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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. Ancient Egypt's social pyramid.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.