Ancient Egypt

One of the first great civilizations

Life in Ancient Egypt

• Life centered around the Nile river

• Yearly floods brought nutrients to the soil

• The river was a main route of travel

Social Pyramid of Egypt

• Pharaoh• Upper Class

– Royal Family, Government Officials, Army Officers, Priests, Landowners, and Doctors, scribes.

• Middle Class– Merchants, Manufacturers, and

Artisans

• Lower Class– Unskilled Laborers and Farmers

• Slaves and Servants

Egyptian Religion

• Polytheism– About 2000

gods & goddesses – Amon-Ra

– Osiris

– Horis

• Death and Funerals– Three souls “ka, ba, and akh”

– Embalming

– Burial Tombs

A System of Writing

• Hieroglyphics– Used to keep record

• Scribes– Record keepers

• Papyrus– Paper made from plants

• Rosetta Stone– Transcribed Hieroglyphics,

Greek, and Demotic

Children in Egypt

RICH• Children of Pharaoh

swam in palace pools• Learned their parents

trade• Spun tops, and

played games

POOR• Swam in canals• Worked alongside

their parents• Little time to play• Daily chores