Life in

Ancient Egypt

Northern Egypt known as “LOWER Egypt” (DOWNSTREAM)

Southern Egypt known as “UPPER Egypt” (UPSTREAM)

Upper Egypt

Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt

Lower Egypt

Northern Egypt known as “LOWER Egypt” (DOWNSTREAM)

Southern Egypt known as “UPPER Egypt” (UPSTREAM)

NARMER unified Upper and Lower Egypt

-makes MEMPHIS the

capital

-Starts a DYNASTY (Egypt ruled by 30

dynasties!)

Ruler of government & religion is a THEOCRACY

-Egypt ruled by

PHARAOHS

- gave land to PRIESTS and other officials

- picked BUREAUCRATS to work for government

Believed in POLYTHEISM

gods controlled NATURAL forces and HUMAN activities

RA (or RE) was sun god; HAPI was river god

Osiris and Isis – gods of the DEAD

Thoth god of LEARNING

BOOK of the DEAD taught people about the afterlife

EMBALMING preserved the body (MUMMIES)

medical skills learned this: sewed up cuts & set broken BONES used SPLINTS, bandages, etc. wrote medical info papyrus scrolls

pyramids built by THOUSANDS

- first great engineer was IMHOTEP

Led to new technology such as:

-calendar with 365 days

-math with FRACTIONS

Great Pyramid built for KHUFU about 500 feet tall , >2 million blocks world's tallest structure for 4,000 years

Most Egyptians live in NILE VALLEY or DELTA

Pharaoh

Priests/Nobles

Scribes

Traders/Artisans

Farmers

Laborers/Slaves

upper class lived in homes

w/ GARDENS & POOLS

had servants

wore LINEN clothes & makeup

middle class included traders, artisans,

skilled workers, and craft-makers

lived in small homes & dressed less

fashionably

farmers RENTED land from wealthy people

live in one room houses and ate a simple diet

unskilled workers lived in crowded cities

includes ENSLAVED captured during war

Egyptian Families

FATHER was the head

of the family

WOMEN had more

rights in ancient Egypt

than most other

civilizations

women could:

- own PROPERTY, buy and sell goods, get divorces

- wealthy could serve as PRIESTS, manage temples,

and perform ceremonies

-likely to stay home while husbands worked

children had time to PLAY with board games, dolls,

and leather balls

- expected to RESPECT their parents

TEENAGERS were expected to leave home and

start their own FAMILIES