Ancient Egyptian society was divided into distinct social classes structured like a pyramid. The Pharaoh and government officials made up the top levels and had the most power and wealth. Peasants and slaves comprised the bottom levels and were the largest social groups, working as farmers, laborers, and artisans. Each class had specific roles and responsibilities that contributed to the functioning of Egyptian civilization.

2. Social Pyramid
The population of ancient Egypt was divided into groups of people with
different jobs and responsibilities to society. These social classes were
structured as a pyramid with six levels. This social pyramid shows the levels
of each social class in terms of importance.
The two top levels, the Pharaoh and Government Officials, were the most
powerful and wealthy. The bottom level, the peasants, were the largest social
class and were the workers that were the farmers and construction workers.
There are six sections of the social pyramid.
Which one do you want to learn more about?
Remember: The suggested next page is in the bottom left hand corner.

3. Reflections
Opinions of Social Classes
There were six social classes in ancient Egypt. Do you think these classes
exist today, either as social classes or jobs? Before you answer, think about
the life of people in social classes, such as the peasants being poor and the
pharaoh having feasts. Are these social classes and jobs similar to jobs and
classes today?
Shape of a Social Pyramid
A pyramid starts small at the top and ends larger at the bottom. What do you
think this means about the population of ancient Egypt in each social group?

4. Society in ancient Egypt
To define what social structure is, and explore the structure of society
in ancient Egypt
Pictures of people from different social and economic levels in ancient
Egypt at work and play.

5. Whole group discussion
Introduce the topic by discussing what makes a society and how societies are
structured. What is a society? What makes a society? How are the levels of society
determined or defined?
Ask pupils to think about different types of people or professions they know existed
in ancient Egypt, and list them on the board. Show photographs of objects, wall
paintings and images of people from ancient Egypt if possible and ask pupils to
classify them based on their actions, clothing and context. See if it is possible to
group them together and order them according to who was the most and least
privileged.
Ask them to consider which group would have the largest number of people, and
which would have the least.
Compare the class list with the list provided in the background information. How are
the two lists similar? How are the two lists different?
Discuss the types of evidence that might be used to construct a list like this.
Wrap-up the discussion by reinforcing the fact that social structures are usually not
so well defined and exact, but that defining a social structure helps us understand
some important things about how the civilization worked.
A society is a group of people who live in a community and are dependent upon
each other for food, shelter, wealth and land. Societies can be structured in many
different ways and some are more flexible than others. Ancient Egyptian social
structure was pretty well-defined and rigid. People did not readily move from one
level of society to another. This is not to say that it never happened, however, it was
not common. There were certain situations where a person from one level of society
could move from one to the other, but it usually occurred in the upper levels of
society.
This breakdown of the levels of society has been constructed by historians based on
objects and texts from ancient Egypt. Thus, the definitions have been made by
modern scholars. The ancient Egyptians would not necessarily have seen their
social structure in the same way, just as perceptions of modern societies differ
whether they are internal or external.
Society in ancient Egypt was made up of many different levels. At each level there
were people with similar jobs and economic positions. Where people lived, what they

6. ate, what they wore and what they owned depended on what social class they were
a part of.
This is a general breakdown of the different levels of society:
The highest level of society was the royal family. The royal family included the
pharaoh, his wives and his children. They lived in palaces, ate the finest food, and
wore the finest clothing and jewellery. This was the most privileged sector of the
population, and represented a tiny percentage of ancient Egyptian society.
Those at the next level of society were the noblemen who surrounded the pharaoh.
They lived well in large homes with plenty of food to eat. They also controlled large
estates. These people represented a small percent of the population.
The next level of society was made up of scribes. Scribes became officials in the
government or temple priests. Successful scribes were promoted to being high
officials in the pharaoh's court or high priests. Scribes represented a small
percentage of the population.
The next level of society was made up of craftsmen and artisans. Craftsmen and
artisans were often well-to-do by ancient Egyptian standards. The children of
craftsmen or artisans could even attend school to become a scribe if their parents
were well-connected. Craftsmen and artisans made up a relatively small percent of
the population.
The next level of society was made up of household servants who worked in the
homes of wealthy noblemen. They represented a small percent of the population.
The next level of society was made up of farmers. Farmers usually worked on land
that belonged to the pharaoh or the temple. They had to give a percentage of their
harvest as a tax either to the pharaoh or the temple. They lived in small homes, and
traded their crops for other kinds of food. Farmers made up the bulk of the
population.
The lowest level of society was made up of slaves and foreign captives. They were
usually forced to work on building projects or in the mines for the government or the
pharaoh. They made up a relatively small percentage of the population.
Unit Five: Country Perspectives
Module Twenty One: Egypt
Teacher’s Edition

