1. Ch. 9 Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

2. 9.2 Egypt’s Social Pyramid
1. Six distinct levels.
Top - fewer people and had higher status.
Bottom - more people and lower status
2. Pharaoh – religion strengthened authority
Believed to be gods.
Their word was law.
Priests – powerful b/c in charge of religious rituals
Religion affected every part of people’s lives

3. 9.2 Egypt’s Social Pyramid3.
Egyptian women had more freedom and rights than other women in the ancient world.
Own land, run businesses, divorce
Doctors, priestesses, gov’t officials 4.
Difficult to move up to a higher class.
Same class as parents.
Each group had a role to fulfill.
Created a stable, well-ordered society

4. Government Officials
Vizier - chief judge, appointed officials, advised pharaoh
Chief treasurer collected taxes. Economy based on goods, not money (grain, cows, cloth, silver)
General of the armies – advised pharaoh on war & national security (defense), helped make alliances with other kingdoms
Lives of luxury – Wealthy, fine homes, plenty of time to socialize. Attended lavish banquets, wore fancy clothes

5. Priests
High Priest advised the pharaoh and oversaw all religious ceremonies
Temple priests were in charge of the many temples throughout Egypt
Other priests handled common issues: giving advice, performing healings
Priestesses oversaw temples that were devoted to music and dancieng

6. Priests
Oversaw embalming – sacred ritual to preserve a dead body (mummy)
Believed dead needed their body in the afterlife.
Had to purify themselves. Avoid certain foods, cleanse their bodies, shave off body hair, wear linen clothes
Only priests could enter the sanctuaries.

7. Scribes Able to rise to higher social class
Began school at age 5, 12 years of schooling, 700+ hieroglyphs, males only
Strict teachers, intense studies
Reed pens, papyrus, writing tablet, ink wells
Record events, taxes, grain and food supplies, laws, etc.
Highly respected, well paid

8. Artisans
Carpenters, jewelers, metalworkers, leatherworkers, painters, sculptors, weavers
Made beautiful objects such as jewelry and furniture
The most skilled artisans were stone carvers
Rarely recognized for their work
Considered to be common laborers
Small homes, long hours
Depended on their employers for food

9. Peasants
Flooding, planting, and harvest season
Worked on royal projects during flooding season
Main crops were wheat and barley
Families worked together during the harvest
Lowest and largest social class
Simple housing and food