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Explores the different roles people had in ancient societies, from farmers to scribes.
Imagine waking up in a house made of mud bricks, with no phone, no money in your pocket, and a job to do before the sun gets too hot! How would you get what you need to survive?
In Ancient Egypt, everyone had a role to play. Most people were farmers. They lived near the Nile River and grew crops like wheat for bread and flax for clothing. Artisans were skilled workers who made things by hand, such as beautiful jewelry, clay pots, or woven baskets. The most respected workers were scribes. Scribes were the only people who knew how to read and write using hieroglyphics (picture writing). They kept records for the Pharaoh and the government. Without scribes, we wouldn't know much about history today!
Quick Check
Which job involved keeping written records and was highly respected?
Answer
The Scribe.
Life for a child was very different than it is today. Most children did not go to school. Instead, they stayed home to learn from their parents. Boys usually learned their father’s trade, like farming or carpentry. Girls learned how to manage a household, cook, and weave cloth from their mothers. But it wasn't all work! Children played with wooden toys, like carved lions or dolls, and enjoyed swimming in the Nile River to stay cool in the hot desert sun.
Let's look at a typical morning for a boy named Hapi: 1. Hapi wakes up on a straw mat at sunrise. 2. He eats a breakfast of bread and fruit. 3. He goes to the fields with his father to help check the irrigation canals. 4. At midday, he takes a break to play a game of 'Senet' (a board game) in the shade.
Quick Check
How did most children learn the skills they needed for adulthood?
Answer
They learned by watching and helping their parents at home or in the fields.
Ancient Egyptians didn't have coins or paper bills. Instead, they used the barter system. This means they traded things they had for things they needed. If a farmer had extra grain but needed a new pair of sandals, he would find a cobbler (shoe maker) and offer to trade. To make sure a trade was fair, people agreed on the value of items. For example, they might decide that basket of grain was equal to loaves of bread. This system allowed everyone to get the supplies they needed to live.
Imagine an artisan wants to trade a clay pot for some fish. 1. The artisan brings a pot worth units of value. 2. The fisherman offers fish worth unit each. 3. To make a fair trade, the fisherman must give the artisan fish for the pot. 4. The math looks like this: .
A scribe needs a new linen robe. The weaver wants baskets of grain for the robe. The scribe doesn't have grain, but he has papyrus scrolls. If scroll is worth baskets of grain, can he make the trade? 1. Calculate the value of the scrolls: baskets. 2. Since , the trade is fair! 3. The scribe trades his scrolls to a farmer for grain, then gives the grain to the weaver.
What was the main job of a scribe?
If you trade a basket of fruit for a wooden toy, what system are you using?
In Ancient Egypt, most children went to a school building just like you do today.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to remember the three main jobs we discussed: Scribes, Artisans, and Farmers. Can you remember what each one did?
Practice Activity
Try a 'Barter Challenge' at home! See if you can trade a small task (like making your bed) for a small reward (like 5 extra minutes of play), and decide if the trade is fair.