Life in Ancient Egypt

Social Classes:

The privileged aristocracy consisted of the pharaoh, the royal family, the nobles, and the priests. These dominant classes lived luxuriously. The rest of society was the "unprivileged masses." The peasants and slaves suffered hardship and poverty.

• The pharaoh was viewed and worshipped as a god. He was the absolute ruler and owned the land. His duties oversaw all aspects of the country. Including the laws, the royal courts, the military, waging of war, tax revenues, written records, religious stability, and public projects. Public projects included the construction of irrigation canals, temples, tombs, and public buildings.
• The nobles served as advisors, local governors, tax collectors, and military commanders.
• The merchants & craftspeople enjoyed some limited wealth and comfort.
• The peasants worked the farms and were expected to serve the pharaoh during the off season.
• The slaves were the manual laborers who dug irrigation ditches and built temples.

Gender Roles:

The family was the fundamental social unit of ancient Egypt. The father was responsible for the economic well-being of the family. Upper-class men often became scribes or priests. Lower-class men often were farmers, hunters, potters, or other craftsmen. The mother supervised the household, including servants, and cared for the upbringing of the children. Upper-class women could become priestesses. All women could become musicians, professional mourners, inherit property, enter business deals, buy & sell goods, even obtain a divorce.

The Home:

Houses were constructed of sun-dried mud bricks. Bricks were cheap and fast but were not durable and required frequent replacement. The size and appearance of an Egyptian house depended on the family's wealth and the location of the building. An average city home might have a small court facing the street with a few rooms at the back. Windows would be high and covered with lattice to hold the heat out. Steps were at the rear of the house leading to a flat roof. Often, family members would sleep on the roof as a cooler alternative to inside the house.

Homes had kitchens with most being equipped with a baked clay stove for cooking. Normally cylindrical in shape. The primary cooking utensil was a two-handled pottery saucepan. The ancient Egyptians did not have cupboards and used wooden boxes or baskets to store their household goods. Food was stored in pottery.

The food staple was bread made from barley and emmer wheat. Their most common crops. Bread was baked in molds that were placed over an open fire. Also, there might be a dome-shaped ovens where net loaves of bread were baked by placing them against the dome. The main beverage of ancient Egypt was beer. But, depictions of grape arbors on tomb walls, plus numerous wine vessels found, would indicate that wine was available and popular. Unfortunately, only the wealthy could afford to drink wine on a regular basis.

Ancient Egyptians grew fruits and vegetables in irrigated gardens. Their fruits included figs, grapes, plums, dates, and watermelon. Vegetables included beets, sweet onions, radishes, turnips, garlic, lettuce, chick peas, beans, and lentils.

The Egyptians ate a variety of meat, fish, and fowl. Beef, mutton, pork, and wild game such as hyenas were part of their diet. Fowl included domestic and wild geese, pigeons, herons, pelicans, cranes, and wild ducks. From the Nile many kinds of fish could be caught including catfish, mullet, bolti, and perch.

Few furnishings adorned the average ancient Egyptian home and were fairly simple in design. The most common piece of furniture being a low stool, used by all Egyptians including the pharaoh. The three or four legged stools were made from wood and would have a seat made from leather or woven reeds. Tables used for eating and working were also low.

Egyptian bed were made from wood. Their legs often shaped like the legs of animals. A woven mat of reeds served as the mattress. The bed would be equipped with a footboard and a headrest made from either wood or stone.

After dark, oil lamps made from pottery or stone bowls were used to light the house.

 The ancient Egyptians had many pleasant activities to occupy their leisure time. They liked good food, drink, music, singing, and dancing. The upper class enjoyed watching professional dancers perform at formal banquets and functions. Other leisure activities included hunting, fowling, and fishing for sport. Hunters would use a bow and arrow for most game. For fowling, a throw-stick that acted like a boomerang was used. It would stun the bird causing it to fall from the sky. For fishing, a long, double-barbed spear was the tool of choice.

The ancient Egyptians also played board games such as senet. Children also had games, amusements, and toys like balls and dolls. Members of literate households would enjoy reading.

The Egyptians also enjoyed pets. Dogs were most common. But, cats were also very popular not to mention worshipped and believed to be extremely mystical. Sometimes the more wealthy would have monkeys as pets.

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