Ancient Egypt – People at Work

What were the two groups of people who built pyramids, temples and tombs in Ancient Egypt?

• Conscripts (Builders)
• Craftspeople

What did conscripts do?

1) The conscripts did much of the heavy work in large gangs and build pyramids and other buildings.

2) Men and women captured from other countries used as slaves.

What did craftspeople do?

 
Examples for craftspeople were stone carvers and painters. They decorated the inside of tombs with picture and hieroglyphics.

List some of the features of an Ancient Egyptian temple.

• The temple was built in an enclosure (area), surrounded by a wall.
• Roofs were on columns. This was called the ‘hypostyle’.
• The hypostyle was filled with large pillars.
• The ceiling was painted with stars and birds.
• There were side chambers.
• In the sanctuary (a shelter of safety) was the shrine and statue of the god.
• The sacred lake for the priests to bathe before ceremonies.

Who were the people did different types of jobs in Ancient Egypt?

• Conscripts or builders
• Slaves
• Farmers
• Carvers
• Painters
• Metal workers
• Jewellers
• Scribes
• Priests

Who were ‘scribes’?

1) Scribes were the people who could read and write in Ancient Egypt.

2) They worked in the temples and also worked for pharaohs.

What were the duties of a scribe?

1) Keeping detailed written records of everything the pharaoh did.

2) Working on building sites and writing down how much stone and mud bricks and sand was needed.

Who were allowed to become scribes in Ancient Egypt?

1) Only boys were allowed to become scribes.

2) Boys went to school run by priests.

What did the boys learn in school?

1) They learned to read.

2) They learned to write with reed pens.

3) They copied out long pieces of writing.

4) They learned arithmetic.

In Ancient Egypt only boys were allowed to train as scribes. Do you think this was fair?

No. It was not fair. Because there would have been many talented girls who could easily learn to read and write like boys. So if they had been trained as scribes they also could have done something good for Ancient Egyptian civilization.

What were the duties of a priest?

1) Make offerings to the gods and goddesses everyday.

2) Giving presents of food or clothing and burnt frankincense.

3) Teaching the scribes.

What were the evidence tell us that the Ancient Egyptians did different types of jobs?

a) Pen cases filled with reed pens and ink    – Tell about scribes

b) Wall paintings

E.g. – 1) A wall painting showing a man and woman ploughing and sowing seeds.

         2) A wall painting showing metal-workers and jewellers at work.