Social Classes
Alex Lim
What are the social classes that made up ancient Egyptian society?
- The pharaoh was on the top of the social ladder.
- Then the members of the royal family, nobles and government officials.
- Then came the Priests and Priestesses,
- Next the scribes
- Then the skilled workers and artists.
- The largest and poorest group was the laborers.
What was the pharaoh in charge of?
- He owned all the land and had complete control over the people.
- Still needed help from the military advisors, the powerful nobles
- Sometimes rewarded loyal nobles with gifts of land to keep their support.
- Priests looked after the pharaoh’s temples and held religious ceremonies.
Why did parents want their children to become scribes?
- Becoming a scribe was a way that a common person could become wealthy and powerful
- Takes 10 years of training to become a scribe.
- Scribes recorded important documents for the pharaoh.
What did the craftspeople make?
- Made furniture jewelry cloth for the pharaoh and other members of royalty.
- Jewelry such as headdresses, collar necklaces, bangles, and bead collars.
What did the Laborers do?
- Laborers spent most of their time raising and selling crops.
- During flood season, Farming was not possible, laborers worked on government building projects: irrigation systems, pyramids, and temples.
- Flood season is from June to October
Image Sources
[Image]http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/virtual_library/farming_deir_tombs.html. September 16 2015.Web
[Image]http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/virtual_library/nef_tomb.html. September 16 2015.Web