7. Activity Two: Explore
Ancient Egyptian Society and History
This activity will focus on the history of Ancient Egypt. As many people know, Egypt has a
rich, long history that goes as far back as far as 3100 B.C.E. This activity will give you a brief
overview of this long history along with a look into the societal structure and everyday life of
Ancient Egyptians.
Society in Ancient Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, every person had their place in a societal hierarchy. The people of Ancient
Egypt formed a productive and industrious society. Below, an illustration and the desc ription
of each societal position are given.
Pharoah
A pharaoh is a title that was used to refer to a ruler (who was typically male) in the Egyptian
Kingdom. These rulers were believed to be the reincarnation of Horus, an ancient god of the
sky. They were considered to be part man and part god. They were the link between the
mortal world and the heavens�world of the afterlife. The Pharaoh had supreme power and
authority during the time of their reign. Their duties would consist of preservation of order
against chaos, they would order the construction of temples, and they would hear petitions,
issue decrees, and would lead the country into battles. The Pharaohs also functioned as the
chief priest�highest religious authority--of the land.
Government Officials (Nobles, Priests)
The officials would be responsible for the day-to-day administration. There was a hierarchy of
government officials: viziers (prime ministers), local and national officials, temple priests,
bureaucrats, and military men. They carried many responsibilities and functions such as;
collecting taxes, settling disputes over property, recorded the accounts and provisions,
policed the country, and managers of ceremonies at the temples and gods. Priests passed
down their positions from sons to fathers often; it was a status of great power and wealth.

8. Soldiers
Soldiers were a part of the Egyptian army. The army consisted of infantrymen (foot soldiers
who carried spears, shields and battle axes) and charioteers (archers who would shoot arrows
from the chariot). The commander in chief would often be a son of the reigning Pharaoh.
Divisions of the army were named after gods and could consist of up to 5,000 men each. In
times of peace, the soldiers would work on government projects like transporting stone for
king�s tombs or digging irrigation canals.
Scribes
Scribes were the ancient professionals who learned reading and writing and who were well
educated in mathematics. They held an important function and highly valued in society. This
profession consisted solely of males. It was said to be a very difficult job. Scribes would study
for many years to learn to read and write. They had to be efficient in writing hieroglyphs
quickly. They would use papyrus paper made from a papyrus reed. Scribes were responsible
for keeping the official accounts of economic and political transactions. It is thanks to the
work of these scribes that we know as much as we do about ancient Egypt. Scribes could also
become accountants, doctors, government officials, and priests. Horemhab, a scribe, actually
became a pharaoh!
A n Egyptian Scribe Egyptian hieroglyphs
Imaged courtesy Wikipedia Commons. Used under Creative Commons license
Merchants
Merchants were very similar to traders. They travelled internationally to other parts of African
and the Mediterranean world trading Egyptian products like papyrus (for writing paper), gold,
jewelry and linen cloth, for items like cedar and ebony (wood), ivory--tusks from elephants,
animal skins, fly whisks made from giraffe tails, and non-Egyptian animals (baboons and
lions) for use in temples and palaces.

9. Egyptian merchants
Artisans
Every town and village had their own artisans. Artisans were the skilled craft workers that
made the essential everyday items as well as luxury goods. They made goods such as:
jewelry, coffins, tables, chests, textiles, pottery, and metal goods. They would work in large
workshops and were employed by the pharaoh, government or the temples. Many of their
objects are what we see in museums today.
Egyptian artisan
Farmers
The majority of Egyptians worked on the land. Farmers would plow, plant and harvest, and
maintain irrigation canals. In addition to producing enough to feed their own families farmers
were required to use food and other agricultural products as a form of taxes to the state.
They were required to pay this food levy even in years of poor harvest when farmers did not
have sufficient food to feed their own families. Many cereal crops were grown and helped to
make two of their main foods � bread and beer. Farmers, who made up the majority of
Egyptian citizens, were also required to work on the pharaoh�s tomb construction project
every year.
Egyptian farmers

10. Slaves and Servants
Slaves in Egypt were often prisoners of war and owned by the pharaoh. They were the lowest
class in Egyptian society. As trade increased, foreign slaves became more common. Often
slaves were owned by communities instead of individuals. Their work helped to improve and
increase the production of goods which further improved trade. There were a variety of slaves
� highly valued house servants and tutors, skilled artisans, or field laborers. Slaves were not
really used in Ancient Egypt in great numbers, the pyramids were actually built from free not
slave labor. Slaves could be given as gifts from the Pharaoh. Ordinary Egyptians who faced
economic difficulty could actually sell themselves into slavery, and then buy out of it when
their circumstances improved.
Egyptian servant
Activity: Where would you fit in Ancient Egyptian Society?
If you were living in Ancient Egypt, what part of society do you think you would find yourself
in? Write in a journal what a week in your daily life might be like. Whose job do you feel was
most beneficial and why? Do you think those at the top of the hierarchy had the most
important role in society?