmer

• Craftsman

• Vizier

A merchant could change their position in the hierarchy by learning to read and write.

• True

• False

Which group was at the top of the Ancient Egyptian hierarchy?

• Chief Priest

• Vizier

• Pharaoh

• Noble

Which best defines hierarchy

• the customs and traditions that develops over time that are passed down from generation to generation

• a way of organising things (or people) from top down in order of importance or significance

• a simplified form of writing

• the leader of ancient Egypt who was believed to be a god