Life in Ancient Egypt: Along the Nile River

Family Life

• The head of the family was the father, who was succeeded by his eldest son upon his death.
• Most boys followed in their fathers' footsteps, taking on the same jobs, such as farming and craftsmanship.
• Girls were trained to become mothers and homemakers, learning household chores from their mothers.

Education

• Only a few upper-class boys and girls attended special schools where they were taught to become scribes.
• Scribes wrote official government documents and were considered essential to the administration.

Food and Drink

• Bread made from wheat was the staple food in Ancient Egypt.
• Richer families had access to vegetables, fish, and meat, while middle and lower-class people drank beer, and the upper class drank wine.
• Food was prepared on clay stoves.

Clothing and Jewelry

• Almost all Egyptians wore white clothes, with men wearing skirts or robes and women wearing skirts or dresses with shoulder straps.
• Richer people wore sandals, while the majority went barefoot.
• Women were fond of wearing makeup, painting their fingernails and lips, and dyeing their hair in many colors.
• Both men and women liked wearing rings and other jewelry.

Housing

• Egyptian houses were made of dried mud and had flat roofs.
• Poor people lived in simple huts, while richer people in cities lived in buildings that had up to three floors.
• Houses had small windows to keep out the sun and help the house stay cool.

Leisure Activities

• Ancient Egyptians enjoyed swimming and fishing in the Nile River.
• Hunting crocodiles, lions, and other wild animals were popular sports.

Religion

• Ancient Egyptians believed in several gods and goddesses, with the sun god Re (or Ra) being the most important.
• The most famous goddess was Isis, who was seen as the ideal mother and wife.
• Her husband Osiris was the ruler of the dead.
• Most Egyptians prayed at home, while the gods and goddesses lived in great temples.
• The Karnak temple, one of the most famous, consists of over 130 columns that are 25 meters high.

Work

• Most ancient Egyptians were farmers, who grew crops on the rich black soil brought by the annual floods of the Nile River.
• The Nile River was the main transportation route and the center of Ancient Egypt.

Society

• The ancient Egyptian population lived on both sides of the Nile valley and in the delta region.
• They had dark skin and dark hair.
• The population was divided into three main classes: the upper class, consisting of the pharaoh and his family, rich landowners, priests, and doctors; the middle class, consisting of traders, merchants, and craftsmen; and the lower class, consisting of unskilled workers.
• Slaves were prisoners taken from conquered foreign countries.