Ancient Egypt had three main social classes
–upper, middle, and lower
. The upper class consisted of the royal family, rich landowners, government officials, important priests and army officers, and doctors. The middle class was made up chiefly of merchants, manufacturers, and artisans.
The society of ancient Egypt was strictly divided into a
hierarchy with the king at the top
and then his vizier, the members of his court, priests and scribes, regional governors (eventually called ‘nomarchs’), the generals of the military (after the period of the New Kingdom, c.
At the bottom of the social structure were
slaves and farmers
. Slavery became the fate of those captured as prisoners of war. In addition to being forced to work on building projects, slaves toiled at the discretion of the pharaoh or nobles.
The Ancient Egyptian Social Pyramid has social groups such as
the pharaoh, vizier, high priests and nobles, priests, engineers, doctors, scribes, craftsmen, slaves and farmers
.
The population of ancient Egypt was divided into groups of people with different jobs and responsibilities to society. These social classes were structured as a pyramid with six levels. This social pyramid
shows the levels of each social class in terms of importance
.
The populations of these cities were divided into social classes which, like societies in every civilization throughout history, were
hierarchical
. These classes were: The King and Nobility, The Priests and Priestesses, The Upper Class, the Lower Class, and The Slaves.
Who was first pharaoh of Egypt?
Many scholars believe the first pharaoh was
Narmer, also called Menes
. Though there is some debate among experts, many believe he was the first ruler to unite upper and lower Egypt (this is why pharaohs hold the title of “lord of two lands”).
Who were slaves in ancient Egypt?
Slaves were very important in ancient Egypt as a big part of the labor force, but they were also used for many other purposes. Many slaves were
house servants, gardeners, farm labor, musicians and dancers of excellent talent, scribes
(those that kept written documents), and accountants.
At the bottom of the social pyramid were
the peasants
. They were the largest social class. Peasants worked the land, providing the Egyptians with a steady food supply. When not farming, peasants worked on the pharaoh’s massive building projects.
What was ancient Egypt writing?
The ancient Egyptians used the distinctive script known today as
hieroglyphs
(Greek for “sacred words”) for almost 4,000 years. Hieroglyphs were written on papyrus, carved in stone on tomb and temple walls, and used to decorate many objects of cultic and daily life use.
The ancient Egyptians were grouped into various social classes. The kings (pharaohs) were the most powerful, while
the slaves
were the lowest class.
Peasants
. The peasants include construction workers, farmers, and unskilled workers. Farmers were near the bottom of the social structure, but were very important.
In the social pyramid of ancient Egypt
the pharaoh and those associated with divinity
were at the top, and servants and slaves made up the bottom. The Egyptians also elevated some human beings to gods. Their leaders, called pharaohs, were believed to be gods in human form.
What type of laws did ancient Egypt have?
The law in ancient Egypt functioned just as it does in any country today: there was
a set of agreed-upon rules
which had been formulated by men who were considered experts in the field, a judicial system which weighed evidence of infractions of those rules, and police officers who enforced those rules and brought …
What were the values of ancient Egypt?
The Egyptians believed that
joy and happiness
were legitimate goals of life and regarded home and family as the major source of delight.” Because of this belief, women enjoyed a higher prestige in Egypt than in any other culture of the ancient world.
How were slaves in ancient Egypt treated?
Slave life
Many slaves who worked for temple estates lived under punitive conditions, but on average the Ancient Egyptian slave led a life similar to a serf. They were
capable of negotiating transactions and owning personal property
. Chattel and debt slaves were given food but probably not given wages.
