Ancient Egypt

Introduction and Table of Contents

This website will attempt to provide an insight on daily life in Ancient Egypt, including jobs, social classes, as well as a brief overview of their religious practices and their gods and goddesses. It will also include a timeline.

Table of Contents:

Bibliography

Primary sources:

http://www.historywiz.com/oldkingdom.htm

http://www.historywiz.com/didyouknow/hatshepsut.html

http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/hymntoaten.html

http://www.historywiz.com/galleries/armanaletters.html

http://www.ettuantiquities.com/images/ushabti-120d.jpg

http://mitchellteachers.net/WorldHistory/AncientEgyptNearEastUnit/Images/EgyptDailyLife/AncientEgyptDailyLifeFoodPic_large.jpg

http://www.historylink101.net/egypt_1/

http://6awchistory.weebly.com/social-pyramid.html

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pharaoh/home.html

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pharaoh/images/ramhead.jpg

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002046F/pharaohs_of_ancient_egypt.htm

http://www.historylink101.net/egypt_1/a-pharaoh.htm

http://6awchistory.weebly.com/government-officials.html

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Egyptians/society.htm

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-2_VV07yJo/UCwRXsVDV8I/AAAAAAAAE0g/aPBd8_Y7VaY/s1600/Ancient+Egyptian+Government.jpg

http://www.aldokkan.com/society/noble.jpg

http://www.aldokkan.com/society/noble.htm

http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/priest2.jpg

http://www.historylink101.net/egypt_1/religion_role_of_priest.htm

http://www.king-tut.org.uk/ancient-egyptians/ancient-egyptian-soldier.htm

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EiedRB_lSyU/UDuQN2Uw_PI/AAAAAAAAFig/R-4Hjp8X8cQ/s320/Ancient+Egyptian+Warriors2.JPG

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/images/writ04b.jpg

http://6awchistory.weebly.com/scribes.html

http://egy-king.blogspot.com/2012/09/ancient-egyptian-merchants.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/pharaohs/life_merchant.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OOwarGlGYo/UEntF2eIeuI/AAAAAAAAG0Y/NvAYLYwQ18s/s320/ancient+egyptian+merchants1.JPG

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/trades/

http://6awchistory.weebly.com/artisans.html

http://www.ushistory.org/civ/images/00040751.jpg

http://www.historylink101.net/egypt_1/a-farmers_daily_life.htm

http://6awchistory.weebly.com/peasants.html

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Egyptians/images/ancientegyptplough.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XVhh2mxDHB4/UEcxwpwc20I/AAAAAAAAGd4/imLAaFCWags/s1600/ancient+egyptian+slaves2.jpg

http://www.historylink101.net/egypt_1/a-pesants_slaves.htm

http://www.arsanto.me/wp-content/uploads/6_ancient_egypt_timeline_printables.gif

Daily Life

Revolved around Nile and the land along its banks.
Daily flooding enriched the soil and brought good harvest and wealth.
Mudbrick homes. Windows built high for privacy and to help heat escape.
Grew their own food.
Traded in the village for goods and food that they could not grow.
Most worked as field hands, farmers, craftsmen and scribes.
Small group of people are nobles.
Peasants comprised 80% of the Egyptian population
Slaves were also present during this time.

The Egyptian Social Pyramid:

Pharaoh

Government Officials, Nobles, Priests

Timeline

Religion

Important in Ancient Egyptian life.
Polytheistic.
At least 2000 gods and goddesses.
Temples were dwelling places of the gods.

Everywhere.
Each city had a temple for the god of that city.
Communicate with gods there.

Priests.
Deaths and Funerals:

Deaths as transitional phase.
Better life in next world.
Three souls:

Ka, Ba, Akh.

Body has to be intact for souls to function.

Embalming.

prayers.
final attempt to revive.
washed and purified in ibu.
in the wabet, the embalmer's workshop, organs were removed, bodies were packed with salt called natron for forty days, afterwards they were filled with linen or sawdust, resin and natron.
The body was wrapped with jewelry and amulets in between.
A portrait mask was placed on the head.
The body was placed in a coffin.

After 70 days, the mummy was placed in a decorated coffin.
Furniture, carved statues, games, food and other things useful in the next life were buried with the mummy.
Tomb sealed after placing the mummy into the sarcophagus.
Story of Gods and Goddesses

Slaves

Commonly prisoners of war.
Not until the Middle Kingdom were there large groups of slaves in Ancient Egypt.
In contrast to European civilizations, slaves could:

Own land.
Marry freeborn people.
Employ servants.

Does not mean total ownership.
Found in:

Households of Pharaohs and nobles.
Working in mines and quarries.
Temples.

No evidence of them building pyramids contrary to popular belief.

Farmers

Peasants.
Lowest social class.
Society depended on them.
Mudbrick houses.
Called to service during times of flood (June to September).
Worked the land of the Pharaoh and nobles.

Given housing, food, and clothes in return.

Some rented land from nobles.

Payed portion of their crop in return.

Life of farmer:

Mudbrick house.
Windows built high for privacy and to help heat escape.
Floors made out of packed dirt.
Cooked food in small ovens fueled by burning dried cattle dung.
Men and boys worked in fields irrigating crops with a shaduf, carrying water from a river to a canal.
Working for the government was an unpaid labor.

Three seasons:

Flooding season: June to September - Helped fertilize soil. Helped build pyramids.
Planting season: October - Sowed field with wheat and barley.
Harvest season: March - Worked all day cutting down plants and harvesting them.

Wealthier farmers and those who hold official posts could afford to buy their way out of service.

Others who served worked on large projects like a temple or pyramid.