Social Pyramid
Upper Classes
Lower Classes
Religion
Misc.
100
List the social classes in order from highest to lowest. Circle the social classes that had time to socialize and lived lives of luxury.
(Government officials, priests, scribes), artisans, peasants
100
What did most scribes work for and which group of ancient Egyptians were not allowed to become scribes?
Government, Women
100
Why did you need to be a very skilled artisan to become a stone carver?
It was very challenging and time-consuming. They only had stone tools to create complex carvings.
100
Why were ancient Egyptians buried with their belongings?
They thought they would need them in the afterlife.
100
Which group of people eventually conquered Ancient Egypt?
Romans
200
Who taught scribe school?
Priests
200
What was the job of the General of the Armies?
Advised the pharaoh on war and national security, made alliances
200
Which social class was considered a group of unskilled laborers? Which social class was considered a group of skilled laborers?
Peasants Artisans
200
Why were priests so high on the social pyramid?
Religion was extremely important to the ancient Egyptians and they strongly wanted to move on to the afterlife.
200
"A youngster's ear is on his back." What did the schoolteacher mean by this?
They believed that the only way that children would listen was if they were beaten.
300
What was the largest social class and what was the smallest social class besides the pharaoh?
Peasants, Government officials
300
What was the job of the Chief Treasurer?
advised the pharaoh, looked after the government's wealth, and collected taxes
300
Why weren't artisans given much of the honor they deserved?
They were viewed by the upper classes as little more than common laborers.
300
What was the job of Anubis, the jackal-headed god? Also, what was he the god of?
God of embalming Weighed the heart against the feather of truth
300
Why did it take so long to become a scribe?
They had to memorize over 700 symbols.
400
What was one way that you could move up in the social pyramid?
Go to scribe school and become a scribe
400
What was the job of the vizier?
advised the pharaoh, carried out pharaoh's commands, served as a chief judge, appointed and supervised other government officials
400
What did peasants do when the Nile River had flooded and they could not farm?
They worked on royal projects building monuments and temples.
400
What would happen if the feather of truth balanced with the heart? What would happen if it didn't?
Balanced: go to afterlife to live with Osiris Didn't Balance: thrown into the Nile River to hungry crocodile-like creatures
400
What were some of the benefits of being a woman in ancient Egypt?
They had more rights than women in other ancient civilizations. They could get divorces, own property, and own their own businesses.
500
Why did the ancient Egyptians believe that social classes were a good idea?
They believed that society worked only when people knew their roles. It created order.
500
How did the archaeologists decode hieroglyphics?
The Rosetta Stone (There was a message in 3 languages, including Greek and Hieroglyphics. They decoded the message because they could read the Greek writing.)
500
Why were the ancient Egyptians dependent upon the peasant class?
They made all of the food and they helped build the temples and monuments the people worshipped at.
500
Why was the heart the only organ left in the body during the mummification process? (2 reasons)
They believed it was the center of intelligence and the soul. It was also used for judgement. Anubis would balance it with the feather of truth to determine whether or not the person could go to the afterlife.
500
Why was Egypt called the "gift of the Nile"? (atleast 4 reasons)
The Nile River gave life to a civilization in the midst of the large desert. It provided natural irrigation and fertile soil. It was also used for transportation, drinking water, food (fish), washing, and bathing.
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