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:

• Daily Life
• Timeline
• Bibliography
• Religion
• Slaves
• Farmers
• Artisans
• Merchants
• Scribes
• Soldiers
• Priests
• Nobles
• Pharaohs
• Government Officials

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

Soldiers

Scribes

Merchants

Artisans

Farmers

Slaves and Servants

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.

Artisans

• Carpenters
• Made furniture.
• Metal-workers
• Jewelers
• Painters
• Scenes of everyday life.
• Sculptors
• Potters
• Stone Carvers
• Most skilled.
• Created statues, engravings, and reliefs of temples, tombs and monuments.
• Weavers
• Some were women.
• Wove fabric and made clothing.
• Highly skilled.
• Little social status.
• All Ancient Egyptian art and furniture seen today were created by them.
• Organized in hierarchies.

Merchants

• More like traders.
• Mudbrick house.
• Trades through barter.
• Goods included:
• vegetables, fish, sycamore figs, drinking cups, drink, and cloths.
• on special days: giraffes, baboons, or lions.
• Goods were set up in baskets.
• Crouched with their baskets.
• Trade beyond local trades were done by wholesale merchants who act for the Pharaoh or for large temples.
• Often travelled to other countries to trade gold, papyrus, linen cloth and jewelry for items such as cedar, ebony wood, and panther skins.
• After returning, they would exchange these goods with royalty or high officials for grain or goods at local markets.

Scribes

• Taught how to write along with priests.
• On wood, pottery, stones, and papyrus (only after practice).
• Long days of work, tough punishments were common (beatings).
• Memorize hieroglyphic symbols.
• Kept records.
• How much food was produced during harvest.
• How many soldiers were in the army.
• Number of workers.
• Number of gifts given to the gods.
• History and important events.
• Court cases.
• Supervisor.
• Describe daily life.
• Calculated taxes.
• Position was often inherited.
• Schools were in temple courtyards.
• Did not require heavy manual labor, unlike many others in Ancient Egyptian society.
• Could come from any social class.

Soldiers

• Defended the country.
• Second sons, including those of the Pharaoh would join the army.
• Share riches from captured enemies.
• Vigorous training at training barracks.
• Wrestling.
• Tactics.
• Weapons.
• Expected to cover 20 miles in a day.
• Strict discipline and punishments (beatings).
• Regimented haircut.
• Many sent to fortresses.
• Equipments:
• Coat of wadded leather and iron helmet.
• Sling, mace, spear, battle axes, bow and arrow, swords, scimitars, daggers, and chariots.
• Rewards:


• Promotion and medals.
• Land.
• Goods.
• Pensions on retirement.
• Slaves.

Priests

• Taught how to read and write.
• Kept gods happy.
• Performed rituals and ceremonies for the gods in their temple.
• Could enter temples along with the Pharaoh.
• Egyptians believed the gods lived in temples.
• Life of a priest:
• High priest breaks the seal, lights a torch, says prayers, lights incense, washes the statues, places fresh clothing and jewels on the statue as well as food and drink offerings next to it.
• Singers sing hymns of praise to the gods.
• At the end of the day, the priest would walk out of the temple, sweeping his footprints as he goes and seals the temple again.
• If the priests neglect their duties, world problems would occur.
• Priests were paid well, because of their duties.
• Usually chosen by Pharaoh, often from their own family.
• Usually hereditary.
• Pharaohs could transfer or promote priests.
• May also be selected by a committee of priests at certain times.

Nobles

• Ancient Egyptian nobles were:
• Related to the Pharaoh.
• Priests.
• Scribes.
• Doctors.
• Lawyers.
• Important military personnel.
• Many oversaw lands worked on by peasants.
• Ruled regions of Egypt called Nomes.
• Made local laws in their region.
• Responsible for keeping order in their region.
• Royal dynasties often emerged from noble families.

Pharaohs

• At the top of the hierarchy.
• Political, religious and economic leader.
• Head of law and administration.
• Final judge for appeals of judgement.
• Commander of the army.
• Believed to be half man and half god.
• Son of Ra or the incarnation of Horus.
• Lord of Two Lands
• Ruled upper and lower Egypt.
• Owned the land.
• Made laws.
• Collected taxes.
• Defended against invasion.
• High Priest of Every Temple
• Represented gods on Earth.
• Performed rituals.
• Built temples.
• Only he, and his priests could enter temples.
• Spoke for the gods.

Government Officials

• Assistants chosen by the Pharaoh.
• Advised the Pharaoh on matters relating to their society.
• Lived a life of luxury.
• Wealthy.
• Respected.
• Can inherit their position from family or earn it through exhibiting hard work and loyalty.
• Sometimes relatives of the Pharaoh.

Vizier:

• The Pharaoh's second in command.
• The chief judge in cases.
• Remain neutral on issues.
• All official documents had to have his seal of approval.
• Responsible for supply of food.
• Settle disputes between nobles.
• Maintain and protect the Pharaoh's home.

Chief Treasurer:

• Responsible for the government's wealth.
• Collect taxes.

General of Armies:

• The top military commander.
• Advise the Pharaoh in war and national security.
• Make alliances with other kingdoms.