ANCIENT EGYPT

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE Pharaoh Menes founded the first

Egyptian dynasty around 3100 BCE, by uniting Upper and Lower Egypt.

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Egyptian policy developed upon values of justice, truth and order, producing laws that protected the poor from being exploited by the rich.

Most people, except slaves, were considered to be equal regardless of their wealth or social position.

Viziers were officials chosen to help the pharaoh.

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE Around 1550 BCE, Egyptians began

using the term Pharaoh to refer to their king. Pharaohs were rulers of both the secular and religious realms and they ruled with

absolute power.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Egyptian society was run mostly by men, except for the odd female Pharaoh. For the most part, women ran the home and took care of the children.

Although men made family decision, women had many of the same rights as men.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Egyptians ate a variety of foods, but only the wealthy regularly ate meat.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY Most Egyptians

were farmers, they used the shaduf to irrigate.

Papyrus was an important resource.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Egyptian Dress Code

Kohl

Shenti

Egyptian Jewelry

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Most Egyptians lived in the one-room houses made of mud bricks and reeds, covered with large palm leaves.

Mud House

Wood was scarce, so mud bricks were used, but they were not sturdy!

WRITING AND EDUCATION Hieroglyphics

appeared around 3300 BCE. Gradually, the system simplified into an easier cursive form of writing called hieratic.

WRITING AND EDUCATION

Education was based on religious beliefs and schools were located in temples – priests were the teachers.

The main function of a school was to train scribes; almost the only way a person could move up in society was by becoming a scribe.

WRITING AND EDUCATION

Arts, crafts, and dancing were also important in Egyptian society. Ritual dances were performed at funerals and ceremonies – castanets and rattles, known as sistra, were used to keep the rhythm.

WRITING AND EDUCATION

Records indicate that Egypt had doctors specialized in dentistry, internal medicine and ophthalmology – however, magic played a large role in medicine. People used chants, spells and prayed to gods to protect against illnesses and dangers.

RELIGION The Egyptians understood little of the natural world, and so

unexplained natural events, such as the flooding of the Nile, were often explained through their religious belief system.

That is why priests were often responsible for medicine, education, and religion and became quite wealthy.

RELIGION The Egyptians

worshipped hundreds of deities that often varied fro community to community; however, four deities were important to all Egyptians.

1. Ra: The sun god. Each day he sailed across the sky in a papyrus boat, bringing the sun with him. He symbolized fire, rebirth and life.

RELIGION 2. Osiris: The god of the

underworld. The underworld was a cool, well treed place where the souls of Egyptians went after they died. Osiris was responsible for teaching Egyptians how to farm: he had been killed by his brother Seth and cut into 14 pieces that were scattered throughout the world. Osiris was the redeemer and merciful judge of the afterlife.

RELIGION

3. Isis: The wife of Osiris. She collected the 14 pieces of Osiris’ body from all over the Earth and brought him back to life. Isis is the protector of children, the ideal mother and wife, and the patron of nature and magic.

RELIGION

4. Anubis: Often associated with mummification, Anubis looks after the deceased and their tombs. He is often represented as a jackal. The Egyptians believed their souls were judged by Anubis when they died. Anubis means “He who counts the hearts.”

RELIGION

Thoth God of Writing Bastet the Protectress Sobek God of the Nile

RELIGION Egyptians were very concerned with the afterlife; therefore, the

bodies of dead royalty were preserved and buried in huge tombs and pyramids. These tombs were filled with objects (pottery, jewellery, etc.) that the Egyptians believe they would need in the afterlife.

The Poor were buried in shallow desert graves, but still wrapped in linen and buried with pots and pans.

RELIGION Egyptians left more items connected with

funerals than any other ancient people – therefore, we know a great deal about their death ritual and beliefs.

RELIGION Egyptians preserved bodies for

the afterlife in a process of mummification. It could take up to 70 days. First the body was cleansed with oils and spices. Organs were removed and placed in canopic jars. The body was filled with sawdust and linen. Finally the body was wrapped in bandages that had been soaked in beeswax.