Daily Life in Ancient Egypt6th Grade Social StudiesChapter 4 Lesson 4

The Big Picture Farmers planted and harvested crops

between the yearly Nile floods. Most people worked on huge farms

owned by government leaders, army officers, or scribes.

A Social Pyramid A person’s position in society depended

on what he or she did for a living. The farmers and captured people made

up the largest part of society.

A Social Pyramid- Slavery in Egypt Slaves were the lowest level of the social

pyramid. Most of the slaves in ancient Egypt were

Syrians. However, enslaved people did have basic rights

in Egypt. They had the right to be treated fairly under the

law and even to own property. Look at the diagram on the next slide:

The pharaoh is at the top of the Egyptian Social Pyramid and the slaves are at the bottom.

A Social PyramidPharaoh

Government Officials

Soldiers

Scribes

Merchants

Artisans

Farmers

Slaves

Farms and Cities Both in cities and on farms, people

enjoyed simple pleasures, such as: Celebrating holidays Playing games

Farms and Cities- Farm Life Most Egyptians live on big farms. The farmers were run by local scribes. Farmers grew and harvested crops. The farmers gave half of the products to

the pharaoh as taxes.

Farms and Cities- Planting and Harvesting To bring water to the fields, farmers dug

irrigation canals and hauled water using shadoufs.

At harvest time women, men, and children headed out to the fields to cut, stack, and carry grain.

The shares taken by the pharaoh were measured by the scribes

Farms and Cities- Cities in Egypt Most craft workers and artists lived in

small mud-brick homes.

Farms and Cities- A Busy Neighborhood The typical Egyptian neighborhood

characteristics: Entrance room served as workshop. Small living rooms. Stairway would lead up to the flat roof. There were everyday chores. Women would go to the local canal to get

water.

Children in Egypt Children in Egypt loved to spin tops,

make cloth dolls, wrestle, run and play games.

Farmer’s children had little time to play since they were needed to help in the fields.

Carrying water and feeding the farm animals were the children’s daily chores.

Children in Egypt Children of craft workers began working

at the age of 5. At about the age of 12 girls studied to

become weavers. Sons of government leaders became

assistants to their fathers.

Why it Matters? Around the end of the New Kingdom the

Egyptian Empire went through great changes.

Around 1100 BC a united Egypt collapsed.

The “Gift of the Nile” continued to affect people everywhere.

Main Ideas While Egypt become a mighty empire,

ordinary people continued to work in much the same ways as they had for thousands of years.

Enslaved Syrians and Nubians became key workers in Egypt’s empire. They worked along side farmers and craft

workers to produce needed crops and goods.

Main Ideas Most farmers worked on large farms

owned by powerful families. Most people in Egypt’s towns and cities

lived in crowded neighborhoods and crafted goods for a living.

Think About It How did Egypt’s social pyramid shape

life in the New Kingdom? The pharaoh, government officials and

soldiers were at the top. The scribes, merchants and artisans were

at the center. The farmers and the slaves were at the

bottom.

Think About It How did the growth of Egypt’s empire

play a role in the growth of slavery along the Nile? And how did the enslaved people add to the economy? Building an empire leads to war since

they are destroying and conquering to build larger empires.

War meant capture and enslavement of people, whose labor was demanded.

Think About It. What was everyday life like of the New

Kingdom? Farmers and their children had little extra

time because they were needed in the fields.

Their lives were busy, work filled, and they lived in modest houses.

They had everyday chores, but they had free time for things such as board games.