Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt’s Social Pyramid Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid. The classes near the top: fewest people and highest status; classes near the bottom: more people and lower status. Pharaohs were looked upon as gods, and their word was law. Pharaoh Officials, Officials Priests, Priests, Priests, Priests Scribes, Scribes, Scribes, Scribes, Scribes Artisans, Artisans, Artisans, Artisans, Artisans, Artisans Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants, Peasants

Life in Egypt’s Social Classes There was little social mobility. You were likely to die in the same class that you were born. Men were the head of the household and trained their sons in their occupations. Women managed the home and raised the children. Men were in charge, but women had more rights than in most ancient societies. Women could own land, run businesses, ask for divorces, and represent themselves in legal matters.

Government Officials • The vizier served as chief judge, appointed and supervised other officials, and advised the pharaoh. • The chief treasurer collected taxes in the form of such things as grain, cows, and beer. • The general of the armies advised the pharaoh on protecting Egypt from invaders and helped make alliances. • Government officials lived a life of luxury, including banquets with exotic foods and entertainment.

Priests • Priests followed many rules, such as bathing several times a day. • Priests had different jobs, such as advising the pharaoh and supervising ceremonies. • Priests oversaw the important task of embalming dead bodies (Egyptians believed that people needed their bodies in the afterlife. They entombed the body in a sarcophagus.

Scribes Becoming a scribe was one of the few ways men could rise to a higher social class. Students spent 12 years or more learning the enormous number of hieroglyphs in the scribe schools. Life in scribe schools was difficult, and teachers often beat their students because they felt children listen only when beaten. Scribes kept many records on food supplies, the census, taxes, laws, and military casualties. Scribes used pens made from reeds, paper made from papyrus, writing tablets, and two ink wells.

Hieroglyphs Egyptian hieroglyphic writing developed around the time of Sumerian cuneiform about 5,000 years ago.

Hieroglyphs (continued) English is based on 26 characters--letters. Letters that are combined into words...and then into sentences...which tell a story. Ancient Egyptian writing uses more than 2,000 hieroglyphic characters. Each hieroglyph represents a common object in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs could represent the sound of the object or they could represent an idea associated with the object. A modern type of hieroglyphic writings would be a rebus. A rebus is a picture puzzle that can be "sounded out" by reading the sounds symbolized by the pictures. When these sounds are read aloud together, the statements often becomes obvious. Try solving the rebus below: Hieroglyphic writing is like a picture puzzle.

Hieroglyphs Alphabet characters were the basis for hieroglyphic writings. The basic hieroglyph characters are referred to as the ALPHABET. They 'spell out' names or anything which can't be represented by other characters. The alphabet characters are read as the sound of the object they represented. Although vowels were used in the spoken language, they were not usually written unless a word begins with a vowel or where it might be confusing if left out…like with names. EXAMPLE In English, words are often abbreviated by leaving out vowels. mtn = mountain blvd = boulevard When these abbreviations are read aloud, they are spoken using vowels.

The Decline and Deciphering of Hieroglyphic Writing Under Roman rule, hieroglyphic writing declined. By the 5th century C.E., few could read the glyphs. Scholars deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs after Napoleon soldiers discovered the Rosetta Stone about 200 years ago. The Rosetta Stone contained two types of Egyptian writing and Greek.

Artisans • Egyptian artisans included carpenters, jewelers, leather and metalworkers, painters, potters, sculptors, and weavers. • Artisans rarely received recognition from the upper classes for their work. • Stone carving was difficult work because artisans worked with hard rock such as granite. • Artisans and their families lived in modest, rectangular homes that were barely 10 yards long.

Peasants • Peasant life revolved around three seasons: flooding season (summer), planting season (fall), and harvest season (spring). • Peasants often sang songs to help pass the long hours working in the fields. • The diet of peasants was simple: bread, beer, some vegetables, and maybe fish. In time of famine, they had to eat papyrus. • During harvest time, peasants were allowed to gather and keep leftover grain, but they also could be beaten if they had a poor harvest.