ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIAL CLASSES

CLASSES IN ORDER

• Pharoh
• Vizier, nobles, government officials, and priests
• Scribes, artisans, tradesmen, and soldiers
• Peasants, farmers, and servants
• Slaves

1.THE PHAROH

• The Pharoh is the king of Egypt
• Makes laws and kept order
• Thought as a god on Earth
• Chief of the temples
• The Pharoh was buried in a Pyramid after death.

PYRAMIDS

• Pyramids were built before the Old Kingdom until the end of the Middle Kingdom
• Pyramids were tombs for Egyptian Pharaohs and Queens
• Pets were also buried in the tombs with the Pharaohs
• The pyramids have many tunnels and rooms filled with treasures
• Some rooms are dead ends and traps to kill grave robbers

2.VIZIERS

• The vizier was the Pharaohs right hand man
• He guided the pharaoh with decisions and laws
• The Vizier was the judge of the high court
• Viziers were solely the Pharaoh's son during the 4th dynasty
• In the 12th dynasty the Vizier's gained more powers in Egypt

2.NOBLES

• Related to the Pharaoh, priests, scribes, or military personnel
• Oversee of lands worked on by peasants

2.PRIESTS

• Priests did not preach about the religion
• Everyone knew about the gods and the religion
• Priests performed ritually magic services to the gods.

3.SCRIBES

• Scribes wrote down everything that happened in the kingdom
• Scribes of ancient Egypt are why we know about Ancient Egypt
• Scribes were used by the pharaoh all the time
• The scribes wrote down laws, rules, and building ideas

3.ARTISANS

• Many different types of artisans
• Some were carpenters, jewelers, painters, and potters
• The artisans were low on the social pyramid
• Even with all their hard work nobody thought they were high up

4.SOLDIERS

• Soldiers protected Egypt
• A few protected the Pharaoh as his special guard
• After a Dynastic dispute the soldier becomes the pharaoh sometimes
• The Ancient Egyptian foot soldier had a shield and spear
• Generals, and specialists, sometimes the Pharaoh himself had chariots

4.PEASANTS

• Peasants were usually unskilled laborers
• They helped with farming and construction
• Peasants weren't low enough to become slaves
• Most peasants helped build the pyramids

4.FARMERS

• The life of a farmer revolves around three seasons
• Flooding season
• Planting season
• Harvest season
• These three seasons helped the farmer grow and harvest crops

FLOODING SEASON

• The Flooding season happened from June to September
• The Nile River would flood its banks and fertilized the fields
• During this time most farmers prayed to the Nile god for fertile crops
• They also prayed for protection from the flood

PLANTING SEASON

• THe planting season was in October
• During this season farmers sowed their fields
• Farmers planted mostly wheat and barley
• Farmers prayed to Renenutet for fertile crops

HARVESTING SEASON

• This season started in March
• Peasants harvested the crops for farmers
• Slaves were also used for this purpose but without pay
• Farmers prayed to the goddess Renenutet
• Renenutet was the goddess of fertile land and the harvest

4.SERVANTS

• Servant's jobs were only what their master wanted
• They were paid and had a home
• Both men and women were servants
• Servants had barely to no rights
• They couldn't own land and they couldn't go up social classes

5.SLAVES

• Most slaves were captives of war
• Slaves were an important aspect of Egyptian history
• Some served in battles, some on farms, and some construction
• Many slaves were used by the Pharaoh

SOURCE PAGE

• http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/home.html
• http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/vizier.htm
• http://www.historyonthenet.com/Egyptians/society.htm
• http://egypt.mrdonn.org/government.html
• http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/soldier.htm

SOURCE PAGE 2

• http://6awchistory.weebly.com/artisans.
• http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/priests.htm
• http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/slaves.htm
• http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/braingames/iknowthat/
• Stickerbook/sbr/Ancient%20Egypt/Royalty%20&%20Soldiers/DiscoverMore/RoyalFanner.htm