The Culture of Ancient Egyptians

The Culture of Ancient Egyptians Chapter 3, Section 4

Everyday Life of Ancient Egyptians • Much of what we know about everyday life of the Egyptians was learned through paintings and written records

Social Classes • Egyptian society resembled a pyramid • Top pharaoh • Nobles, priests, members of the court • Merchants and skilled workers • Peasants and workers • Slaves formed a separate class who could inherit land from their owners

Lives of the Peasants • Most peasants worked the land of wealthier people • When the waters left the land, farming began • Men, women and children all helped in the harvest • A time of feasts

Egyptian Women • Egyptian women were looked upon as a living model of Isis • Women could own property, run businesses, enter into legal contracts • Supervised farm work • Nobel women in charge of temples, acted as regents

Achievements of the Egyptians • Known as a land of learning • Hieroglyphs was their system of writing • Papyrus was an early paper made from reeds from the delta • In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was found and the key to understanding hieroglyphs was known

Keeping Track of Time • Egyptians had to be able to predict when the Nile would flood • Scientists called astronomers studied the stars to track when the Nile would flood • Egyptians discovered that the year has 365 days

Medicine • Ancient Egyptians knew about the human body • They learned to perform surgery and could set broken bones • Egyptians practiced herbalism; medicine from plants

The Culture of Ancient Egyptians