The Ancient Egyptian Social structure is like a pyramid. Pharaohs at the top, and Slaves and servants at the bottom. Let’s start with the pharaohs at the top:
Pharaohs: Pharaohs were placed at the top of the social structure because egyptians thought they ruled the universe. THey were scared that if they weren’t at the top, they would do horrible things to them. It was believed that Pharaohs had the power to flood the Nile, cause famine and even kill. Pharaohs were important to egypt because they kept the country going.
Viziers: Viziers were the most trusted advisor of the pharaoh. They were the second most important official (the first being the pharaoh of course). Viziers also kept a close eye on the government officials to make sure that they were doing their jobs correctly and everything was running smoothly in Egypt. Visiers were important because if they didn’t have them, egypt would not run in a smooth orderly fashion.
Priests: Priests were the people who mummified the dead and prepared them for burial. They had to remove all of the body’s organs except for the heart.The organs were put into jars and dried out with salt. After 70 days, the priests would come back to wash and oil the body, then wrap them in linen. The bodies were then decorated with jewels and placed in a big stone case called a sarcophagus. They are buried inside whilst inside the stone case. Priests were important because they helped to give people an amazing send off.
Scribes: Scribes were the official writers of egyptian history. They wrote down everything that happened, and also got people to come to them to tell them interesting events that had happened throughout the day. They also wrote up contracts, calculate taxes, record court cases and keep track of food supplies. The life of the scribe was pretty tough at times. beatings commonly occurred when the scribe accidentally put false information in his writings. Scribes went to classes on how to properly and professionally write on papyrus paper. Scribes are important to us today because they gave us the information we read and learn about today.
Soldiers: The soldiers of egypt were very hard workers. They had to train every day to keep up their strength. They practised using different weapons, so if they were great at using a bow, they would become an archer. Often, young boys were chosen to become soldiers, but they were not allowed to fight until they were 20.Soldiers didn’t just fight. They also helped out on the farms and sometimes assisted the pharaoh. they also worked as laborers on some of the construction sites like the pyramids and the temples. Soldiers were important because they fought for the egyptians.
Craftsmen: Craftsmen were the people who created the beautiful art pieces that sat in many egyptian temples during the ancient times. They are today, placed in museums for us to see. Craftsmen made many different types of artworks such as pots, paintings and drawings, tomb stones, boats, clay figures, statues, hieroglyphics and much more. They did many paintings of famous people like pharaohs. They draw their legs as if they are facing the side, and their head and chest as if they are facing the front. They used darker colours for drawings of men, and lighter colours for women. Craftsmen are important because without them, we would not be able to see the beautiful art pieces that they created today.
Farmers: Farmers are at the bottom of the social pyramid. They grew wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates and vines. They grew flax which was then made into linen. They grew their crops on the banks of the Nile river because the soil was perfect for their plants. Majority of the villagers in Egypt were farmers. Farmers split their growing year into three seasons, based on the way the Nile decided to work.
Akhet – this was from June to September, no farming was done because the Nile was flooded, causing the fields to flood. During this break, farmers helped the pharaoh to build temples and pyramids, and also fixed their tools and took care of the animals.
Peret – this was from October back to February. By this time, all of the water had dried out off the fields so they could start planting the seeds.