Daily Life, Gender Roles, and Education in Ancient Egypt

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Daily Life, Gender Roles, and Education in
Ancient Egypt
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Homes

• Close to the Nile
• Made of mud bricks
• Usually 2-3 storeys high to avoid flooding
• Few pieces of furniture
• Outdoor kitchens
• Upper levels were used as living space
• Size and complexity of homes depended on wealth

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Homes

• Had small windows to keep homes cool
• The wealthy could afford to have houses built of
  stone

Which is the home of a wealthy Egyptian?
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Food Agriculture

• Depended on crops
• Wheat and barley used to make beer and bread
• Flax for linen
• Annual flooding of Nile provided fertile soil
• Vegetables such as onions, leeks, lettuce, and
  peas were grown
• Wine
• Dates and figs from trees
• Ate beef, pork, mutton, fowl and wild game meat
• The commoners ate fish as a substitution for meat

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Leisure Activities

• Plays held in temples
• Fishing, swimming, and games in river
• Noblemen would hunt game and fowl
• The wealthy held parties
• Pets
• Reading

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Leisure Activities

• Board games such as Hounds, Jackals, and Senet
• Rules of board games are unclear, but are found
  in tombs
• Children had toy animals carved out of wood and
  ivory

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Education

• All children received education, whether or not
  they were from a rich family
• Unprivileged children were educated in trades
• Privileged children received formal education

A scribe students homework
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Education

• Unprivileged children began education at age 14
• Boys learned trades from fathers
• Girls learned housekeeping from mothers
• For example, parents hoped children could become
  tomb builders
• If not, they had to leave their village and find
  work elsewhere

Metal-working one of many trades
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Education

• Sons of Pharaohs, priestsand other privileged
  familieswent to scribe school at age 5
• Consisted of copying texts and reciting lessons
• Scribes also educated in math
• Near end of scribal education,scribes went to
  vocational schoolsrun by the government, army
  ortemples, etc.
• Would receive training for specificjobs such as
  tax assessing

Statue of a scribe
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Education

• Egyptians believed in stability through education
• Taught children manners and to be contributing
  members of society
• Literacy was vital to bureaucratic Egypt
• Scribes kept records such as taxes and
  inventories, and ritual practices and medicines

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Gender Roles (Family)

• For the ancient Egyptians, the prime purpose of
  marriage was to establish a family.
• A suitable age for men to be married is at the
  age of 20.
• The wife would be even younger, according to the
  teachings of the scribe Onkhsheshonqy.
• Parents were considered as the source of life for
  the children.
• They deserve respect and honour.

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Gender Roles (Women)

• Women took care of the daily needs of their
  family.
• Pregnancy was important to the ancient Egyptian
  women, because they gained the respect of society
  and the approval from their husbands.
• Even though the society was mostly dominated by
  men, the women still enjoyed quite a bit of their
  freedom, because the men did not have it all
  their way.
• Aside from taking care of the family, women were
  also involved in the society, and they could
  conclude any kind of legal settlement.

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Gender Roles (Men)

• Egypts society was typically male-dominated.
• Men hunted animals such as antelope, hares, and
  lions in the low deserts in Egypt.
• The father was responsible for the economic
  well-being of the family.
• Upper-class men often became scribes or priests.
• Lower-class man often were farmers, hunters,
  potters, or craftsmen.

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Gender Roles (Children)

• Children were considered as the link with the
  future generations.
• They were also expected to reciprocate the care
  they received from their parents, mainly their
  mother.
• Children were expected to take good care of their
  parents in their old age, and also to carry out
  the principal roles in their funerary rights when
  they died.
• The eldest son in particular was sometimes
  referred to as the staff of old age, who would
  look after the aged parents and take over his
  fathers work.

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Bibliography

• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Pyramids, Mummies
  Daily Life. 17 Oct 2006 lthttp//www.clevelandart.o
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• Dollinger, André. Aspects of Life in Ancient
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• Division of Education.Life in Ancient Egypt. 23
  Jan. 2006. 18 Oct. 2006 lthttp//www.carnegiemnh.or
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• Dollinger, André. Gender Roles. 12 Jan. 2006. 17
  Oct. 2006 lthttp//nefertiti.iwebland.com/people/ge
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• Stead, Miriam. Egyptian Life. Cambridge,
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• Hawass, Zahi. Women in Pharaonic Egypt. Italy,
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• Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation.
  Mysteries of Egypt Egyptian Civilization. 17
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• St. Petersburg Times. Egypt Daily Life. 17 Oct
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• Hart, George. Eyewitness Books Ancient Egypt.
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• Stead, Miriam. Egyptian Life. Cambridge,
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• Newman, Garfield. Echoes from the Past World
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