DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Miss McCasland

Social Pyramid

• A person’s position in society depended on what he/she did for a living.

• Lowest level-slavery– Syrian and Nubian

prisoners of war– One person owning

another person

PHARAOH

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

SOLDIERS

SCRIBES

MERCHANTS

ARTISANS

FARMERS

SLAVES

SLAVERY

• Did some of the hardest work that had to be done!– Worked in the desert

heat to mine gold– Worked alongside

farmers– Dug canals and prepared

for planting– House servants

• Slaves were bought and sold like cattle!

• Had some basic rights!– Right to be treated fairly

under the law – Own property

FARM LIFEFARM LIFE

• Farms were owned by powerful people from the top of the social pyramid.

• Farms were run by loyal scribes.

• Farmers, craftworkers, and slaves did most of the work.

JOBS ON A FARM

Farmers-Grew and harvested cropsHerders-Tended cattle and goats

Bakers-Ground wheat from fields and made

breadBrewers-Made beer

from wheat and barley

Fishers-Caught fish in the Nile

Brickmakers-Shaped bricks from river-mud

for houses

PLANTING AND HARVESTING

Preparing the soil for plating: Dig up large fields with cattle drawn wooden plows and hoes.Bringing water to the fields: Dig irrigation canals and haul water using shadoufs.Harvest-time: Women, men, and children headed out to the fields to cut, stack, and carry grain.

In addition, the government also made farmers build canals, temples, or tombs for the pharaoh!

As the Egyptians worked in the blazing sun, a song leader chanted songs and everyone sang along! THIS MADE TIME GO BY MORE QUICKLY!!!

USING THE HARVESTUSING THE HARVESTFarmers loaded cut stalks into baskets and took them to threshing, or separating, areas. There, oxen or donkeys were walked over the stalks to separate the grain from the straw. Then, girls tossed the grain into the air using wooden shovels so the wind would blow the remaining straw away. Scribes measured and took away the shares claimed by the pharaoh and the farm owner.

HARVEST TIME WAS ALWAYS A TIME OF CELEBRATION, EVEN WITH THE HARD WORK!

WHY?

SPECIAL OFFERINGS WERE MADE TO RA AND RENNUNET, THE GODS OF THE HARVEST!

-Small, mud-brick homes crowded along narrow, winding streets

-Archaeologists uncovered the home of a family in Memphis!

Let’s find out about it!Let’s find out about it!

A Busy Neighborhood

•Opened onto a busy, noisy alley•Entrance room served as a workshop where parents made baskets or leather products•Behind the workshop- small living room with fireplace and two tiny rooms (bedrooms? maybe) •Stairway that led up to the flat roof-a cool place to sleep on hot summer nights.•Bought linen cloth from the lady next door•Toolmaker lived nearby•Board games were found

WOMEN-WENT TO LOCAL CANAL TO GET WATER-CHATTED WITH FRIENDS WHO WERE ALSO GETTING WATER-CARRIED WATER IN CLAY POTS ON THEIR HEADSBAKED BREAD (IMPORTANT PART OF EGYPTIANS’ DIET)FAMILY-WENT TO MARKET TO SELL THEIR WARES-COULD BUY WHEAT, GRAPES, OLIVES, FRESH FISH, BEEF, PORK, CHICKEN,

CHILDREN IN EGYPTCHILDREN IN EGYPT

GAMESGAMES-LOVED TO SPIN TOPS-LOVED TO SPIN TOPS-MAKE CLOTH DOLLS-MAKE CLOTH DOLLS

-WRESTLE-WRESTLE-RUN AND PLAY GAMES-RUN AND PLAY GAMES

PETSPETS-DOGS, CATS, AND MONKEYS-DOGS, CATS, AND MONKEYS

SWIMMINGSWIMMING-CANALS-CANALS

-PHARAOH’S KIDS- POOL-PHARAOH’S KIDS- POOL

How much time did kids get to play?

Depended on what their family did for work!

Farmers’ Children-Little time to Play because worked in fields and daily choresCraftworkers’ Children- At age 5, began working with parentsPotters’ Children- Helped parentsWeavers’ Children-At age 12, girls studied to become weaversGovernment Leaders’ Children- Assistants to fatherScribes’ Children-Started school at age 10

SUM IT UP

-While Egypt became a mighty empire, ordinary people continued to work in the

same ways people had for years-Enslaved Syrians and Nubians became key

workers in Egypt’s empire-Most farmers worked on large farms owned

by powerful people-Most people in the towns and cities lived in crowded neighborhoods and crafted goods

for a living

-1100 B.C. UNITED EGYPT COLLAPSED, ending one of the RICHEST civilizations in

history!