The+Lives+of+the+Egyptians+SS7

__Section 4: The Lives of the Egyptians SS7 __

Key Terms


 * hieroglyphs** (HY ur oh glifs) //n.// pictures and other written symbols that stand for ideas, things, or sounds
 * papyrus** (puh PY rus) //n.// an early form of paper made from a reed plant found in the marshy areas of the Nile delta; the plant used to make this paper
 * astronomer** (uh STRAHN uh mur) //n.// a scientist who studies the stars and other objects in the sky

 ** Social Classes** The Egyptian society resembled a pyramid and people were assembled in the pyramid by the rank/class that they were in. For example, the priests were in the second section from the top, and the peasants were at the very bottom. Any person could rise to a higher class/rank through services for the pharaoh as did Uni.  ** Uni ** Uni was a man that showed the Ancient Egyptians that you could move up between social classes. He was made groundskeeper of a pyramid, overseeing most work having to do with its construction and upkeep. Then later, he was made a general and after that a royal tutor.    **Slavery** You could become a slave if you were captured in war, and became a prisoner. The slaves made up a completely different class. However, the Egyptian society was very flexible. The slaves had rights too. They could possibly own personal items, inherit land from their owner(s), and could be set free. In the Egyptian language a slave was called hem, and slave__s__ were called hemu.

worked on the land of wealthier people. But, during the flood season, the peasants worked on roads, temples, and many other buildings. The moment the water left the land, the peasants had to plant the fields with food. The hard labor had to be done quickly while the soil was still nice and moist. One farmer would plow the soil, while another farmer quickly followed behind scattering the seeds. Harvesting the food was the busiest season for the peasants. All men, women, and other older children worked in the field to gather the crops. This hard labor was done from sunrise till sunset until all the work was done. Finally, when the harvesting was done, the villagers feasted and offered their food and drink to the gods, thanking them for their help.
 * Lives of the Peasants ** Even though peasants __could__ own land, most of them

wife of the god Osiris, Isis. The women had most of the rights that the men had. They __could__ own property, run businesses, enter into legal contracts, and, for the most part, travel freely. Egyptian paintings mostly show the women supervising farm work or hunting. They could perform many roles, from priest__ess__ to being a dancer. The __noble__ women held special positions in the Egyptian society. Sometimes they were in charge of temples and/or religious rites. The women __could__ also use their position to influence the pharaoh! Some of them acted as regents until the pharaoh was old enough to manage/rule on his own.
 * Women of Ancient Egypt ** Egyptian women were looked upon as living models of the

The women of Ancient Egypt were hard workers, cooking the family's food, cleaning up, and mending clothes. They were the caretakers of the family. The rich housewives hired people to help them around the house. Women without much money had to do everything themselves. Some women had jobs as caretakers of other families, musicians, dancers, and/or entertainers. Women in Ancient Egypt did __not__ receive an education.

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__The Ancient Egypt Site__. 15 Jan. 2009 <http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html>.

Dollinger, Andre. "Ancient Egypt: Slavery, its causes and practice." __Ancient Egypt: an introduction to its history and culture__. 08 Jan. 2009 <http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/timelines/topics/slavery.htm>. <span style="display: block; font-size: 70%; color: rgb(0,0,0); text-align: left;"> Gates, Bill. __PowerPoint__. Computer software. Vers. 2003.    __Google__. 13 Jan. 2009 <[|http://www.google.com]>.

Harris, Geraldine, Delia Pemberton, and Vincent Douglas. __Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt__. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 2000. <span style="display: block; font-size: 70%; color: rgb(0,0,0); text-align: left;">

"LIFE IN EGYPT." __WELCOME TO EGYPTOLOGY ONLINE - distance learning and home study courses in Egyptology.__ 14 Jan. 2009 <http://www.egyptologyonline.com/life_in_egypt.htm>.

"Tombs of Ancient Egypt Video -- National Geographic." __Video -- Animals, Travel, Kids -- National Geographic__. 14 Jan. 2009 <http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/countries-places/egypt/tombs-of-ancient-egypt.html>.

__ World Studies: the Ancient World __. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall (School Division), 2005.