Daily life in Ancient Egypt

1. Daily life in Ancient Egypt Each year, when Nile river flooded its banks, all of Egypt celebrated the Opet Festival. People of all levels of social structure joined in a great festival honoring the pharaoh and his patron, the god Amon-Re.

2. Ancient Egypt's social pyramid • At the top of the social pyramid was the pharoah the top ruler. Below the pharoah were government officials who carried out the orders of the pharoah. • Priests were the next layer of the social pyramid and were very important because religion touched every part of people’s daily lives.

3. Ancient Egypt's social pyramid • Next on the social pyramid were scribes, who were well respected and recorded information for government and religious officials. • Artisans were the next layer of the social pyramid, which included craftsmen, carpenters, metalworkers, sculptors, etc. • The last step in the pyramid were peasants , which was the largest class and supplied the labor for the society.

4. Government Officials • Government officials belonged to the highest class on Egypt’s social pyramid , after the pharaoh. • They inherited their position from family members. • Three important officials were the vizier, the chief treasurer and the general of armies. Vizier- adviser to the pharaoh

5. Government Officials • The vizier had more power than anyone except the pharaoh. He appointed and supervised many of the government officials. • The chief treasurer oversaw the governments wealth. His main duty was to collect taxes. • After the pharaoh the top military commander in Egypt was the general of the armies.

6. Priests • Priests were powerful and highly respected in Egyptian society. They all served under the pharaoh who was considered the highest ranking priest of them all. • Priests had different jobs.

7. Priests • High Priests advised the pharaoh and oversaw all religious ceremonies, while temple priests were in charge of temples throughout Egypt. • The priests had a special role in burial practices. They believed that a persons body remained with him in the afterlife, so Egyptians used a method called embalming to preserve the bodies from decay.

8. Scribes • Scribes were Egypt’s official writers and record keepers. • Only men were allowed to be scribes and they attended scribe school. • Schooling started around age five. Students typically spent 12 or more years learning hieroglyphs.

9. Artisans • Egypt's artisans were some of the most skilled laborers who created some of the most magnificent statues, art carvings, furniture, and jewelry. • Those jobs included metalworkers, painters, potters, sculptors, and stone carvers. • Stone carvers played an important role because in tomb building wealthy Egyptians believed to honor the dead.

10. Peasants • Peasants made up the lowest and largest class in Egypt’s social pyramid. • Peasants grew the crops that supplied the everyone with food. • They also supplied the labor to build monuments like the pyramids. • Peasant life revolved around the Nile River. • Its three seasons were the flooding season, the planting season, and the harvest season.