Lesson 9 SS Notes

Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid. The most important and powerful positions were towards the top and the lower, less powerful positions were towards the bottom.
The pharaoh is at the top of the pyramid. The pharaoh is Egypt's supreme ruler. Religion strengthened the pharaoh's authority. They were believed to be gods and their word was law.
Fewer people enjoyed higher status. A greater number of people had lower status.
Government Officials are below the pharaoh. They are the most powerful group in Egypt.
Government officials carried out the orders of the pharaoh. They came from noble, wealthy families and lived a luxurious life. Many of them inherited their positions.
Three important government officials were the vizier, the chief treasurer, and the general of armies.
The vizier had more power than anyone except the pharaoh. He advised the pharaoh and carried out his plans. He appointed and supervised the other government officials.He was also the chief judge.
The Chief treasurer looked after the government’s wealth. His main job was to collect taxes.
The general of armies advised the pharaoh in matters of war and helped him make alliances with other kingdoms.
Priests were powerful and highly respected. Temple priests were in charge of the temples and religious rituals. They oversaw burial ceremonies.
The High Priest advised the pharaoh and oversaw all religious ceremonies.
Women were allowed to be priestesses. The temple priests were in charge of the temples that housed the states of the gods. They needed to be purified inorder to care for the temple. This meant not eating certain foods and shaving their hair.
Priests were in charge of burial practices such as mummification. All of the organs would be removed except the heart. The organs were put in jars and preserved for the afterlife. The mummy was buried with food, drinks, jewelry, furniture, clothes, games, and anything else they thought they would need in the afterlife. They were buried in a sarcophagus.
Scribes were after the priests on the pyramid. They were well respected in society. They recorded information for the government. It took many years of schooling to become a scribe.
Artisans are after scribes on the pyramid. This group included carpenters, painters, sculptors, stone carvers, and metal workers. They were highly skilled, but had little social status.
The bottom layer of the pyramid are the peasants. They are the largest social class. They were farmers and helped build the pharaoh's building projects. They provided the Egyptians with a steady food supply.
Egypt's social pyramid was rigid. This means there was little chance of moving into a higher class. The lives of people in each class were very different.
All classes believed family life and children were very important.
Men and women had different roles in the family. Men were the heads of the household. They worked to support their families. Women managed the home and raised the children.
Upper class women had slaves and servants to help them. Egyptian women did have more freedom and rights than other women at this time in history. They could own land and run businesses. They could ask for a divorce. Some women even worked as doctors, government officials and priestesses.
The Egyptians believed their class system created a stable, well-ordered society.
Scribes were Egypt’s official writers and record keepers. They were highly respected and well paid.
Only men were allowed to be scribes. Becoming a scribe was one of the few ways you could move up in social class.
Scribe schools were run by priests. School started around age 5 and lasted for about 12 years. Boys learned hieroglyphs. They had to memorize over 700 of them.
Scribe school was very difficult. They practiced their writing over and over on wood and stone before being able to use paper. Classes were long and the teachers were strict. They treated their students harshly and even beat them.
Scribe recorded the amounts of grain and food supply, the census, calculated and collected taxes, recorded court cases, and kept track of the army’s food supply and soldiers.
All scribes had the same tools. Finely sharpened reeds were used as pens. Papyrus was used as paper on writing tablets. The tablets had wells for black and red ink. Scribes carried their tools wherever they went.
Artisan’s were highly skilled laborers. However, they were not well respected, were not well paid, and were not recognized for their work.
There were several types of artisans. There were carpenters, jewelers, leatherworkers, metalworkers, painters, potters, sculptors, and weavers.
Most artisans were men but some women wove fabric, beaded clothing, and made perfume.
The most skilled artisans were stone carvers. They created statues, engravings, and reliefs found in temples and tombs. They were hired by the wealthy to design and create works of art for their coffins and tombs.
Artisans lived in small, modest homes. They usually had three rooms- a workroom, a living room, and a bedroom/kitchen.
Artisans worked side by side in large workshops. They worked for long stretches of time. They depended on their employer for food. If food was in short supply, artisans often went hungry.
Pharaohs would also call upon artisans to create fine artwork for them. Usually artists were not allowed to sign their work. Occasionally, an artist was honored with a banquet for their work.
Peasants made up the largest and lowest social class in Egypt. They were considered to be unskilled workers. However, Egypt depended on their work because they grew the crops that supplied everyone with food.
Peasant life revolved around the NIle River. There were three seasons: flooding season, planting season, and harvest season.
Flooding season was from June to September. During this time the Nile would flood and fertilize the fields. Farmers worked on royal projects since they couldn’t farm.
Planting season began in October. Farmers would work in pairs to sow the seeds. They would soften the earth with a plow. They planted mostly wheat and barley.
Harvest season began in March. The farmer’s entire family would help with the harvest. The men cut down the plants with sickles. The women and children would gather the tall stalks of grain. They would work from dawn till dusk. They often sang songs while they worked to help pass the time.
Peasants lived in plain houses made of mud bricks. They did not have a lot of furniture. They also ate a very simple diet such as cucumbers, peas, lentils, fish and bread. They spent most of their time working. They did have a little time for fun. They played games, took part in festivals, and celebrated holidays.
The most important time of the year was after the harvest season. As a reward for their hard work, they were allowed to keep any leftover grain for themselves.
Peasants were also punished for a poor harvest. They paid taxes in the form of crops. If they did not have enough crops to pay, they were beaten.