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AncientEgyptianCivilization.pdf

Name_______________________________Date_________________ Class_____________________

History: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Mega Social Studies.Com

Instructions: Read the summary then answer the questions.

Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Ancient Egyptian civilization is said to have flourished more than 5000 years ago for

more than 2000 years. This civilization has been credited with many inventions, social and

government structuring and profound architecture.

Ancient Egypt was made of three social classes plus slaves. The three classes were: the

upper class, the middle class and the lower class. The upper class consisted of the royal family,

high priests, wealthy landowners and doctors. The middle class consisted of merchants,

manufacturers and skilled laborers like craftsmen. Lastly, the lower class consisted of unskilled

laborers who were mainly farmers. Other important people included scribes. Scribes would

study for 12 years to perfect their profession. They would eventually become teachers, civil

servants or librarians. Unlike social classes that would later be formed in Europe and China,

these social classes could be ascended by way of hard work or marriage.

Ancient Egyptians believed in polytheism; with the exception of King Akhenaten. Their

primary Gods came from nature deities representing wind, water, sky, trees and animals. As

cities widened in population, they started to worship local Gods alongside the major ones. The

God Ptah (Tah), for example, was given credit with creating the city of Memphis in Egypt.

In relation to the worshiping of gods as well as the head of government itself, stood

usually a monarch deemed the God-King. The God-King, or pharaoh, ruled over the unified land

of Egypt and could be either man or woman. This position was inherited by way of birthright.

Alongside the pharaoh were advisors called Viziers who aided him in, serving as judges, mayors

or even tax collectors. Since they had no money system, they used a barter system under which

grains were used as common trade items. Egypt was also split into 42 different providences

called nomes and governed by nomarchs. The ancient Egyptians are the first civilization to have

a fully organized civil government.

Egyptian are also given credit with making the first usable paper out of papyrus (unlike

that later invented in China), the first 365 day solar calendar used to predict the flooding of the

Nile River, ink and hieroglyphics which was the first flexible writing system.

Name_______________________________Date_________________ Class_____________________

History: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Mega Social Studies.Com

1. What can we infer polytheism means?

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2. What is the purpose of a social class?

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3. Nomarchs ruled nomes. Today, what would you compare nomarchs and nomes to?

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4. Why do you think it was important to predict the flooding of the Nile River?

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5. Bonus:

Do some research; find out why King Akhenaten was the exception to having polytheistic

beliefs.

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